Residents of Winnipeg's Osborne Village neighbourhood have lost their battle to save a heritage building after a City of Winnipeg committee voted Tuesday to clear the way for a condominium development.

Against opposition from local residents, the property and development committee decided to strip Dennistown House of its heritage status, which means it can be demolished.

'We don't know this character. We've never read about him before, and he's not Louis Riel or Lord Selkirk.'—Bill Cody, Sunstone Resort Properties

Frank Hechter, whose family has lived in the Osborne area for several decades, said the proposal to tear down Dennistown building is another blow to a neighbourhood that has already lost too many buildings and seen too much development.

"This is not a decision to be made lightly," he said. "This is a decision about, you'll excuse my expression, about raping the area one more time."

Situated at 166 Roslyn Road, the house was built for Justice Robert R. Dennistown in 1908 and is currently divided into rental suites.

While the building is old enough to remain on the heritage list, Bill Cody from Sunstone Resort Properties said the architecture of Dennistown House is not really significant — nor, Cody insists, is the judge who once lived there.

"We don't know this character," he said. "We've never read about him before, and he's not Louis Riel or Lord Selkirk."

The property and development committee agreed with Cody. Council will have the final say at its meeting later this month.