General Update/Rumour thread

[McC]

just has to maintain the same clearances as the one at uOttawa

offset suspension or floating deck designs would really spark the look.

Check the map though, there's a lot less space to play with between Col. By Dr. and the Canal or between the Convention Centre and Col. By Dr to build up the necessary height than there is at Corkstown, where Col. By Dr is quite a ways from the Canal; and on the west side, the street level at Somerset is already basically at the right height. At the NAC, I think that you'd either have to go from Entrance level (which sort of defeats the purpose of making the crossing more accessible from the canal level than Laurier or MacKenzie-King) or have some weird, tight switchbacking ramps. So Like I said, I think that such a bridge would have to be movable somehow. I just don't see this going anywhere anytime soon (And would be pretty cheesed if another crossing was built here instead of at 5th Ave - Clegg, or across the Rideau at Somerset E - Donald). I'm a big backer of bridges and the more the better (I was a big booster of the bridge from Ave Rd right into the heard ot Lansdowne Park that was -- I thought -- a key part of the winning landscape design) and I think that there should be a half dozen other new crossing of the Rideau River and Canal; there are just others that I would prioritize before this one; e.g., somewheer between Dow's Lake and Hartwell's locks, at the end of Laurier, inline with the Riverside Hospital between Billings and Main-Smythe, and maybe even Main - Robert/Delaware...

Hmm...I don't know how I feel about that. Might be better to improve the canal-front up to Confederation Bridge/Square and make that a more natural connection. I guess I generally think this isn't a super high priority compared with improvements that could be done in the area.
Do you mean the Plaza Bridge?

[gjhall]

Yes, Plaza Bridge - never really realized that was in fact the name - most people don't even think of it as a bridge as it flows pretty naturally from Rideau to Wellington and Elgin, etc.

[waterloowarrior]

just browsing through Canderel's site.. here's their plan for 485 Richmond
http://www.canderel.com/news-communication/485-richmond-road

485 Richmond Road

Ottawa, ON
A 7 storey 120,000 sq. ft. office building has been planned for as a development alternative to the 24 storey residential tower originally planned for this site. The building will have spectacular views of the Ottawa River and Gatineau Hills, backs onto NCC parkland and is located walking distance to numerous shops and restaurants along Richmond Road. The site is less than a 3 minute walk from OC Transpo’s Dominion Station on the Transitway.

[lpc]

..........

[reidjr]

Does anyone have any update on lambs project for downtown?

[jcollins]

just browsing through Canderel's site.. here's their plan for 485 Richmond
http://www.canderel.com/news-communication/485-richmond-road

485 Richmond Road

Ottawa, ON
A 7 storey 120,000 sq. ft. office building has been planned for as a development alternative to the 24 storey residential tower originally planned for this site. The building will have spectacular views of the Ottawa River and Gatineau Hills, backs onto NCC parkland and is located walking distance to numerous shops and restaurants along Richmond Road. The site is less than a 3 minute walk from OC Transpo’s Dominion Station on the Transitway.

When was there a plan for a 24 storey residential building there?

[rakerman]

Does anyone have any update on lambs project for downtown?

It's called Gotham, the website is up.

http://gothamottawa.com/

This is the thread:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=188850

[harls]

Don't have a thread for this one yet, so I'll just put it here.. the project behind Place Vincent Massey on St-Joseph in Hull.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5606189870_6651036936_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5606192048_a31326aacd_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5606192860_f784392b62_b.jpg

[Cre47]

As expected, the Science and Tech Museum issue is probably the biggest issue in my riding and all the opposition parties are basically make this as a high to top priority (well top priority for both the Bloc and Grits). The Bloc is even suggesting to extend the Wakefield Stream Train to the wished site of the Museum.

Of course, the Tories are invisible on this issue (heck haven't seen any CPC signs in my riding yet).

[MountainView]

I noticed that the City of Ottawa is changing the Prince of Wales traffic circle (at the experiment farm) to a roundabout. It is at a cost of $1.2 Million and should be completed this Spring.

Do you think this is really necessary, in my opinion it will probably initially confuse drivers and the having to yield when entering the circle could slow down traffic as well.

Also... does putting up 4 new Yield signs really cost $1.2 Million dollars lol

[ThaLoveDocta]

I noticed that the City of Ottawa is changing the Prince of Wales traffic circle (at the experiment farm) to a roundabout. It is at a cost of $1.2 Million and should be completed this Spring.

Do you think this is really necessary, in my opinion it will probably initially confuse drivers and the having to yield when entering the circle could slow down traffic as well.

Also... does putting up 4 new Yield signs really cost $1.2 Million dollars lol

This is long overdue.
That's a near perfect location for a roundabout as far as i can tell.


There's a little more to it than 4 yield signs, but i assume you were being facetious...

[Proof Sheet]

Also... does putting up 4 new Yield signs really cost $1.2 Million dollars lol

Oh don't worry...the City will be able to spend that kind of money...just don't let Lowell know about it.

There will be pre-consultations, formal consultations, open houses, advisory panels comprising of a broad subset of the general population, a draft set of recommendations, final recommendations subject to public input etc, a lengthy process to pre-qualify contractors who can pave areas and mark out lanes and paint lines and their corporate position on carbon neutral eco-friendly paving will be analyzed by another sub-committee and before you know it $1.2 million will have been spent (and this is not taking into account an Environmental Assessment and the inevitable bump up to the cabinet level) without actually having a shovel in the ground.

[MountainView]

Weird to find this in the Citizen today after just discussing it yesterday...

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/spending+million+renovate+traffic+circle+worthwhile/4604920/story.html

Is spending $1.2 million to renovate a traffic circle worthwhile?

By Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen


In our private lives, where thrift is a virtue, $1 million is the kind of money, with rare exception, we will never hold in our hands. Or, fully, in our minds.

When paying $1.30 for a litre of gasoline makes us nuts and getting 20 cents for an empty wine bottle makes us happy, all those zeros are just more zeros; a sum exponential, uncomprehending, what your parents earned in a lifetime.

Yet, when it comes to our sense of “public funds,” $1 million is the blink of an eye, barely worth scrutiny, the cost of getting the slightest thing done, what two top-end hospital executives take home in a year.

A reader put me onto this notion of what public works are truly worth, whether we have an inner scale that is capable of sound measure. Interesting. It may be why no ordinary citizen has any idea whether $600 million for a transit tunnel is an awesome bargain or a complete rip-off. It’s not the hole in the ground. We get that. It’s the 600-mil part, which we don’t.

The city of Ottawa is planning to spend $1.2 million to redo the traffic circle on Prince of Wales at the Central Experimental Farm. You will know it well.

Is this, in fact, money well spent?

The city reports two main problems: the circle is overly congested during the morning rush — beyond its operational capacity, as the P.Engs. like to say — and cars are driving too fast to allow for safe pedestrian crossing.

My tipster suggests that all that’s really wrong with the intersection is that it operates like a traffic circle instead of a true roundabout.

Any self-respecting traffic nerd knows there is a fundamental difference between the two: the protocol for yielding is reversed. Just change the signage, he says. Problem solved.

On this point, the city argues that just changing the yielding rules to bring it in line with regular roundabouts would not work. There would still be stacking, sight and speed problems.

This may be true. But one has to wonder about the tradeoff: is it actually worth $1.2 million to make crossing the street easier for walkers and to ease the congestion for a relatively small number of morning commuters?

After all, who doesn’t expect a slowdown at rush hour? Have you seen the Queensway lately?

It is, too, a million bucks not being spent somewhere else. There are parts of Carling Avenue, for instance, that are not just beyond “operational capacity” but, in terms of repair, a complete disgrace. Same for sections of Scott. You will have your own hate-list.

This traffic circle, oddly, has heritage value. It was built about 1936 and forms part of the so-called “Picturesque” style of landscape architecture that permeates the Experimental Farm, now itself more than a century old.

It does have a Sunday drive feel to it, as opposed to a modern intersection control system. It is wide, with evergreens in the centre and a towering hydro pole, which hopefully will disappear.

Clearly, there are problems. When cars are waiting in the circle, it is easy to find motorists scooting around the line by veering on the shoulder of the road. The city reports cars are sometimes three abreast in the un-marked circle, which is a safety nightmare.

The circle will be ripped out and replaced with one nearly as large. The interior will be designed by a landscape architect familiar with the Farm and will feature new vegetation, improved sightlines and better grading.

On approach from the south, northbound traffic will be separated by a new median, about 100 metres long. Once in the circle, there will be two distinct lanes; one for turning left and another for going straight or turning right. There will also be “splitter” islands added on the south, east and west sides so that traffic can be properly separated and pedestrians protected.

Work begins in mid-May and is to take 11 weeks. Agriculture Canada will share in the cost.

“It will be fabulous,” said senior project engineer Ann Selfe.

The city is currently on a roundabout kick. It now has about a dozen, including several at large suburban intersections. At least now, with this redo, there will be consistency with traffic rules.

When it’s said and done, the traffic, by design, will move slower and safer, though the morning commute should be more organized, if not speedier.

Visually, the circle will be busier, with many more lines, sidewalks, markings, curbs, abutments. But will we have $1.2-million worth of public good with this million-dollar baby?

I don’t really know; like you, I’ve never had a million. To play with.

[Dado]

I noticed that the City of Ottawa is changing the Prince of Wales traffic circle (at the experiment farm) to a roundabout. It is at a cost of $1.2 Million and should be completed this Spring.

Do you think this is really necessary, in my opinion it will probably initially confuse drivers and the having to yield when entering the circle could slow down traffic as well.

Also... does putting up 4 new Yield signs really cost $1.2 Million dollars lol


This is long overdue.
That's a near perfect location for a roundabout as far as i can tell.


There's a little more to it than 4 yield signs, but i assume you were being facetious...

From the Citizen story:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/4604933.bin?size=620x400

See what they're doing here? They're adding de facto 'through lanes' for the primary traffic flow (i.e. straight on Prince of Wales in both directions) while adding what amount to turn lanes for the other directions. In effect what they've done is design a regular intersection with all the turn lanes they think they would need normally and then shoved a circle into the middle of it while setting the right of way as that of a roundabout.

It's a sort of partial multi-lane roundabout. One would think they could just try it with flipping the signs and seeing how it works - and seeing how it compares to their models. After all, there are much busier single-lane roundabouts than this one elsewhere in the world.

Is there really a need to separate out traffic turning right from southbound Prince of Wales into the farm, or left turning traffic from northbound PoW into the farm?

Navigating this thing as a cyclist is also going to be unnecessarily hairy.

[Umpaidh]

So the old Mill building at Lebreton Flats is going to be the new home of a Mill Street brew pub. I don't know how to search the cities website for the architectural drawings, but I'll give it a shot.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/04/15/ottawa-mill-street-brewery.html

[Fraser]

Here's a link to the site plan and planning rationale:
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8I98PS

On another note, I've heard there's a zoning amendment / site plan coming for the parking lot near the intersection of Metcalfe and MacLaren (behind the Mayfair apartment building). Anyone know who owns the property?

[AuxTown]

Dammit, I can never be the first with breaking news on this forum! There has been construction on the building for the last little while and I have been very curious. This is news that makes me happy. It's kind of sad that with such nice waterways in Ottawa this, Dow's Lake, and the Ritz are the only waterfront restaurants in the city. I love our parkways but there's definately some room for other uses along our pristine waterways.

from www.ctvottawa.ca
A successful Toronto microbrewery is coming to Ottawa after signing a 10-year lease to occupy the site of the Old Mill Restaurant situated along the Ottawa River.

Mill Street Brewery will run a restaurant and brewery from the vacant site at the Chaudière Falls, near Lebreton Flats.

"We’ll offer an exceptional dining experience, innovative food pairings, brewery tours and sampling, plus the creation of specialty beers for the local market that will only be available on-site and at select Ottawa establishments," said Steve Abrams, founder of Mill Street Brewery in a news release.

The National Capital Commission, which owns the land, recently put $2 million in renovations into the century-old stone building, which has been vacant since the Old Mill Restaurant closed in 2007.

The NCC says Mill Street signed the lease after it put out a request for proposals last year. The lease gives the brewery the option to renew after 10 years.

Mill Street Brewery was named Canadian Brewery of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The brewery brews several beers, including Stock Ale, Original Organic, Tankhouse, Belgian Wit and Coffee Porter.

Abrams said they hope to have the new brew pub open in the fall. It will seat 400 people and create as many as 60 new jobs.

[Richard Eade]

I think it would be good for the NCC to allow the renaming of the little driveway into the parking lot as "Mill Street".

[Ottawan]

Looking at the site plan, it's unfortunate (but probably realistic for the mill site as it currently stands) that so much parking is needed for the business, located at the heart of the city, to be viable.

[OttawaSteve]

I think it would be good for the NCC to allow the renaming of the little driveway into the parking lot as "Mill Street".

Definitely a cool idea, but probably not feasible since it would duplicate an existing street name in Manotick.

[Dado]

We could probably get away with "Old Mill Street" though, which, while not quite as neat as "Mill Street" is pretty close and also pretty accurate.

[Richard Eade]

The Prince of Wales roundabout appears to be virtually the same size as the current traffic circle.
http://REade.fileave.com/Misc/Roundabout-Plan.jpg

The biggest difference is the median which will be in the south leg of Prince of Wales. I don't know why the median is necessary since it will cut further into the parking along the road. (Maybe the idea is to remove that parking and put the chip wagon out of business. That would be a shame; both the parking and the chip wagon were well used.)

I expect the exaggerated access to The Driveway is the NCC's influence. I do not imagine that there is actually enough traffic wanting to travel along The Driveway to warrant a full left-turn lane from the south and a separate ramp from the north. Apart from driving along the scenic road, there is little else to attract people in that direction. That said, it is the principal access into the farm - although there really isn't much for tourists to see there any more. Tourists would access the Agriculture Museum and the animal displays from the parking lot off of Prince of Wales. Is there really a need to have 70 metres of storage space south of the Yield for north-bound traffic which wants to go west?

From my experience, traffic usually slowed to about 40 Km/H traveling through the old traffic circle. Since the dimensions are remaining about the same, I expect that traffic arriving at the roundabout will still slow to about 40 Km/H and, if the driver doesn't see anyone in the short stretch between the north-bound and south-bound lanes then they will simply proceed at 40 Km/H without stopping. There will actually be very little time to react if a south-bound vehicle decides to go into The Arboretum. This might cause a lot of vehicles to actually stop at the Yield in case one of the very few vehicles going across to The Arboretum happens by. People from the west, headed north will need to merge into the 'through' lane to exit to Prince of Wales; but this should not be a problem since traffic should not have entered the roundabout, there for leaving a space.

Going south is a slightly different matter since the preference was given to the ramp for traffic from Prince of Wales onto The Driveway. The south-bound traffic will need to ensure that there are no vehicles in the 'left-turn' lane before they can enter the roundabout. The visibility of that lane should give south-/west-bound drivers a bit more warning than their north-bound friends.

All in all, this will probably cause more braking and acceleration than occurs today and thus is worse for the environment. However, the biggest damage will be the LARGE signs required to direct people through the roundabout. I think the look of these has been underestimated and will have a detriment affect on the once scenic location.

[Richard Eade]

We could probably get away with "Old Mill Street" though, which, while not quite as neat as "Mill Street" is pretty close and also pretty accurate.
Or the one in Manotick becomes "Watson Mill Street".

[waterloowarrior]

The (closed) road on the other side of the Bronson Channel used to be called Mill Street but it's now called Timberslide Street http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2001/09-26/pdc/ACS2001-DEV-BLD-0004.htm

[gjhall]

Or the one in Manotick becomes "Watson Mill Street".

No chance, city bases duplicate street name decisions on # of businesses/residents affected. Hence Old Sunset Blvd in town and Sunset Blvd in Greely. Power in numbers.

[MaxHeadroom]

I do not imagine that there is actually enough traffic wanting to travel along The Driveway to warrant a full left-turn lane from the south and a separate ramp from the north. Apart from driving along the scenic road, there is little else to attract people in that direction....The answer is absolutely yes. Go hang out there at rush hour and see why. The Driveway turns into Island Park which turns into the Champlain Bridge to Aylmer. A quick shortcut with a minimum of traffic lights.

[MaxHeadroom]

Public Works finally had 405 Lebreton Street South torn down about two weeks ago.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=405+lebreton+street+s,+ottawa&sll=45.403693,-75.705328&sspn=0.011781,0.02326

[MountainView]

... However, the biggest damage will be the LARGE signs required to direct people through the roundabout. I think the look of these has been underestimated and will have a detriment affect on the once scenic location.

I couldn't agree more ... I really think the current traffic circle will allow the traffic to flow better than in a roundabout AND of course, the roundabout will undoubtedly affect the 'scenic' part of this location.

[rocketphish]

A tower crane was erected yesterday on Terminal Ave. behind to the Train Station.

Whether it's part of the retail section of the Ottawa Trainyards development:
http://www.ottawatrainyards.com/future.html
http://www.ottawatrainyards.com/images/img_offsiteplan.jpg

or the Canderel development at 425 Terminal Ave:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=186854

I don't know. And it's also interesting that these two siteplans conflict with each other.

Do we not have a Trainyards thread here yet?

[orleans_man]

There were two site plan proposals at one point:

One for 425 Terminal Ave. and another one for 395 Terminal Ave. I imagine the tower crane is for the 395 Terminal Ave. building that PWGSC awarded recently.

See link:
http://www.roneng.com/project_detail.asp?p=100&c=0&s=0&t=1&f=1&pg=1

Not sure if anything is happening with 425 Terminal Ave.? Maybe both are going to be built?

[harls]

I drove by the construction site on Vanier Pkwy near Montreal Rd last weekend.. can't remember what project it was (RCMP?) but the hole along Vanier is pretty deep now.

[Ted]

This is a quote from the Ottawa Citizen article on the weekend about Claridge,

The 61-year-old senior Malhotra can’t contain a smile (or a secret) when describing how Neil has just sealed a deal for condo number 31 on Richmond Road near the Loblaw Superstore.

Anyone know how to find out what the piece of land it is that they have bought? It must be in some city records ?? Some people on this forum have posted a link to some monthly Ottawa real estate bulletin that seems to record land purchases but I can't remember the link, in case someone else does?:koko:

[McC]

This is a quote from the Ottawa Citizen article on the weekend about Claridge,

The 61-year-old senior Malhotra can’t contain a smile (or a secret) when describing how Neil has just sealed a deal for condo number 31 on Richmond Road near the Loblaw Superstore.

Anyone know how to find out what the piece of land it is that they have bought? It must be in some city records ?? Some people on this forum have posted a link to some monthly Ottawa real estate bulletin that seems to record land purchases but I can't remember the link, in case someone else does?:koko:

I don't think that the Bank Note Company is going anywhere yet, so my guess would be the site of the Richmond Motel a little to the west, but redeveloping the northwest corner of Richmond and Kirkwood wouldn't be a bad guess either. others?

[Kitchissippi]

The Mac's Milk? It would be nice to see the Subaru dealer eventually move, too :)

[McC]

The Mac's Milk? It would be nice to see the Subaru dealer eventually move, too :)

agree RE the Subaru dealership (I might actually go to Juniper one day, if it's no longer inside a car dealership), though I don't expect it to move soon. Not sure about chances it's the Mac's, gas stations seem like the last sites to redevelop...

[Dado]

One possibility (ok, hope) is the collection of properties at Tweedsmuir and Richmond just west of the LCBO. There's a combination of a car repair garage, a used car sales lot and the Richmond Plaza Motel behind them.

Speaking of the LCBO, I find that site to be a complete waste of space. People are knocking down trees on church lands to build tall in Westboro, but somehow the LCBO goes off and builds a single storey suburban retail pad in a parking lot. For those who like to defend things like the convent proposal, may I point out that the combined area of LCBO and the lots to the west is about the same as the Richmond Rd frontage of the convent site? (it actually looks to be larger, since it is deeper, though the length of frontage is a bit less). There are still plenty of places to build in Westboro without recourse to clearing trees off a convent site.

[Kitchissippi]

:previous:money doesn't grow on trees, but it certainly comes in bottles :haha:

[McC]

Hear Hear, Dado!

[reidjr]

I know this is a bit off topic but as of now how many projects does claridge have in the works in terms of condos.

[noseyneighbour]

I emailed Sheila Brady and recieved a response. Please see link.

http://childfree.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/juicy-gossip-spring-2011-edition/

[McC]

I emailed Sheila Brady and recieved a response. Please see link.

http://childfree.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/juicy-gossip-spring-2011-edition/

(sort of) nailed it!:notacrook:

[Marcus CLS]

I would have guest the motel and garage site west of the LCBO too but that link ends all further speculation.

On a side note a 4 story commercial / office building in the area is approved. Westboro villlage could become a mini employent hub along with the increased residential component. Maplesoft consulting is already there at the main cross roads.

[Ted]

Thanks 'noseyneighbour' !

Nice work. I won't miss that building.

Some in the posts had speculated Nick's and the Hotel - it apparently is a fairly complicated ownership situation, also the person who owns the rentals behind Mac's is also trying to do something with that corner

[reidjr]

This is some interesting news from obj.
__________________________________
The average price per square foot of condominium development land in Ottawa has almost doubled in roughly five years as an increasing number of investors enter the city’s “undersupplied” market, according to a new report.

Topics : Richard Ellis , Ontario Municipal Board , Greenbelt , Ottawa
Between 2005 and 2008, the average price per square foot of land was $84.14, numbers from commercial real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis show.

Since 2008, that figure has climbed to $153.39 per square foot.

“Developable land within the Greenbelt is in short supply. There is little to none left,” says Nico Zentil, a senior sales associate at CB Richard Ellis.

He says the industry tends to look closer at the price per unit, or the cost per square foot of buildable space on a site, in evaluating the value of a land parcel.

Since 2008, developers have been paying an average of $22,963 per unit in terms of land costs. That’s stayed relatively constant over the preceding three years, suggesting developers are paying higher prices for raw land, but are offsetting those costs by building higher-density projects.

Zoning plays a major role in determining land values. Industry observers have lamented the difficulty in predicting the future density of a site, as development proposals are frequently rejected by city council. However, the Ontario Municipal Board often overrules those local decisions.

Mr. Zentil says vendors who want top dollar for their land must often take the property through the rezoning process prior to sale, or sell it at a 10- to 25-per-cent discount to an investor who will take on the risk.

Across the city, CB Richard Ellis says there is an “unprecedented” demand for condominiums. Given the low level of existing supply, the firm expects the market to absorb these units without saturation.

Part of this demand is coming from retail investors, who are purchasing roughly one out of every five new condominiums to lease or rent out.

With 25 condominium projects either pre-sold or under construction, and another 26 additional projects under construction, an increasing number of out-of-town investors and developers are taking notice of the Ottawa market.

“There are groups sitting on the sidelines looking for a conduit into this marketplace because they see good opportunity here,” he says

[McC]

“Developable land within the Greenbelt is in short supply. There is little to none left,”
snort.
There is probably available land (approved) to house 20,000 people in the lands forming a crescent from the Escarpment, to Lebreton, Bayview and the O-Train corridor alone. Add to that almost all of Carling Ave, large parts of Richmond Rd between Wesboro and Bayshore (hello Lincoln Fields!), much of Montreal Rd, Hurdman, CFB Rockliffe... I think initiative and creativity are in far shorter supply than land in this city!

[S-Man]

There's no shortage of land - we've got brownfields and parking lots up the wazoo in the core area. I'm sure if height restrictions were relaxed in some key downtown areas the developers could get that cost down to something less; I'm thinking this is the result of being forced to build 6 storeys downtown and trying to make a profit over the huge cost of concrete construction. What do we want in this city - affordability and quality of life, or height limits on everything so people aren't bothered by buildings downtown?

[reidjr]

There's no shortage of land - we've got brownfields and parking lots up the wazoo in the core area. I'm sure if height restrictions were relaxed in some key downtown areas the developers could get that cost down to something less; I'm thinking this is the result of being forced to build 6 storeys downtown and trying to make a profit over the huge cost of concrete construction. What do we want in this city - affordability and quality of life, or height limits on everything so people aren't bothered by buildings downtown?

To be fair its not like all new building are 6 floors sure some are but there is a fair amount that range from 14-27 floors.There really is not alot of parking lots sure there are some but there is not more then needed its not that many pakring lots are not used to the max most are.As for costs no height as much as i want that does not mean condos are cheaper just look in toronto and montreal for a exzample sure they have tall buildings but there not really cheaper.

[Harley613]

There is definitely a LOT of viable development land within the greenbelt, I chuckle every time an article says it's running out. Sure, it's running out in Centretown, but within a few minutes of the core itself we have Lebreton Flats, Bayview, the Oblate land by St. Paul, an island of unused Domtar/EB Eddy buildings, a massive plot of land at the old rockcliffe AFB, and the ongoing development at Lansdowne and the Trainyards. I imagine that's a good 50 years of supply if the city is serious about density, although the way they are it'll probably be 25 years...

[reidjr]

There is definitely a LOT of viable development land within the greenbelt, I chuckle every time an article says it's running out. Sure, it's running out in Centretown, but within a few minutes of the core itself we have Lebreton Flats, Bayview, the Oblate land by St. Paul, an island of unused Domtar/EB Eddy buildings, a massive plot of land at the old rockcliffe AFB, and the ongoing development at Lansdowne and the Trainyards. I imagine that's a good 50 years of supply if the city is serious about density, although the way they are it'll probably be 25 years...

I am not sure if i would say 50 years of land if you take into fact the amount of projects under way now and that are proposed there is alot of land that could be taken up and i am not saying thats bad i think its very good.

[AuxTown]

Have we seen the end of our very tiny boom (Telus, EDC, 180 Kent, Confed, Gat projects) in office development in Ottawa? With the conservatives in power and huge cuts on the horizon do you guys think there will be a demand for new office towers in the near future?

[S-Man]

Just the Lorne building as far as I know. That's sure to go ahead due to the renovations of the Laurier buildings.

[Fraser]

Just the Lorne building as far as I know. That's sure to go ahead due to the renovations of the Laurier buildings.

It's already started, as far as I can tell. The site was fenced off a few weeks ago and it looks like the interior has been vacated and gutted (several large garbage bins have been scattered around the site and you can tell preliminary work has taken place). This one is a go, thankfully.

[harls]

It's already started, as far as I can tell. The site was fenced off a few weeks ago and it looks like the interior has been vacated and gutted (several large garbage bins have been scattered around the site and you can tell preliminary work has taken place). This one is a go, thankfully.

The gov't is going to make the official announcement shortly... 60 000 m2 of space, 17 storeys..LEED Gold... existing building is to be demolished...occupancy end of 2014.

[reidjr]

The gov't is going to make the official announcement shortly... 60 000 m2 of space, 17 storeys..LEED Gold... existing building is to be demolished...occupancy end of 2014.

Is it 100% there going to move forward with a 17 floor building or is it just rumors at this point.

[S-Man]

I think it's 17 floors for sure.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Yep-it is 17 stories of finance dept. Here is a news story of the announcement.

New Home for Finance Department
Josh Pringle ,CFRA web site
Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Department of Finance will have a new, modern home in Ottawa's downtown core.

The Federal Government has announced a new redevelopment agreement and lease for the Lorne Building on Elgin Street.

The redevelopment project at 90 Elgin Street will see a new 17-storey building at the location, designed and constructed to meet National Capital Commission requirements.

Work will begin this spring, and be ready for occupancy at the end of 2014.

The Great-West Life Assurance Company will redevelop the site and then lease it to Public Works for 25 years.

The Federal Government estimates 625 jobs will be created over the next 3 and a half years as a result of the project

[kwoldtimer]

I will say a silent prayer next time I pass for it not to by ugly!

[Harley613]

this and the merit are really going to transform the view around confederation park, the canal and mackenzie king bridge! i love the design for the merit, so i hope this is also a winner.

[ThaLoveDocta]

Three published in the DCN today...


COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Proj: 9126510-2
Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton Reg ON NEGOTIATED/WORKING DRAWINGS
Tower A and Tower B, 125 Hickory Street, K1S 2E8
$50,000,000 est
Start: March, 2012 Complete: December, 2013
Note: Working drawings are underway. General contractor will secure main sub trades by Invitation, however, some sub trades may be tendered. Further update late 2011.
Project: CMU block structural frame, electric heating system, proposed construction of mixed use building, the first 3 levels are a mix of commercial (on ground floor), amenity and townhouse style unit and two 16 & 20 storey-condominium towers with a total of 324 units.
Scope: 41,570 m²; 20 storeys; 3 storeys below grade; 2 structures; 324 units; parking for 275 cars
Development: New
Category: Commercial offices; Apartment bldgs



Richcraft "Lifestyle" Condominiums
CONDOMINIUM BUILDING Proj: 9118200-4
Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton Reg ON NEGOTIATED/PLANNING
255 Bay St, K1R 5Z4
$28,000,000 est
Start: June, 2011 Complete: December, 2012
Note: Preparing plans are underway. Working drawings will start once a building permit approval has been in place. Construction start is scheduled for spring, 2011 and will last for 24 months. The sub-trades have been pre-qualified. Further update fall, 2011.
Project: CMU block structural frame, fuel fired heating system, proposed construction of a new condominium.
Scope: 250,000 square feet; 15 storeys; 200 units
Development: New
Category: Apartment bldgs



Cathedral Hill I presume...
MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT Proj: 1317582-9
Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton Reg ON NEGOTIATED/WORKING DRAWINGS
Sparks St Mall: Canlands "A" Redevelopment, between Sparks St and Queen St, W of Metcalfe, K1P
$20,000,000 est
Start: November, 2011 Complete: December, 2013
Note: Working drawings are underway. General contractor will secure main sub trades by invitation. Construction start is anticipated in late fall, 2011.
Project: CMU block structural frame, fuel fired heating system, proposed environmentally friendly residential construction of a six-storey building on Sparks Street and 18-storey building on Queen Street. The buildings will house a hotel, and condominium units in the upper floors. In total, there will be 235 units.
Scope: 200,000 square feet; 18 storeys; 2 structures; 235 units; 2 hectares
Development: New

[blackjagger]

The last one is Ashcroft's RE hotel/condo. Good to see that one moving forward.

Cheers,
Josh

[reidjr]

Does anyone know what the first one is?

[rocketphish]

Does anyone know what the 1st one listed is?

SOHO Champagne

[jcollins]

Is the first one SOHO Champagne?

Edit: Sorry didn't see others asked the same.

[Uhuniau]

A tower crane was erected yesterday on Terminal Ave. behind to the Train Station.

Whether it's part of the retail section of the Ottawa Trainyards development:
http://www.ottawatrainyards.com/future.html
http://www.ottawatrainyards.com/images/img_offsiteplan.jpg



Sweet God, that's ugly.

[Uhuniau]

There is definitely a LOT of viable development land within the greenbelt, I chuckle every time an article says it's running out. Sure, it's running out in Centretown, but within a few minutes of the core itself we have Lebreton Flats, Bayview, the Oblate land by St. Paul, an island of unused Domtar/EB Eddy buildings, a massive plot of land at the old rockcliffe AFB, and the ongoing development at Lansdowne and the Trainyards. I imagine that's a good 50 years of supply if the city is serious about density, although the way they are it'll probably be 25 years...

All kinds of opportunities along Montreal Road; some pockets deeper into residential Vanier already have an underground gentrification movement under way.

[reidjr]

I may be alone of this but i think with projects such as tribeca/soho lisgar/90 elgin/claridge plaza 3 and 4/galleria 2 its really going to have a good impact on the skyline in the very near future

[Davis137]

Yes, it will...and if contractors can continue to build/develop more nice buildings (like HP1 & HP2, Mondrian, Continental, etc) then there will likely be less apprehension from city hall, and other interested parties when new ones get proposed further out from the CBD...

[S-Man]

You just have to put enough time and nice buildings between the 1970's grey concrete slabs of yesteryear and the present time in order to change people's idea of what a tall building looks like.

[MaxHeadroom]

There are about 15 homes on the south side of Westmount Ave (the 417W Parkdale off ramp). About 1/3 have been torn down, 1/3 are boarded up, and the remaining 1/3 appear to still be occupied.

This is to accommodate the off ramp realignment.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=westmount+ave+ottawa&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x4cce043b4668edf5:0xb01064b09b427aca,Westmount+Ave,+Ottawa,+ON+K1Y+1H6&gl=ca&ei=XoDOTZa_Cqfk0QHdqbD1DQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQ8gEwAA

[waterloowarrior]

planning and growth management workplan... interesting
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2011/05-24/06%20-%20ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0128%20-%20PGM%20term%20of%20Council%20workplan.htm

[S-Man]

The part about intensification at Tunney's is interesting, considering that station will be converted (soon, I hope) to LRT.

[McC]

planning and growth management workplan... interesting
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2011/05-24/06%20-%20ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0128%20-%20PGM%20term%20of%20Council%20workplan.htm

"Street Name Change – Wellington Street"? what could this mean?

[Ottawan]

I seem to recall a few months ago there being news stories about a proposal to change the name of the ceremonial Wellington Street (ie, Wellington in front of Parliament, not Wellington West) into "Sir John A. Macdonald Blvd", in order to reflect Canadian history. This item probably refers to that issue.

[S-Man]

Have we learned nothing from the Robertson Road fiasco? That said, Parliament Hill is a long way from Bells Corners...I'm sure no one will notice.

[Dado]

It might also have to do with the part of Wellington on Lebreton Flats, which, if any kind of downtown LRT project goes ahead, will be largely obliterated, other than immediately below the escarpment. Once a street network is restored in the area, it would probably be a good idea to have names ready for it.

As to the Macdonald / Wellington issue, I say leave Wellington alone in front of Parliament but we could well rename the Ottawa River Parkway from the Portage - Wellington intersection west to at least the inlet canal as Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard.

[Ottawan]

I agree with Dado that it would be simple to rename a parkway Sir John A. Macdonald (note: the correct spelling of the historical figure's name does not have a capital D on the Donald, unlike the burger chain). This would appropriately honour him, without destroying civic history (the street was named Wellington in the times of Bytown, long before Ottawa was chosen as the capital of Canada).

I would prefer renaming the Airport Parkway or the Aviation Parkway Sir John A. as this would help alleviate confusion amongst non-locals. Naming the future Alta Vista Parkway through Nicholas this would also be a decent proposal.

[Admiral Nelson]

I agree with Dado that it would be simple to rename a parkway Sir John A. Macdonald (note: the correct spelling of the historical figure's name does not have a capital D on the Donald, unlike the burger chain). This would appropriately honour him, without destroying civic history (the street was named Wellington in the times of Bytown, long before Ottawa was chosen as the capital of Canada).

I would prefer renaming the Airport Parkway or the Aviation Parkway Sir John A. as this would help alleviate confusion amongst non-locals. Naming the future Alta Vista Parkway through Nicholas this would also be a decent proposal.

Ideally Airport Parkway would get the SJAM name, to parallel CYOW's official name.

[OttawaSteve]

It might also have to do with the part of Wellington on Lebreton Flats

I believe that bit of Wellington was re-named Albert Street a few years ago (and Champagne became City Centre). The most recent map I have showing it as Wellington is from 2003.

I feel sorry for tourists in this city. "What street are we on? Ottawa River Parkway, Wellington Street, Rideau Street, Montreal Road, St. Joseph Blvd., and Old Montreal Road/Queen Street." (Not to be confused with (formerly) Wellington, Albert, and Scott Streets, or Somerset Street West, Wellington Street West, Richmond Road, Robertson Road, and Hazeldean Road.)

[Dado]

I agree with Dado that it would be simple to rename a parkway Sir John A. Macdonald (note: the correct spelling of the historical figure's name does not have a capital D on the Donald, unlike the burger chain).

Dang and blast. There seems to be no hard-and-fast rule on capitalization following 'Mac'/'Mc'. The Wiki disambiguation page on people sharing a name similar or the same as our first prime minister demonstrates the problem:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alexander_Macdonald_(disambiguation)

I believe that bit of Wellington was re-named Albert Street a few years ago (and Champagne became City Centre). The most recent map I have showing it as Wellington is from 2003.

I meant the little-used bit that serves as a bus turnaround and tour bus parking and which is likely to be obliterated by a future tunnel portal, not the bit that is coincident with Scott/Albert. Frankly, I wish they would just rename that latter section as Scott all the way to Empress and be done with the problem once and for all. From what I can tell Scott Street's numbering starts at Bronson anyway, so it's not even like numbering will cause a problem.

[OttawaSteve]

I meant the little-used bit that serves as a bus turnaround and tour bus parking

OK, yes, that makes sense. I didn't realize that that section was still designated as Wellington Street (the city's eMap confirms that it is).

[AuxTown]

Looks like we'll be seeing a new hotel before many of us expected. Here's hoping it's included in a Rideau Centre expansion.

from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/05/19/ottawa-hotel-china-tourism354.html

Ottawa to build new hotel in China tourism bid
CBC News

Posted: May 19, 2011 8:58 PM ET


Ottawa is on the verge of getting a new 500-room hotel in the downtown core, mayor Jim Watson said Thursday.

The new development is part of a plan to attract more than 10,000 new tourists from China to the capital in the next two years.

At a news conference on Thursday, Watson said he is heading to Beijing next month to push Ottawa tourism to a share of the market that is "naturally attracted to Canada."

He said the need for another hotel is also being driven by added convention business, brought in by the new convention centre.

"We're working with the private sector, we're working with the hotel industry, and it's certainly my objective to see that we are able to announce a new 500-room hotel soon than later," he said.

According to Dick Brown, the executive director of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, the city is expecting brisk tourism growth from China in the next few years.

"Today, we are probably averaging 13,000 to 15,000 Chinese visitors a year," Brown said. "We don't see any reason why that can't be doubled in the next two to three years and then incrementally higher after that."

[S-Man]

Our first hotel catering to a specific country....would its architecture contain visual cues?

[amanfromnowhere]

Not sure if there is a thread for it.... but posting here:

312 Lisgar St., near Bank Street

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8J8PD1

And article in OBJ about that development:

Four-storey community building targeted for downtown
(http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Construction/2011-06-01/article-2550872/Fourstorey-community-building-targeted-for-downtown/1)

[McC]

Booth Street site ‘in critical condition’
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
By TOM SPEARS, The Ottawa Citizen
Graphic 1: Future of the Booth Street campus? Photographed by:
Dennis Leung, The Ottawa CitizenOTTAWA — Much of the massive Natural Resources Canada complex on Booth Street is in terrible condition and could soon be abandoned, according to internal papers that suggest building more than 1,000 homes there.

A spokesperson for the department said Wednesday that NRCan has no plans to move out or redevelop soon.

But an access to information request by researcher Ken Rubin also reveals lengthy, detailed analysis of how the federal government could sell off and redevelop up to 14.4 acres of prime land on Booth.

The entire block on the east side of Booth north of Carling Avenue — two massive 1950s office-and-lab buildings — is a mess. A “strategic overview” by engineering consultants in late 2008 says 601 and 615 Booth are “in critical condition and require replacement,” and the site should be surplus by 2013.

Demolition could follow, as the area is in demand by private developers.

At the south end, nearest Carling and facing Dow’s Lake, the review says “this property could become a residential neighbourhood consisting of a variety of housing forms.

“Preliminary analysis indicates the potential to produce some 500 residential units.

“The removal of the existing building (615 Booth) would provide for a more typical city block plan, which will improve pedestrian access between adjacent neighbourhoods.”

The office building at 601 could be knocked down or renovated to make way for new offices with excellent access to the Queensway, the papers say.

The neighbouring building at 568 is rated as fair to good, but two smaller buildings, 556 and 562, are rated poor. Three vacant NRC buildings farther north are obsolete.

A detailed plan prepared by the Canada Lands Company and NRCan in 2008 proposes:

A new “Headquarters Showcase” office tower with 35,000 square metres of space, to be built beside the existing NRCan office tower at 580 Booth, which staff call the Dark Tower. There would also be 12,000 square metres of new research labs just north, across Norman Street. These would be north of the present tower, on land that is used today for parking.

Demolition of 615 Booth, and construction of residential low-rise buildings around a central court, while “a 16-storey tower enjoys a prestigious Carling Avenue address, and takes advantage of spectacular views of Commissioner’s Park and Dow’s Lake.”

Another residential highrise at 401 LeBreton St. (at Carling), with 3,000 square metres of commercial space at ground level, possibly used as a grocery store. Some of the roof of the commercial section would be “outdoor livable space for residents of the tower.” The former low-rise building there was named by Citizen readers as one of Ottawa’s “hot spots of hideousness.”

A “green plaza” along Carling Avenue. Trees along the streets.

McCann Street would be extended to the west.

PricewaterhouseCoopers did a parallel study that concludes the overall Booth complex could take anywhere from 630 to 1,144 apartments or condos, plus offices, on 14.4 acres of redevelopment

“Great site,” said Mark Shore of Shore, Tanner, an Ottawa real estate consulting firm.

“The proximity to Preston Street is a huge selling point, plus proximity to Dow’s Lake as well. And it’s a very central location.

“That’s validated by the private sector’s interest in that area as well,” he said. Projects by Mastercraft Starwood and Domicile are going to be springing up soon near the Booth area. “Anything inside the Greenbelt is golden these days.”

“Those (existing) buildings are an eyesore right now,” he said. “Let’s face it, that’s an awful project.”

He said the land’s value can’t be estimated without knowing what density city officials will allow.

The smaller buildings farther north, close to the Queensway, could also make future office sites, the 2008 review notes. “The heritage value of the buildings on the site could be retained through partial incorporation into new structures.”

First, however, there’s the multi-million-dollar matter of contaminated soils.

The Booth Street complex has heavy metals, oil residues and polyaromatic hydrocarbons all through its soil. It’s no great threat to people unless they drill a well for their drinking water, but it still needs remediation before it’s sold. Otherwise the new owner can become liable for cleanup costs.

Cost estimates have risen over the years, but the most recent figures available indicate a total of about $7.7 million for the southeast and central “quadrants” of the complex. These are areas on both sides of Booth where much of the historical industrial research and lab work was done.

The work includes removing and disposing of some 79,000 tonnes of soil.

The Booth complex covers 10.4 hectares, or 25.7 acres, on 4.5 city blocks. It has 13 buildings, three of them vacant.

NRCan spokesperson Jacinthe Perras wrote in an e-mail response to questions that NRCan isn’t planning to abandon 601 or 615 Booth for now:

“Both buildings are structurally sound and with targeted minimal investment are expected to remain useful for another 10 years. Upgrading the buildings over time could further extend the period that the buildings could be occupied far into the future.”

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

illustrations of the current and one possible future site plan here:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Booth+Street+site+critical+condition/4877465/story.html?cid=megadrop_story

[phil235]

illustrations of the current and one possible future site plan here:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Booth+Street+site+critical+condition/4877465/story.html?cid=megadrop_story

That area is absolutely prime for redevelopment, and could bring in a good amount of money for the feds. In particular, it would be great to see the street grid reconnected between Bronson and Preston. That alone would go a long way towards opening up the area. Also, some of the NRCan labs have some architectural merit, and might be candidates to be worked into an Ottawa version of the Distillery District.

[S-Man]

The Champagne to Lebreton area south of the Queensway is the next big thing for sure. Coupled with Bayview and Lebreton Flats to the north, that's a lot of people added to the western edge of centretown.

[McC]

That area is absolutely prime for redevelopment, and could bring in a good amount of money for the feds. In particular, it would be great to see the street grid reconnected between Bronson and Preston. That alone would go a long way towards opening up the area. Also, some of the NRCan labs have some architectural merit, and might be candidates to be worked into an Ottawa version of the Distillery District.

agree completely, although the article gives the impression that many of the buildings are "too far gone" to save/repurpose. Pessimistic me thinks the best we could probably hope for is some façadist reuse of existing walls/features on otherwise brand new (rhymes with bland new) buildings.

reminded of this review I read over the weekend

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/arts/design/cronocaos-by-rem-koolhaas-at-the-new-museum.html

[rakerman]

Not sure if there is a thread for it.... but posting here:

312 Lisgar St., near Bank Street

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8J8PD1

And article in OBJ about that development:

Four-storey community building targeted for downtown
(http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Construction/2011-06-01/article-2550872/Fourstorey-community-building-targeted-for-downtown/1)

That's good news. The current building is not very nice looking.
(In case people don't know the location, it will be right next to SOHO Lisgar (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=176386).)

[S-Man]

Lisgar is seeing a lot of action (or planned action) these days.

I thought Soho Lisgar was supposed to break ground on May 1...has that changed?

[phil235]

agree completely, although the article gives the impression that many of the buildings are "too far gone" to save/repurpose. Pessimistic me thinks the best we could probably hope for is some façadist reuse of existing walls/features on otherwise brand new (rhymes with bland new) buildings.

reminded of this review I read over the weekend

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/arts/design/cronocaos-by-rem-koolhaas-at-the-new-museum.html

I think that review makes a good point. If it was just to be fascades, I wouldn't be as keen. But it seems to me that at least the buildings that are still in use would have to be salvagable. Of course the question would be at what price.

Regardless of what they can do with the buildings, another thing I would love to see is the conversion of the huge surface lot off Adelaide into a neighbourhood park/public square. That move alone would be a huge step towards creating a real neighbourhood feel in that area.

[S-Man]

Grocery/liquor store! grocery/liquor store!.....and a mix of affordable housing/rentals and condos. That's what's needed on that lot, and in that neighbourhood. With Hom and Soho Champagne on the way, there needs to be some affordable new homes brought to the area as well, probably in the same vein as the Beaver Barracks.

[Ottawan]

I've actually always thought that that lot should be an office tower, which taken together with Preston Square would help create a secondary CBD. I actually think this would be a great location for a new Ottawa's tallest, even up to 50 stories.

The footprint of that lot is huge though... my vision could probably go mixed-use and co-exist with an apartment tower (stepping down maybe to 30 - 40 floors) over a grocery store podium, and still have space for a medium-sized neighbourhood park.

[citizen j]

^It's good to have a dream. Dream big.

[Harley613]

I agree with you..that would be an optimum location for Ottawa's tallest. It's far enough away from Parliament and the damned NIMBY's that there's no reason to object it if a developer is willing to pump the cash. It could anchor a secondary CBD between Preston and Bronson. We have to think big here. The National Capital Region was 1,451,000 in the 2006 census, probably 1.7+ after this years census. Our current CBD is geographically limited by the presence of the Queensway and Parliament. The government has a lot of properties to mothball in the coming years and private enterprise will look at Ottawa a lot more favorably if more land inside the greenbelt becomes available.

[S-Man]

Height on that Adelaide lot would have to be placed on the Rochester side, so that a four or five storey front on Preston would pretty much hide it completely. There are no neighbours immediately adjacent to it, and anyone who moves in after Booth is redeveloped will move in knowing it's there (or will be there).

Again, this neighbourhood needs a grocery/liquor store so people don't have to bus/drive to get their basics. When the BIA sent our their survey last year, I think that was the number one request.

[Cntrtwnr]

A "community consultation" meeting is scheduled for tonight 7:30 at the GCC. The landowner of 174? Glebe ave want to change the zoning to allow for a 5 story 21 unit condo....from the original proposal of 4-5 semi's or towns. The property is just behind the glebe montessori, west of Lyon on Glebe Ave and is currently a vacant set of 4? large townhomes.

I'm all for instensification but this seems out of place, considering the neighbourhood....a block down on bank, sure.

full disclosure...i'm no longer in centretown...and live a block from this location....trying not to be a NIMBY, so hoping to see what you all think of this.

[S-Man]

I have a feeling I know what the reaction from residents will be.

[Ottawan]

A "community consultation" meeting is scheduled for tonight 7:30 at the GCC. The landowner of 174? Glebe ave want to change the zoning to allow for a 5 story 21 unit condo....from the original proposal of 4-5 semi's or towns. The property is just behind the glebe montessori, west of Lyon on Glebe Ave and is currently a vacant set of 4? large townhomes.

I'm all for instensification but this seems out of place, considering the neighbourhood....a block down on bank, sure.

full disclosure...i'm no longer in centretown...and live a block from this location....trying not to be a NIMBY, so hoping to see what you all think of this.

Intensification needs to move away from just the main streets for it to be effective. If the design is nice, I think this could be appropriate.

[phil235]

Intensification needs to move away from just the main streets for it to be effective. If the design is nice, I think this could be appropriate.

I'm a couple of blocks up and I would agree. It is all dependent on design, but I don't think this proposal is necessarily out of place.

[Cntrtwnr]

Turns out they dropped it to 4 floors with a small amenity room making up the "fifth" floor....and they are spending time on design / mansard roof, dormers etc.. to fit in the neighbourhood. All in all i think they are trying to work with the community...so kudos to them. In spite of this some of the questions / concerns were downright insane....i bailed after the comments stopped making sense....my favourite, "why does the sidewalk look smaller at one end than the other"????..and hey your missing some trees in your diagram...it was too much.