General Update/Rumour thread

[Acajack]

Yep. I honestly can't see a restriction of sprawl on the Ontario side leading to more growth on the Quebec side. People aren't really that mobile between the two sides of the river. I mean, there aren't many anglophones who would move to Quebec (and vice versa with Franco-Gatinois). This has already been proven by the fact that Ottawa has sprawled all the way out to Rockland & Carleton Place on the Ontario side but you'll find countryside only a few km north of downtown on the QC side.

It's not a big deal but the divide is still a reality.

Consider that in the Ottawa-Gatineau metro there are probably 600,000 anglophones or more, but less than 10% of them (40,000 or so) live on the Quebec side.

Francophones are more evenly distributed. About one third of the francophones in the metro live on the Ontario side.

But a lot of the francophones in Ottawa (as many as 40%) are lapsed francophones and don't use the language in their everyday lives.

Of the people who still use French as a language they live their everyday lives in to a decent degree, it's more like an 80-20 split in favour of the Quebec side.

Which I guess explains why the francophone media (even those based in Ottawa like LeDroit and Radio-Canada) focus so much on the Gatineau side of the river. Much to the chagrin of some Franco-Ontarians.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Except that unlike the GTA, most of the rail lines in Eastern Ontario have been ripped up and turned into recreational pathways. And also unlike the GTA, heavy rail does not go downtown and the old Union station is home to the Senate instead of trains.

This would be a great opportunity to bring a lot of that back, then! The only rail sections relevant to a regional network that have been ripped up are Bell's Corners-Carleton Place and perhaps Arnprior-Renfrew. Reconstruction, depending on how we go about it, could be as cheap as $1-2M/km. Bubpkis compared to, say, the cost of widening or building a highway.

Barring that, there's still Arnprior, Carp, Kanata North, Nepean, Barrhaven, Richmond, Smith Falls, Perth, Casselman (and company), Ironside, Chelsea, Wakefield, East Gatineau, Buckingham, Thurso, Papineauville and Montebello which are all still very reachable by rail which is, for the most part, woefully underused. Moreover, there's no reason why we couldn't experiment with cutting-edge urbanism with new TOD towns along the lines, creating its own demand and, if we're smart about it, funding it too with value capture schemes.

We might not have a downtown station (yet :D ), but I think that Bayview could do the trick. It would be comparable to how so many people transfer at Bloor/Yonge (hopefully without the capacity crunch).

This isn't science fiction - regional rail can be done cheaply and efficiently, but we just need to get the ball rolling.

:previous: this in spades.

The MOOSE consortium was a good idea, it had a good plan, a method of progression, and support across the region. They've only been stonewalled by the feds and the city.

The surrounding exurbs need to be reined in in terms of sprawl, and many small towns and cities need work and connections. Commuter rail can help address both these issues.

Rockland needs rail the most IMO. Rockland is in the greatest need of transportation improvements, has the largest & most rapidly growing population of all the exurbs, and best of all, doesn't have a freeway yet, so we still have an opportunity to create a transit culture there.

We've sort of managed to do it with Orleans, so one would hope we'd try to expand that further.

[Kitchissippi]

Regional rail could end up being an agent of sprawl as much as roads can. And while it might be possible to do it "cheaply" capital-wise, it will not be sustainable in terms of operating costs and amortization per passenger, when regional buses aren't even that profitable (nor are there any serious problems with the service).

The only reason we're getting LRT is because it's going to save us money over using buses in the long run. Unless regional rail makes economic sense over the bus services currently offered, there won't be a business case for it.

In this stage of the game, it is far wiser for us to concentrate on urban (and some suburban rail) to make living in the city more convenient and desirable than the exurbs or surrounding towns.

[JM1]

How about a central termina at Bayview Station. There is space there to develop a larger station shich could serve VIA as well as commuter rail (both on the Quebec and Ontario sides). You would need to double track from the VIA tracks up to Bayview (under Dow's Lake and through the Champlain/Preston Corridor). But the result would be a great hub for TOD development and a transportation hub that connects the E-W LRT with N-S commuter and intercity traffic. The current VIA station at Tremblay road could also be redeveloped as a commuter through station.

Heck, you could even double track across the POW bridge to fully connect Ottawa and Gatineau.

It almost makes too much sense to happen. But imagine this at Bayview...

[Aylmer]

Regional rail could end up being an agent of sprawl as much as roads can. And while it might be possible to do it "cheaply" capital-wise, it will not be sustainable in terms of operating costs and amortization per passenger, when regional buses aren't even that profitable (nor are there any serious problems with the service).

The only reason we're getting LRT is because it's going to save us money over using buses in the long run. Unless regional rail makes economic sense over the bus services currently offered, there won't be a business case for it.

In this stage of the game, it is far wiser for us to concentrate on urban (and some suburban rail) to make living in the city more convenient and desirable than the exurbs or surrounding towns.

If you build regional rail like they do in much of North America - stations in fields surrounded by seas of parking - then yes, it very quickly becomes an agent of automobile sprawl. It also becomes financially questionable.

However, if we build regional rail in the centre of towns based upon the idea that its patrons will arrive on foot, then a couple of things happen:

First, it creates compact, walkable communities which are both environmentally and financially sustainable (more density = far lower cost of infrastructure per new tax dollar). I think that this is a socially desirable and sustainable form of urban development, unlike automobile sprawl which, though desirable for many, costs us dearly in time, health, quality of life, subsidies, etc. to such a point that it's becoming widely acknowledged that it isn't something we can sustain on any level.

Second, having compact development beside reliable regional rail (all-day service, basically) unlocks a huge amount of value where there might otherwise be a parking lot. Historically, transportation companies have also managed real estate and most of the profitable transit agencies still do (notably Japan's JR and Hong Kong's MTRC). A local-ish example: this is exactly how Montreal's Ville Mont-Royal was developped. Value-capture basically functions on the idea that the development should also pay for what made it developable. Though there are many different forms of it, my uneducated proposal is as follows:

In existing towns, the city determines a 'no-rail' scenario for property values. Once rail is introduced, increases (or a portion of the increase) in property values goes towards funding/operating the rail line. This could also be used to fund improvements in service.

In undeveloped land, the city buys up the land surrounding a future station and, once the station is built, development rights are sold off to developers and the profits go towards the line.


I'm certain there are more than a few holes you could poke in this, but it's just a basic sketch of how we could fund regional rail much better than we could a regional bus, which doesn't generate much (if any) increase in value or incentive to develop.

There is definitely a business case - we just need to think a little differently.

[Kitchissippi]

Regional Rail works well if those compact, walkable communities you dream of already exist. But in order to build them around Ottawa, you'd have to cannibalize the same kind of housing market that is just gaining ground in the core, and just barely making inroads in the suburbs — in a way you would be promoting sprawl because you your enticing people to live farther away since that housing stock is currently non-existent.

You also have to take into consideration the mentality of most of the people who live in the exurbs — they move out there because of cheaper property and taxes so they can have more stuff and afford that bigger SUV. For anyone who wants to live in a walkable community, there is so much more untapped potential in our suburban communities. If developers aren't fulfilling this in Orleans, Barrhaven or Kanata, i doubt their willingness or ability to create it elsewhere.

[acottawa]

I think people who choose to live in the exurbs/rural communities and work in Ottawa are doing so because it is a) cheap (and they disregard other costs) or b) they like the exurban/small town lifestyle. If significant transportation improvements are made then prices will go up and the community will become more suburban and people looking for rock bottom prices or an exurban lifestyle will move further out and you're back to square one.

[Aylmer]

Regional Rail works well if those compact, walkable communities you dream of already exist. But in order to build them around Ottawa, you'd have to cannibalize the same kind of housing market that is just gaining ground in the core, and just barely making inroads in the suburbs — in a way you would be promoting sprawl because you your enticing people to live farther away since that housing stock is currently non-existent.


How so? This isn't at all the same kind of development. Think of Almonte.
As for sprawl, I think you misunderstand what's wrong about sprawl: it isn't that it's far, but it's that it's placeless, wasteful and precludes any form of transportation other than the car. Kanata wouldn't be any better if it were 10km closer to downtown.

You also have to take into consideration the mentality of most of the people who live in the exurbs — they move out there because of cheaper property and taxes so they can have more stuff and afford that bigger SUV.

I've never liked this line of reasoning. In early Soviet times, the price of bread was set so low that people used bread for just about anything and didn't hesitate to waste it (on hogs, notably). It's not that people liked wasting bread, but it was so cheap, why not? At the same time, in a less direct manner, soviet citizens were paying through the nose for their waste since their taxes were subsidizing the 'cheap' bread. But is it any wonder that people would waste bread when they were paying Rs2 for a Rs20 loaf?

The same can be said of automobile sprawl: we pay the full price through our taxes and subsidies, but the direct cost is so low, that we're incapable of making choices in line with reality. So is it any wonder that so much sprawl would be built when we're not paying the real cost?

We need to balance the playing field and this exercise will require a reevaluation of how we pay for transportation, property taxes, mortgages and so forth. Regional rail lines definitely won't solve this on their own, but they are a part of the solution.

For anyone who wants to live in a walkable community, there is so much more untapped potential in our suburban communities. If developers aren't fulfilling this in Orleans, Barrhaven or Kanata, i doubt their willingness or ability to create it elsewhere.


You can't create walkable communities based around the car. And just as you can't gauge the need for a bridge by the number of people swimming across, you can't expect walkable communities to pop up out of nowhere without first providing its most basic infrastructure.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I think people who choose to live in the exurbs/rural communities and work in Ottawa are doing so because it is a) cheap (and they disregard other costs) or b) they like the exurban/small town lifestyle. If significant transportation improvements are made then prices will go up and the community will become more suburban and people looking for rock bottom prices or an exurban lifestyle will move further out and you're back to square one.

Of course this is true, which is why Ontario has plans for the GTHA and Northern Ontario in order to reduce sprawl. A similar plan should be developed for eastern Ontario as proposed by city council.

We need to be smart, forward-thinking, and vigilant. The plans for Northern Ontario and the GTHA have helped reduce the spread of sprawl and the same needs to happen for Ottawa and the region. And if we're to help reduce sprawl, we need to make roads less attractive and transit more attractive. Even places like Seattle and Portland have managed to come up with decent urban plans and results "out of the blue". The sooner Ottawa starts, the better.

Yes, we don't want Rockland turning into the next Stittsville or Orleans, nor do we want the same fate to befall Casselman, Kemptville, and Almonte. This is why we need new policies, more public transit options, and pay less attention to roads. Also, we can create more permanent jobs and help revitalize struggling communities. Sure, they may become odd bedroom communities of a sort, but proper policies, attention, and directives can prevent them from becoming car-based sprawl cities.

[Glenlivet Ave]

First time I hear about this one on Glebe Ave:

MLS: In the heart of the Glebe community this exclusive low-rise condominium provides an opportunity for you to create your own space with features you've always wanted. Common deck area on penthouse level. Concrete construction. High ceilings, hardwood floors, granite counters, gas fireplace. Underground parking available $40,000. Projected closing Spring 2016.


http://cdn.realtor.ca/listing/reb76/highres/8/906878_1.jpg

[YOWflier]

The airport-area hotel business must be doing well. In my first visit to the area in > 1 year last weekend I noticed the following:

1) the Hilton Garden Inn on Uplands/Alert is expanding with an addition that appears to be roughly doubling its room capacity,

2) there is a new structure, presumably a hotel but I couldn't see a sign while driving, going up at Hunt Club/Gibford on the same land as existing hotels.

Should we thank the EY Center?

[Boxster]

More highrises....:)

http://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/modern-housing-why-highrises-are-good-for-the-environment

What type of housing do you think has the smallest environmental impact? If you’re picturing a cabin in the woods, think again.
Actually, high-density living, such as a downtown apartment building, is much more environmentally friendly than living in a rural community. It may surprise you to learn that New York City has the lowest per capita energy use in North America by far.

In high-density areas, both household and transportation energy use are significantly lower than in suburban or rural areas. Apartment-style housing is typically smaller than single-family homes, and shared walls means there is less heat loss. Highrise buildings are also typically located near public transportation and commercial centres, so people can walk, bike or take the bus to get around.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, someone living in a typical suburban community will use around three times more energy per year than someone living in an apartment-style building near public transportation.

The City of Ottawa is very aware of the benefits of high-density living, which is why in Ottawa’s Official Master Plan they have an explicit strategy to direct growth to urban areas.
Services that improve the environmental performance of a city, such as waste water treatment, recycling, and composting, are all easier when everyone lives close together. Of course, the main benefits to municipal governments are the cost savings and reduced infrastructure investments, but the potential environmental benefits are undeniable.

Realistically though, energy use and the cost of city services are probably the last things on a person’s mind when they are looking for a new home. Other factors such as affordability, green space, nearby amenities, and proximity to schools are more important for most people.

Downtown living is clearly not for everyone. Young families in particular tend to prefer the suburban lifestyle. These personal preferences should not be trivialized. We need a mix of housing types to satisfy our varied population.

The Ottawa-Gatineau region’s population grows by 15,000 to 20,000 new residents per year. If the number of new houses doesn’t keep pace with population growth, home prices will increase for everyone.

In order to keep up with this growth, Ottawa will have to build both within the city core as well as out on the city’s edges. How much this growth occurs in highrise development compared to suburban growth will depend on consumer preferences, affordability, land availability and city policies.

These issues are all related.

The city’s main tools for influencing growth patterns are raising development charges for new construction and limiting the areas where construction can occur (referred to as the urban boundary). Both of these measures have the net effect of raising home prices.

Vancouver is the poster child for this type of growth. It’s one of the most energy-efficient cities in the world, but it’s also one of the most expensive to live in due mainly to a very strict urban boundary policy.

Surely there are better ways to promote efficient construction without limiting choice and artificially raising land prices? There are, but municipalities don’t have the power or flexibility to promote them, so they use the tools at their disposal.

Though there’s no clear definition of what makes a city environmentally friendly, the housing options available definitely play a role. Reducing carbon emissions, improved waste water treatment, access to recycling and composting, and many other environmental benefits are all cheaper and easier to do when people live in dense communities.

Unfortunately, the current tools for promoting denser cities has the unwanted impact of increasing housing prices for everyone.

[OTSkyline]

I laughed when I read that article..

I feel like 99% of the time the city makes it easy for developpers to build suburban communities but give hell to anyone proposing a "high"-rise..

It should be the opposite, city should be lowering fees for developpers wishing to do high-density high rise projects in central neighbourhoods close to transit. They should be encouraging it and have less policies and red-tape around it.. How many times do we see developpers go back and fourth with council, the OMB and the city to get a 15-20 story building approved? Everyone always wants to limit height, limit "shadows", limit everything.. yet when a developper proposes a new community in farhaven, everything passes with flying color and nobody challenges anything. :shrug:

[Kitchissippi]

Not just developers — the city should also be giving preferential property tax rates for condo dwellers. Seems unfair that a 400k house in the suburbs and a 400k condo downtown are paying the same rate, when a condos are much less of a burden on services.

[1overcosc]

Not just developers — the city should also be giving preferential property tax rates for condo dwellers. Seems unfair that a 400k house in the suburbs and a 400k condo downtown are paying the same rate, when a condos are much less of a burden on services.

That type of reform, which I would most definitely support I might add, would be impossible for the city to do on its own, it would need the province to reform the property tax system. Municipalities in Ontario, despite having lots of responsibility, really aren't that autonomous.

[theoldv]

Not just developers — the city should also be giving preferential property tax rates for condo dwellers. Seems unfair that a 400k house in the suburbs and a 400k condo downtown are paying the same rate, when a condos are much less of a burden on services.

while i 100% support this but this would be a very slippery slope.. a case could be made for a house in westboro (or any other pricy neighbourhood) to pay the same property taxes as an identically sized one in vanier.. etc.. etc.

[YOWetal]

Not just developers — the city should also be giving preferential property tax rates for condo dwellers. Seems unfair that a 400k house in the suburbs and a 400k condo downtown are paying the same rate, when a condos are much less of a burden on services.

I agree but never going to happen. Fairness is a tricky question. For example does a house on one side of Beechwood use more services than someone on the less desirable side.

You can also make a good argument that the average downtown condo dweller in fact uses more city services/costs more to service than the average suburbanite. Roads are a very small part of the city budget. The big items like police, transit, social services are all more heavily used by downtown.

[Boxster]

Property taxes are based on the tax payers ability to pay, assumption is that if the home owner can afford a pricey house, he can afford higher taxes...nothing to do with the actual services received.



I agree but never going to happen. Fairness is a tricky question. For example does a house on one side of Beechwood use more services than someone on the less desirable side.

You can also make a good argument that the average downtown condo dweller in fact uses more city services/costs more to service than the average suburbanite. Roads are a very small part of the city budget. The big items like police, transit, social services are all more heavily used by downtown.

[Kitchissippi]

The province might be responsible for the assessment and valuation system but the city is still in charge of setting tax rates. There are already different rates for residential and commercial properties independent of value. All the city has to do is differentiate between condos and other types of real estate.

For example the rate I have for the general city wide levy is around 0.54869%, the transit levy is about 0.162449% (not sure if rural residents pay the same rate). This means for every 100k in assessed value it's $514.86 for city wide and $162.45 for transit. Municipalities have the power to alter these rates as it varies from city to city. So if Ottawa decides to charge condos 0.4% instead of 0.54869% for citywide levy but keep the transit, police, fire and other levies the same, it technically can.

[OTSkyline]

Although it's true that roads are only a part of the services used.. think about it. 20,000 or 30,000 people spread across a large area might need 2 fire stations to cover the area, costs more to bring sewer, hydro and water pipes to reach these areas, more transit, more parks more everything... Have you never played sim city before? (kidding)

Well then the other problem (if city can't lower taxes) is why can't we just offer more "lower-priced" housing downtown? I mean EVERY single new condo tower going up is basically the same 600sq ft condo that is 270-300K + 35K parking. How is it possible that they can build McMansions in Farhaven for 190-200K but can't build a shoebox for that price? Somethings gotta give.. I know the city sometimes HAS to provide housing for the VERY poor, can't we put a clause in place where the city HAS to provide new housing downtown for the NOT SO poor? haha

[1overcosc]

^ You can't buy a house in Barrhaven for $200k anymore. A detached home in the suburbs is like $400k-$500k nowadays. Downtown condos are cheaper than suburban homes.

[waterloowarrior]

The province might be responsible for the assessment and valuation system but the city is still in charge of setting tax rates. There are already different rates for residential and commercial properties independent of value. All the city has to do is differentiate between condos and other types of real estate.

For example the rate I have for the general city wide levy is around 0.54869%, the transit levy is about 0.162449% (not sure if rural residents pay the same rate). This means for every 100k in assessed value it's $514.86 for city wide and $162.45 for transit. Municipalities have the power to alter these rates as it varies from city to city. So if Ottawa decides to charge condos 0.4% instead of 0.54869% for citywide levy but keep the transit, police, fire and other levies the same, it technically can.

One of the big problems is that older multi-residential buildings pay a much higher mill rate (44% higher - 0.788572), as well as higher conservation authority, police, and fire rates (total also works out to about 44% higher). They pay $ 788.57 city-wide and $248.81 for transit for every $100,000 in value.. So renters in all the older apartment buildings around the city are putting their rent toward paying higher property taxes than a single family home would...

[phil235]

You can also make a good argument that the average downtown condo dweller in fact uses more city services/costs more to service than the average suburbanite. Roads are a very small part of the city budget. The big items like police, transit, social services are all more heavily used by downtown.

How do you figure? The costs of policing and transit are also heavily dependent on population density. I haven't seen anything to suggest that downtown residents cost more on a per capita basis.

Whereas the City of Ottawa's study from a few years back showed that those inside the Greenbelt were subsidizing those outside by about 1000 dollars a year. I would suspect that the subsidy number is even higher for those in condos.

[waterloowarrior]

How do you figure? The costs of policing and transit are also heavily dependent on population density. I haven't seen anything to suggest that downtown residents cost more on a per capita basis.

Whereas the City of Ottawa's study from a few years back showed that those inside the Greenbelt were subsidizing those outside by about 1000 dollars a year. I would suspect that the subsidy number is even higher for those in condos.

http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-consultations/planning-and-infrastructure/hemson-report-executive-summary-march-14

[YOWetal]

How do you figure? The costs of policing and transit are also heavily dependent on population density. I haven't seen anything to suggest that downtown residents cost more on a per capita basis.

Whereas the City of Ottawa's study from a few years back showed that those inside the Greenbelt were subsidizing those outside by about 1000 dollars a year. I would suspect that the subsidy number is even higher for those in condos.

While it might be theoretically cheaper to provide police and transit services in higher density areas the fact is those residents are using transit more and downtown sucks up a disproportionate amount of police resources.(granted much of this has nothing to do with local residents) Social services like health, public housing, day care etc are also used more downtown. The reason the province forced amalgamation was to make sure suburban voters paid for these downloaded costs and to avoid what many US cities have where everyone affluent flees to low tax suburbs.

[teej1984]

Let us dream/weep a little... so many amazing buildings on this list! http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-28150192

[S-Man]

While it might be theoretically cheaper to provide police and transit services in higher density areas the fact is those residents are using transit more and downtown sucks up a disproportionate amount of police resources.(granted much of this has nothing to do with local residents) Social services like health, public housing, day care etc are also used more downtown. The reason the province forced amalgamation was to make sure suburban voters paid for these downloaded costs and to avoid what many US cities have where everyone affluent flees to low tax suburbs.
Reply With Quote

So, it all comes out sorts even in the wash?

Will we stop the geo-political bashing and lifestyle-shaming soon? Naw........

[Kitchissippi]

While it might be theoretically cheaper to provide police and transit services in higher density areas the fact is those residents are using transit more and downtown sucks up a disproportionate amount of police resources.(granted much of this has nothing to do with local residents) Social services like health, public housing, day care etc are also used more downtown. The reason the province forced amalgamation was to make sure suburban voters paid for these downloaded costs and to avoid what many US cities have where everyone affluent flees to low tax suburbs.

This is the kind of mentality that votes the likes of Rob Ford in. Somehow, homelessness and poverty are inner city problems that suburban and rural voters can wash their hands of, despite enjoying all the advantages of the economy of the metropolitan region.

If one lived in a downtown condo and walked to work, how does this make you use more transit? The city delivers services (water, sewage, electricity etc) to a few hundred residents in a condo building to one point and the costs of internal distribution is all absorbed by the association. Police don't have to patrol the corridors like they have to on hundreds of kilometres of suburban streets. There are many other examples.

[NOWINYOW]

The airport-area hotel business must be doing well. In my first visit to the area in > 1 year last weekend I noticed the following:

1) the Hilton Garden Inn on Uplands/Alert is expanding with an addition that appears to be roughly doubling its room capacity,

2) there is a new structure, presumably a hotel but I couldn't see a sign while driving, going up at Hunt Club/Gibford on the same land as existing hotels.

Should we thank the EY Center?

I believe that new structure will become a Hampton Inn.

And yes, I believe the EY Centre is gaining traction for hotel traffic in the area. I'm sure the airport doesn't hurt, either! :)

[phil235]

While it might be theoretically cheaper to provide police and transit services in higher density areas the fact is those residents are using transit more and downtown sucks up a disproportionate amount of police resources.(granted much of this has nothing to do with local residents) Social services like health, public housing, day care etc are also used more downtown. The reason the province forced amalgamation was to make sure suburban voters paid for these downloaded costs and to avoid what many US cities have where everyone affluent flees to low tax suburbs.

I think Kitchissippi covered the comment that health, public housing and day care are somehow disproportionately used by downtown residents. I'd just add that those services tend to be located downtown to make them more accessible to users who don't usually have cars.

In terms of transit, since users pay for the service, more use does not equal a greater cost. It's actually the opposite. More heavily used transit services require less municipal subsidy.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

I believe that new structure will become a Hampton Inn.

And yes, I believe the EY Centre is gaining traction for hotel traffic in the area. I'm sure the airport doesn't hurt, either! :)

The EY Centre can be deemed a success if it is spurring the addition of hotel rooms in the area.

We can thank the Lansdowne redevelopment project for this success.

It was the loss of exhibition space at Lansdowne, sub standard as it was, that spurred City Council to look for a side deal that resulted in the EY Centre.

:)

[rocketphish]

Apparently Domicile owns a fair chunk of Richmond Rd properties in Westboro, including this one: https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.39215,-75.753806,3a,36.5y,201.86h,90.52t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sKM0BRae6DlK0WAmfmw2fdw!2e0?hl=en

Odds and ends, including how too much pizza nearly choked Westboro's vibe

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 4, 2014, Last Updated: July 6, 2014 6:03 PM EDT

Today, some odds and ends, shiny gems.

Apropos of Winners moving into the new Lansdowne, can the wrong retail mix wreck the mojo of a neighbourhood? Indeed, is the Glebe one Walmart and two Shoppers away from selling its granola soul?

Sorry, it is to digress, what with the Glebe already jittered up with the traffic shakes.

Some weeks ago, John Doran, a wonderful storyteller who happens to be the head baker at the condo-maker, Domicile, was talking about his holdings along Richmond Road, west of Churchill Avenue. They are sizeable.

We were testing the idea that an over-concentration of restaurants, for instance, can seriously alter the pattern of retail traffic — creating a day-time desert, a night-time nuisance in an unwanted imbalance — and throw commercial rents way out of kilter.

Before Westboro got hyper-popular — let’s be honest, it was pretty dumpy not so long ago — he was trying to lease a signature building at Richmond and Churchill.

“I had a choice between a national pizza chain and Lululemon,” he said. So the menu was a) pizza, as in pepperoni, or b) pants, as in yoga.

He said he spoke to Moe Atallah, who ran the Newport Restaurant (then) across the street, and discovered he was less than keen to have The Pizza Barn Inc. open 30 feet away, 18 hours a day, seven days a week. “I like Moe. I didn’t want a restaurant on his backside.”

And what does a regular, middle-aged man know about trends in stretchy clothing?

“I didn’t know who the hell they were. My daughter had to explain it to me,” he said of the clothing giant that has Christo-wrapped a generation of thighs.

“She said, ‘Are you crazy? You grab them.’ ” He did, thus sharpening Westboro’s edge. One wonders how much of business acumen is made of pure luck, how much depends on the right retail, in the right place, on the right advice.

A fickle thing is brand envy. Pie versus pants — trendy is all about the right toppings.

<snip>

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/egan-odds-and-ends-including-how-too-much-pizza-nearly-choked-westboros-vibe

[MountainView]

They will be demolishing (with explosives) the Carling Building this upcoming Sunday at 7am for anyone interested in going to see it.

http://i.imgur.com/gulEuf0.jpg

http://twitter.com/StuMillsCBC/status/486208051704528896

[J.OT13]

^ Sad, but cool.

[rocketphish]

Sir John Carling building to be demolished Sunday

Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 7, 2014, Last Updated: July 7, 2014 4:25 PM EDT

The abandoned Sir John Carling Building near the Experimental Farm is to be demolished Sunday in a controlled explosion.

The former headquarters of Agriculture Canada was vacated several years ago over asbestos and other concerns. A $4.8-million demolition project began last year after Public Works officials balked at the estimated $57- million cost to renovate.

At 7 a.m. Sunday, the 11-storey building at 930 Carling Ave. will be imploded with high explosives and is expected to drop into its own footprint.

Sightseers will be kept more than 1,000 feet away to prevent any potential injuries from flying debris. Roads in the area will be closed by police.

The spectacle is expected to last mere seconds.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/sir-john-carling-building-to-be-demolished-sunday

[rocketphish]

New 'stone frigate' under construction at HMCS Carleton

Don Butler More from Don Butler
Published on: July 7, 2014Last Updated: July 7, 2014 7:48 PM EDT

A new “stone frigate” is rising near the shores of Dow’s Lake following the demolition last year of most of the original HMCS Carleton buildings.

HMCS Carleton, Ottawa’s naval reserve base, opened in 1943 at the height of the Second World War. In naval parlance, such land-based establishments are known as stone frigates.

The 70-year-old facility had been on the Royal Canadian Navy’s list for replacement for years, but the need became more urgent in 2008 when part of the drill hall roof collapsed under a heavy load of snow.

The original facility had six buildings, including administrative offices, classrooms, messes, a drill hall and storage on 1.95-hectare site surrounded by parkland and bicycle paths. The drill hall was demolished a few years ago following the roof collapse.

The buildings were evaluated in 2002 by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, but were not considered historically or architecturally significant enough to merit heritage designation.

Construction of the new energy-efficient building, designed to meet LEED silver level criteria, began late last year. It’s expected to open in 2015, though DND officials couldn’t confirm a date Monday.

Unlike HMCS Carleton’s former buildings, which were functional but plain, the new two-storey, 6,000-square-metre facility is meant to evoke a ship, with porthole windows and a swooping profile. Total budget for the demolition and construction is estimated at about $18.5 million.

As well as training facilities, the new building will include offices, a gymnasium, a drill hall, a galley, an officer’s mess and boat houses.

The Ottawa division of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve was commissioned as HMCS Carleton in 1941 and moved to the current site two years later.

By the end of the Second World War, 4,620 officers and men had enlisted through the Ottawa reserve division. In recent years, HMCS Carleton has been home to about 200 reservists and two cadet corps.

The original building was inaugurated by the Earl of Athlone, then governor general of Canada. It was named after a schooner that participated in a naval battle on Lake Champlain in 1776 during the American War of Independence.

One original building remains on the site, providing a home for the reserve unit while the new structure is built. But after that, it too is slated to fall under the wrecker’s ball.

dbutler@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/ButlerDon

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/07/a-view-of-the-new-hmcs-building-being-constructed-next-to-the-old-one-at-79-prin.jpg?w=1000

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/new-stone-frigate-under-construction-at-hmcs-carleton

[drawarc]

Sir John Carling building to be demolished Sunday

Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 7, 2014, Last Updated: July 7, 2014 4:25 PM EDT

The abandoned Sir John Carling Building near the Experimental Farm is to be demolished Sunday in a controlled explosion.

The former headquarters of Agriculture Canada was vacated several years ago over asbestos and other concerns. A $4.8-million demolition project began last year after Public Works officials balked at the estimated $57- million cost to renovate.

At 7 a.m. Sunday, the 11-storey building at 930 Carling Ave. will be imploded with high explosives and is expected to drop into its own footprint.

Sightseers will be kept more than 1,000 feet away to prevent any potential injuries from flying debris. Roads in the area will be closed by police.

The spectacle is expected to last mere seconds.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/sir-john-carling-building-to-be-demolished-sunday

Building had been a landmark, kinda disappointing to see it go.

[rocketphish]

Planning committee approves demolition on Lauzon properties

Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 8, 2014, Last Updated: July 8, 2014 6:02 PM EDT

Part of a crumbling Lowertown school and a neighbouring property should both be demolished by winter.

Taking down part of Claude Lauzon’s property at 287 Cumberland St., the former Our Lady School, requires first knocking down his neighbouring semi-detached residential property at 207-209 Murray St., according to the city.

The situation has become so urgent, officials say, that getting planning committee’s approval to demolish the Murray Street property was tagged on to Tuesday’s agenda. The committee approved the demolition and the matter will go to council on Wednesday.

“Time is running out because bricks are falling off, which is causing a safety concern to the community,” said Coun. Jan Harder, who put forward the motion.

The demolition needs to happen by Aug. 9, according to the motion, which also says the owner has started the process and has given the chief building official an updated schedule of work that puts the completion date before winter sets in.

Last October, the city’s heritage committee approved a plan to preserve part of the 1904 school by requiring Lauzon to preserve the building’s south and west walls until the property is redeveloped.

The school and neighbouring property have become a legal battleground between the city and Lauzon. A court date had been set for Aug. 11 after a judge denied Lauzon’s application to stay orders regarding the remediation of the properties.

After that decision last month, city solicitor Rick O’Connor told councillors that the city’s chief building official refused to stay her orders, and if Lauzon refused to comply the city would do enough work to ensure public safety and the price to the property’s tax rolls.

cmills@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/CarysMills

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/07/ottawa-04-24-05-287-cumberland-street-owner-has-applied-for-demolition-phot.jpg?w=800

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/planning-committee-approves-demolition-on-lauzon-properties

[harls]

Sir John Carling building to be demolished Sunday

Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 7, 2014, Last Updated: July 7, 2014 4:25 PM EDT

The abandoned Sir John Carling Building near the Experimental Farm is to be demolished Sunday in a controlled explosion.

The former headquarters of Agriculture Canada was vacated several years ago over asbestos and other concerns. A $4.8-million demolition project began last year after Public Works officials balked at the estimated $57- million cost to renovate.

At 7 a.m. Sunday, the 11-storey building at 930 Carling Ave. will be imploded with high explosives and is expected to drop into its own footprint.

Sightseers will be kept more than 1,000 feet away to prevent any potential injuries from flying debris. Roads in the area will be closed by police.

The spectacle is expected to last mere seconds.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/sir-john-carling-building-to-be-demolished-sunday

I guess I'll have to watch this on the you-tube. Too early for me.

[Harley613]

I'm going to go, regardless of the impending hangover of a summer Sunday morning!

[Trans Canada]

They will be demolishing (with explosives) the Carling Building this upcoming Sunday at 7am for anyone interested in going to see it.

http://i.imgur.com/gulEuf0.jpg

http://twitter.com/StuMillsCBC/status/486208051704528896
That's a real shame, I always liked that building. Are there plans to build something on that site?

[rocketphish]

How the Sir John Carling Building will be destroyed

Ian MacLeod, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 9, 2014, Last Updated: July 9, 2014 7:28 PM EDT

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/07/sir-john-carling-building-at-the-experimental-farm-being-dismantled-july-04-2013.jpg?w=800

The biggest blast in the capital’s history happens Sunday when a famed U.S. demolition team blows up the Sir John Carling Building into 40,000 tonnes of rubble.

The obsolete federal office tower overlooking Dow’s Lake is to take a spectacular plunge from the city’s skyline at 7 a.m.

Eric “master blaster” Kelly of Advance Explosives Demolition Inc. of Idaho will push a button detonating about 400 kilograms of dynamite in an intricate sequence of small, controlled explosions within the 11-storey structure.

Boom-boom-boom-boom.

In the time it takes to read this paragraph, 930 Carling Ave. should shudder and collapse into smithereens, imploding into its own footprint. By next summer, the pulverized concrete is to be covered with clay, topsoil, sod and trees. Total cost to Public Works for the “deconstruction” is $4.8 million.

http://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/20140710-sirjohncarlingbuilding.jpg?w=800

People are welcome to watch – but from no closer than 300 metres. Safety is paramount, says Marc Verticchio, site supervisor for the main contractor, the AIM Environmental Group of Stoney Creek, Ont.

City and federal police, private security guards and volunteers will staff road closures and barricades.

“The implosion will not happen if someone ventures into the prohibited zone,” warns Verticchio.

Nearby residents are advised to stay indoors. Warning sirens will wail. The rest of the city shouldn’t hear or feel a thing.

Still, this job is no push over.

Concrete and steel reinforcing rods were inexpensive in 1967 when workers erected the former Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada headquarters.

“This is a heavily-reinforced building,” says Kelly, gazing up at the 40,000-square metre edifice, stripped bare of everything from wiring to asbestos. It’ll take about 2,000 high-explosive charges to knock it down in a precisely-planned feat of engineering.

The surrounding area is open Experimental Farm property, except for one critical obstacle. Just metres away, on the northwest side, sits a small, one-storey former cafeteria building known as the “West Annex.” It’s a heritage site the government wants protected.

So Kelly has to get the tower to fall to the southeast, just enough to miss demolishing it.

“This is a tough one,” says master blaster.

Kelly estimates he has “shot” close to 1,000 structures in his 35-year career. He holds world records. In 1994, he lit the fuse on 5,400 kilograms of explosives and toppled a 251,000-square-metre Sears building in Philadelphia, the largest U.S. structure ever demolished with explosives.

Things haven’t always gone as planned, but no one has ever been hurt.

“I’ve been doing this 35 years and if you find any blasting company – I don’t care if they shoot rocks, stumps or whatever – who says they didn’t have something that didn’t go the way they like, they’re liars, they haven’t been in the business long enough,” says Kelly.

At 54, he is burly and affable, with a red-meat, backwoods kind of vibe. As an 11 year old, he watched his father, a blaster in Pennsylvania’s coal mines, topple a smoke stack. He’s never looked back.

http://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/eric-kelly-of-advanced-explosives-demolition-as-the-sir-john-carling-building-lo1.jpg?w=800

Kelly lives from hotel to hotel about 50 weeks a year with his wife and the company president, Lisa. They’re accompanied by their four young daughters, who are home-schooled by Lisa. The family returns to their 200-acre northern Idaho homestead and horses once or twice a year.

The couple also has four grown children from previous marriages, including fellow blaster Eric Jr., 32. The entire clan starred in the short-lived TLC reality TV series The Imploders.

Kelly is also an evangelical Christian pastor who wears his religion not on his sleeve, but on his construction helmet, adorned with the three crucifixes of Calvary.

“We’re not Bible thumpers,” explains Lisa. They do, however, thump the holy crap out of buildings, bridges, blast furnaces, silos, sports arenas, nuclear power plants and towers around the world.

Calgary, Montreal, Miami, Greece. Boom-boom-boom-boom. Nova Scotia, Minneapolis, Toronto, West Palm Beach. Boom-boom-boom-boom.

Success comes down to God and gravity.

“On the day of the shot, we’ve done everything that we can do with the talents that God gave us, (so) it’s all up to him whether we’re going to be a hero or a bum,” says Kelly.

It’s a good omen then that old Sir John Carling will be laid to rest on a Sunday.
http://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/agricultural-building.jpg?w=800

If the sky is clear, spectators will hear a noise as the air rushes outward, but shouldn’t feel a thing.

If there’s low cloud, more of that air blast could be deflected outward, rather than upward, like putting your hand in front of a stream of water from a garden hose.

Still, there should not be enough overpressure to break windows outside the immediate area surrounding the building.

It’s nothing like the image many have of explosives and explosions from Hollywood, wars and terrorism.

With a bomb, highly-pressurized, super-heated gases expand outward in a supersonic blast wave, cutting down everything in their path.

Explosive demolition, on the other hand, seeks to compromise the structural integrity of the building just enough to let gravity, the invisible glue that hold the universe together, do the rest.

By weakening its vertical strength, the weight of the building triggers a cascading failure of floors, like a house of cards.

Building “implosions” are a popular and efficient way to down big buildings, especially in crowded cities. Demolishing a large building floor by floor takes months. But this way, “stand back, push the button, and it’s on the ground,” says Kelly. “It’s a lot easier to process the (debris) on the ground then when it’s up in the air.”
http://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/20140710-implosion-map02.jpg?w=800

For the past month, six to 15 AIM Environmental Group workers have been prepping the building for the big show.

The building’s 168 main vertical support columns, running from the basement to the roof, are constructed from reinforced steel rods encased in concrete.

From the first basement to the fourth floor, each column contains two bundles of rebar. From the fifth floor to the roof, each column contains one bundle.

Each bundle contains eight rods. Each rod measures about 60 millimetres in diameter, a little bigger than a golf ball.

Each bundle is also wrapped with a final piece of spiralling rebar, forming what’s called a “birdcage.”

It’s a mighty a strong cage. But simply destroying it with dynamite would require extra explosive and increase the chances of fly rock sailing in the wrong direction.

Instead, Kelly and his crew will use smaller explosive charges to bend the rebar outward so it loses its vertical strength.

Main support columns in the first basement and first and fifth floors are ground zero.

Over the past month, AIM Environmental Group workers have cut through the rebar that wraps each bundle on those three floors.

http://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/the-sir-john-carling-building-located-at-the-experimental-farm-near-the-observat.jpg?w=800

They’ve also drilled about 2,000 1.5-inch holes into the columns, four or five per column per floor, to hold the sticks of dynamite. Additional holes have been drilled in the shear wall supports encasing the elevator shafts and stairwells near the centre of the building.

(AIM has been on site since April 2013, removing and recycling the structure’s interior. It expects to exceed Public Works’ stipulation that at least 75 per cent of the building materials be recycled.)

The columns will then be wrapped with two layers of nine-gauge chain link fence, to contain or at least slow down large pieces of concrete from flying away. Then a layer of heavy-duty, 16-gauge, non-woven geotextile fabric will be wrapped around that to stop or slow down smaller pieces of fly rock.

Finally, the entire exterior length of the first and fifth floor and the above-grade portion of the first basement will be sheathed in more protective geotextile.

“The big thing is safety, safety, safety,” says Verticchio. He explains that Sunday’s blast was supposed to happen last Sunday, but he would have had to hurry his workers to complete the preparations on time.

“A blast is one of the last things you want to rush.”

On Sunday morning, he and Kelly and crew will be stationed in a command post, at an undisclosed nearby location.

“You never know, there’s crazy people out there,” says Verticchio.

Warning sirens will sound, 10 minutes, five, and then one minute before Kelly pushes a firing button starting a delayed sequence of explosions. He won’t reveal many specifics.

“We kind of keep that proprietary. If everybody knew how to blow up a building a lot more people would do it.”

The explosions will begin in the basement and travel upwards. They’ll also detonate from east to west, to “pull” the falling structure away from the West Annex.

Afterward, the Kellys will head off in their Dodge pickup to implode in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wyoming, Hungary and beyond. Boom-boom-boom-boom.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/how-the-sir-john-carling-building-will-be-destroyed

[citydwlr]

At the corner of Clarence St. and Dalhousie St., it looks like there is something going in the space once occupied by Mangia restaurant (https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.429643,-75.691761,3a,75y,276.3h,83.93t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sYOCdhswZ_YBsrNcvEtLa-g!2e0) (across from Sopra). Someone on Twitter posted some images that jogged my memory of the sign in the window, and it led to a bit more information on the joint:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpyjyDcIgAA8cNJ.jpg
[SOURCE (https://twitter.com/kaypongrac/status/476435744341639168)]

Looks like it will be called "Ace Mercado (https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23acemercado)".


Bar design for Ottawa's new hotspot #acemercado (https://twitter.com/hashtag/acemercado?src=hash) #comingsoon (https://twitter.com/hashtag/comingsoon?src=hash)


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BrI5dt4CUAAAVbu.jpg
[SOURCE (https://twitter.com/kaypongrac/status/482511293488721920)]

[teej1984]

Very cool... i walked past this the other day and was wondering what was going on! Reminds me of http://www.elcatrin.ca/photos in Toronto!

[rocketphish]

Sir John Carling building destroyed early Sunday

Meghan Hurley, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 13, 2014, Last Updated: July 13, 2014 11:02 AM EDT

The biggest blast in Ottawa’s history was over in seconds on Sunday, reducing the 11-storey John Carling Building to 40,000 tonnes of rubble by 420 kilograms of explosives.

Hundreds of people gathered 300 metres away from the federal office tower at 930 Carling Ave. that overlooked Dow’s Lake to catch a glimpse of the $4.8 million demolition.

Denis Lafrance came to the Experimental Farm prepared with fold-up lawn chairs to sit on. Lafrance said he was an avid viewer of a demolition television show and wanted to see it done in person.

“Sometimes the whole building wouldn’t go down the way they thought,” Lafrance said.

Although it was a struggle to get out of bed so early on a Sunday, eight-year-old Zenio Arnone was certainly glad he did. He watched the “cool” explosion with his mother, Tina Arnone, who was most excited to see how the building was going to fall.

When the explosions rang out and the building began to collapse, Arnone yelled out in excitement.

“That was so cool. It was good. Unbelievable,” she said after the explosion. “I didn’t think it would go that fast. That was neat.”

Twitter was busy with exclamations from startled residents who heard and felt the blast across the city.

Nearby residents were told to stay inside their homes before several warning sirens wailed to warn that the implosion was imminent.

After the last warning siren to indicate the blast was only a minute away, several explosions could be heard and shook the ground as the building began to collapse.

“It was a perfect blast,” said Marc Verticchio, site supervisor for the main contractor, the AIM Environmental Group. “Absolutely no issues.”

While some were disturbed by the blasts, some mesmerized by the event, others — like Nicolas Baird — decided to create something new from the destruction.

“I was the only person in the crowd facing in the other direction when the building exploded,” he said of his action movie-treatment of the implosion. (Watch the video below.)

The explosion sent a large amount of dust into the air at the Experimental Farm property. Residents tweeted they could hear the blast across the city.

The overwhelming amount of dust sent some people running away from the property to their cars, while others covered their faces with their clothing.

Lisa Kelly with Advanced Explosives Demolition Inc. said they managed to save a one-storey former cafeteria building known as the “West Annex,” which is a heritage site the government wanted to protect.

“That was just such a blessing today that there was no damage to it,” Kelly said. “We had one broken window, that’s minor. The rest of it looks to be in absolutely perfect condition.”

For the past month, six to 15 AIM Environmental Group workers have prepped the building for Sunday.

The workers cut through the rebar that wraps each bundle on those three floors, drilled about 2,000 1.5-inch holes into the columns and wrapped them with two layers of nine-gauge chain link fence, to contain or at least slow down large pieces of concrete from flying away.

— with files from Ian MacLeod



http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/07/from-endemann-kirstin-ott-to-photo-ott-subject-city-sent-sun2.jpg?w=1000

fUv_n98I50o

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/sir-john-carling-building-goes-boom

[citydwlr]

^ Awesome! Thanks Rocketphish for posting this. Wasn't able to make it out this morning to watch in person :S

[kwoldtimer]

What's planned for the site?

[Proof Sheet]

What's planned for the site?

A Shoppers Drug Mart and a Tim Horton's drive thru.:notacrook:

[rocketphish]

Carling building demolished: Ottawa Citizen Photo Gallery

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/07/the-sir-john-carling-building-in-ottawa-was-demolished-early-sunday-morning-jul24.jpg?w=925 (http://ottawacitizen.com/gallery/photos-carling-building-demolished)
http://ottawacitizen.com/gallery/photos-carling-building-demolished



Nothing gets this town out of bed faster than the prospect of watching a government building being blown up

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bsa54YoCMAAv_dm.jpg
Scott Gilmore ‏@Scott_Gilmore



Intense dust down wind. Next time I'll bring a mask.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bsa2ObPCEAAj8Fs.jpg
Blair Crawford ‏@GetBAC


And a cool amateur video from one of those wretched drone things:
FstYqwxKhXw

[urbform]

the Sir John Carling Building on its final Friday evening:
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5511/14644879802_99364a16e4_b.jpg
urbform on flickr (https://flic.kr/p/oj7QxC)

[rocketphish]

Local hotel conversions continue

by Michael Hammond, OBJ
Published on July 14, 2014

Minto Group Inc. has closed its downtown Minto Suites Hotel operations earlier than expected as the company aims to fully convert the Lyon Street property by October.

The Minto conversion is the latest older hotel in Ottawa to be renovated for alternate uses.

The building’s furnished suites business, which accommodates professionals seeking living quarters for 30 days or more, remains open. The company closed the hotel side of its operations early due to concerns over the disruption to hotel guests caused by the ongoing renovations.

Bill Stone, executive vice-president of CBRE’s hotels real estate brokerage, said the local conversions are part of a wider industry trend.

“Sometimes, with these older buildings, if they have to go through a large retrofit, an alternate use makes more sense,” he said.

Given the age of some hotels, Mr. Stone said the 1970s-era properties often hold higher values as other businesses.

Minto’s facility at 185 Lyon St., which is being branded as Minto One80Five, is considerably newer than the hotel properties that are increasingly being sought as seniors’ residences or student residences, for example. The hotel operated for 25 years.

Minto’s conversion will see 232 hotel rooms converted into luxury apartments, while 185 furnished suites will continue to be available.

George Van Noten, senior vice-president of Minto’s property operations, said in addition to aligning the property more closely with the company’s core business focus, Minto sees an opportunity in the market for a high-quality rental property in the downtown core.

“We see the attitude toward ownership changing,” he said. “We see a younger demographic that puts a greater value on mobility ... and is much more adventurous in their lifestyle.”

Mr. Van Noten said this demographic values being close to the workplace and entertainment in the core. The company is ahead of its leasing targets, he added.

The new facility will have a concierge service, fitness space and saltwater pool, among other amenities.

Minto’s conversion is one of three local hotel properties undergoing change. The sale of the Holiday Inn on Cooper Street to Campus Suites Inc. is expected to close this month, as the prospective new owners look to convert the hotel into a private student residence.

The former National Hotel at 361 Queen St. is undergoing renovations, although the property’s owner Morguard Corp. has yet to unveil its plans for the building. Morguard did not respond to a request for comment.

Last year, 22 hotels across Canada were converted for alternate use or sold for redevelopment, according to CBRE statistics. Of that number, five were slated to become seniors’ residences while four were to become student residences.

Ottawa has already seen two hotel conversions. The Cartier Place Suite Hotel converted its extended stay portion to retirement residences beginning in 2006, while the Embassy West Hotel on Carling Avenue completed its transition to a retirement residence in 2011.

Dick Brown, the recently-retired director of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, says he’s not concerned about the loss of hotel rooms since there are two new hotel projects well underway in the core.

The Alt Hotel on Slater Street is scheduled to open in 2016, while Claridge Homes is redeveloping a property on Dalhousie Street in the ByWard Market as part of a plan to build a hotel and condominium complex.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residential/2014-07-14/article-3799921/Local-hotel-conversions-continue/1

[tucker16]

[B]Local hotel conversions continue

Ottawa has already seen two hotel conversions. The Cartier Place Suite Hotel converted its extended stay portion to retirement residences beginning in 2006, while the Embassy West Hotel on Carling Avenue completed its transition to a retirement residence in 2011.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residential/2014-07-14/article-3799921/Local-hotel-conversions-continue/1

My parents stayed in the Embassy West last month. Still one floor operating as a hotel.

[rocketphish]

A rare Norge ball's long run on Lisgar comes to an end

Andrew Nguyen, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 15, 2014, Last Updated: July 15, 2014 8:16 PM EDT

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/07/steve-cousineau-of-admiral-realty-cleans-the-dirt-off-a-rare-type-of-sign-called.jpg?w=800

Arthur Loeb said he remembers visiting Norge Village Cleaners when he was younger and admiring how its sign, featuring a giant ball, was illuminated and spinning. He said he was fixated on how it looked like the inside of the washing machine turning with the “bubbles” on the outside.

The ball was once a part of the corporate signage for the coin-operated laundromat chain based out of Chicago that had a few locations sprinkled around Ottawa. Each sign featured a white, plastic, polka-dotted ball, and collectively they became known as “Norge balls.”

Of the roughly 3,000 original signs made, fewer than 100 are known to still exist. One of them is being stored away in a packaging warehouse on Star Top Road for safekeeping, where it is expected to remain until Loeb can find it a new home.

“Even back then, it was very, very unique, and it was just fun to look at and something very strange,” said Loeb, who owns the property at 320 Lisgar Street, where the ball used to reside and which was formerly home to the sex shop Venus Envy.

Loeb, who inherited the sign after the property was purchased in the ’60s, said the Norge ball needed to be taken down recently so it wouldn’t be damaged during demolition of the building in order to make way for new condominium and retail units.

“You just can’t have that type of thing in the way — it would be destroyed,” Loeb said. He understands that the Norge ball was a fixture in Centretown and he was sad to have to take it down.

While most signs are square or rectangle-shaped, Loeb said the sign’s unusual sphere shape captured the attention of onlookers, and “seeing it turn was quite dramatic.”

He said while he has seen several moving signs before, “I, quite frankly, haven’t seen anything quite like it in my travels.”

“It’s like the Drummond Gas sign on Bronson, it has emotion, it’s not just flashing lights,” Loeb said. The sign is about two metres in diameter, with a plastic covering, and the ball sits on a motor that makes it spin.

Loeb said he understands that there are very few signs in North America like this. He admits that while his history on the sign is a little hazy, he knows it’s “very retro, very unique,” and worth preserving.

He added that while the look of the Norge ball might clash with the new project, he is adamant about finding the sign a new home “because it’s unique, it’s motorized and it hasn’t spun in a long time.”

He said he received a call several months ago from a person interested in purchasing it. “We hope that even though it’s not there anymore we can keep that legacy going somewhere.”

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/a-rare-norge-balls-long-run-on-lisgar-comes-to-an-end

[ryan1]

Loeb, who inherited the sign after the property was purchased in the ’60s, said the Norge ball needed to be taken down recently so it wouldn’t be damaged during demolition of the building in order to make way for new condominium and retail units.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/a-rare-norge-balls-long-run-on-lisgar-comes-to-an-end

Does anyone know more about the proposed condo/retail units here?

[citydwlr]

Stumbled on a neat project mentioned in La Presse (http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/actualites-regionales/201407/18/01-4785114-contraste-polaire-en-milieu-urbain.php) this weekend regarding a new Iceberg-shaped "museum" proposal associated with the Museum of Civilisation (err...I mean Canadian Museum of History), specifically drawing attention to the Arctic/Polar regions of Canada.


This ambitious project aims to use the power of architecture, art, and photography to put our Great North in the centre of our national radar screen. We hope to see Piqaluujaq - the Canadian Iceberg - become a transformative, cultural and economic engine and a must-see destination for countless Canadians and foreigners, children and adults, every year. We also hope to give a prominent stage to our northern, aboriginal people. As a result, we wish that a lot more attention will be paid to all things polar. The recent International Polar Year (2007-2009) reminded us that we have lots to celebrate: extraordinary ice and wildlife, abundant and strategic resources, some of the planet’s largest and cleanest marine and terrestrial wilderness areas, important and massive native land claims, etc.


http://www.jacquessirois.com/images/introduction/earlyCanadianIcebergPainting.jpg

The Actual project site is here:
The Canadian Iceberg (http://jacquessirois.com/introduction.html)

[AuxTown]

No details yet, but apparently we will hear in august whether The Ottawa Hospital has been able to acquire Exp Farm lands for their new civic hosp. This will be a very interesting project from a constuction perspective but also a redevelopment perspective at the current hospital site.

[gjhall]

No details yet, but apparently we will hear in august whether The Ottawa Hospital has been able to acquire Exp Farm lands for their new civic hosp. This will be a very interesting project from a constuction perspective but also a redevelopment perspective at the current hospital site.

Curious, where did you hear that?

[AuxTown]

Curious, where did you hear that?

At the hospital, reliable source

[phil235]

No details yet, but apparently we will hear in august whether The Ottawa Hospital has been able to acquire Exp Farm lands for their new civic hosp. This will be a very interesting project from a constuction perspective but also a redevelopment perspective at the current hospital site.

Wow, that would be great news. The last I heard, they were looking at something in the south end. It would be terrible to see no hospitals in the central area of the city.

[Uhuniau]

Wow, that would be great news. The last I heard, they were looking at something in the south end. It would be terrible to see no hospitals in the central area of the city.

It would also be par for the course for anti-urban Ottawa.

[1overcosc]

No details yet, but apparently we will hear in august whether The Ottawa Hospital has been able to acquire Exp Farm lands for their new civic hosp. This will be a very interesting project from a constuction perspective but also a redevelopment perspective at the current hospital site.

I believe it. Experimental farm lands are underutilized by Ag-Can as most research now happens either in other parts of the country or indoors on genetics machines.

[Norman Bates]

Maybe offset for some of the Carling building property being returned to parkland.

[citydwlr]

Some interesting tidbits in this OBJ article (http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-residential/2014-07-21/article-3808423/Doors-wide-open-to-downtown-deals/1):


Doors wide open to downtown deals
...

FACELIFT IN CITY’S CORE LONG OVERDUE, Brokers SAY

The glut of space in the downtown office rental market may have caused a headache for landlords, but it could be a blessing in disguise for aging properties in need of a makeover, local brokers say.

“When your building is full and you don’t really have to try very hard to rent your properties, you’re not really motivated as an owner to transform the properties. You’re not out there trying to change the image of the building,” says Darren Fleming, principal managing partner at Cresa Ottawa.

With downtown vacancy rates approaching double digits, that has changed, he says.

“You’ve got a lot of landlords going back and reinvesting into their properties. That, I think, is good. I’m excited to see the downtown core get a bit of a facelift on some buildings that probably needed it.”

The Sun Life Financial Centre at 99 Bank St. and 50 O’Connor St., for example, is set to undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation over the next couple of years. Completion is targeted for 2016, when the building will be 30 years old.

Dave Pridham, the centre’s director of leasing, says the main atrium and the lobbies in both towers will get a “lighter and brighter” look, with other changes coming in spaces where one tenant occupies more than one floor.

Montreal-based NEUF architects, which also helped design the new Performance Court at 150 Elgin St., is working with the building’s owners on several concepts, Mr. Pridham says. The final design will likely be unveiled early in the fall.

Meanwhile, the owners of Place Bell at 160 Elgin St., which opened in 1971, are rumoured to be considering a $35-million overhaul that will include a three-storey curved glass pavilion added to the main entrance as well as a new food court.

“The downtown core is a very competitive place right now,” Mr. Pridham says. “You have to (revamp properties) to keep up with the times.”

Michael Church, principal and managing director at Avison Young, agrees a lot of planned upgrades to downtown properties are long overdue, adding he thinks some buildings might be gutted or torn down entirely once major tenants such as the federal government decide to vacate them when their leases expire.

“A lot of the stuff that (the federal government is) currently in is, I would suggest, perhaps not long for the world in the grand scheme of things,” he says.

“At some point, you’ve got to look at something and say, ‘You know, it’s time to take that down.’”

[J.OT13]

Some interesting tidbits in this OBJ article (http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-residential/2014-07-21/article-3808423/Doors-wide-open-to-downtown-deals/1):

Love hearing it! The SunLife Financial Centre will be extremely well positioned with a fully renovated office complex and direct connection to the Confederation Line.

I actually already like the Place Bell's entrance. I sort of pops out on the façade of a white building. Replacing it with glass would make the entrance blend in too much. If the new 3 storey glass additions are on the two "L" corners, then it might look pretty cool.

Not an office building, but I hope we hear something soon about the new glass atrium for the NAC.

There are a lot of other buildings that might/should get overhauled. Place de Ville of course is on top of the list. A new slick glass tower replacing the Podium would be awesome. And the underground concourse needs to be completely overhauled before the opening of the Confederation Line.

[Cecca]

So im just curious as to why our diagrams page hasn't been updated with new buildings (i.e Claridge Plazas, 90 Elgin, The Merit etc)

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.juteaujohnsoncomba.com/newsletters/2014/June_2014_April_Newsletter.pdf

The other significant sale was the transfer of 289 Carling Avenue to Canada Lands Company CLC Ltd. from Her Majesty the Queen in the right of Canada for $2,000,000 or $146 per square foot. The property is improved with a paved surface parking lot primarily serving the NRCan employees occupying Booth Street. There is currently no development application associated with the property



This is right beside 540 Cambridge (The Lakelander) http://www.ottawamove.com/condo/540cambridge
http://www.ottawamove.com/site_data/ottawamove/condo_pics/pic-30701.650.jpg

[waterloowarrior]

moved a bunch of sports posts here
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=212691

[rocketphish]

Planning committee approves demolition on Lauzon properties

Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 8, 2014, Last Updated: July 8, 2014 6:02 PM EDT

Part of a crumbling Lowertown school and a neighbouring property should both be demolished by winter...



Preparations for demolition have begun. I'll be sad to see this one go...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3850/14928773721_09e6f963bf_b.jpg
Aug 14, 2014. Photo by me.

[MountainView]

They are building a Lone Star on Hunt Club just before Uplands near the Holiday Inn Express. And it looks like there are building a multi-use commercial and offices 2-floor building there as well. Further what looks to be an A&W but there are no signs up yet.

[MountainView]

Also, this project which I don't think has its own thread, has the outside frame completely built. I had no idea they were even building condos in this area until I drove by them the other day.

http://www.999merivale.com/images/26.jpg

http://www.999merivale.com/images/21.jpg

http://www.999merivale.com/index.phtml

[Boxster]

Interesting article. I wonder how many years it will take for micro-condos to become popular in Ottawa.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/20/business/micro-condo-development-trend/index.html?iref=obnetwork

Could you fit your life into 300 square feet? Developers are betting on it, positioning tiny living spaces as a new status symbol for urban millennials.

Chic, central and closet-sized, micro-condos -- loosely defined as units under 500 square feet -- are being marketed as luxury rentals or a stylish first step onto the property ladder. While small units are already the norm in high-density Asian megacities and old European neighborhoods, major U.S. cities like New York and San Francisco are leading a new charge in North America with others quickly following suit.

"What these great world cities have in common is a scarcity of the resource called land and a large number of people who want to work and play in these cities," says Mark Vlessing, co-founder of London developer Pocket Living.

Could you live in 300-sq.-ft. apartment?

Living in a shipping container According to a report from Neilson, an American consumer research company, 40% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 36 want to live in urban areas instead of the suburbs their parents idealized, but 69% feel they don't earn enough to afford the lifestyle they covet. High rent, rising property prices, and growing demand make finding an affordable home harder than ever.

Local governments have taken notice. New York City, for one, has waved its minimum 400-square-foot housing requirement for a pilot project with units between 250 and 370 square feet. Last year, Pocket Living -- which makes 400-square-foot units for those who earn less than around $100,000 a year -- received roughly $36 million from the mayor of London to build approximately 400 units for first-time home buyers. Small units are seen as an affordable way to make cities accessible to more people.

Read: Can magic boxes solve urban housing conundrum?

This was the case for Andrea Wong, a hair stylist living in Vancouver. In 2012, unable to afford a centrally located apartment, she decided to move into a unit in Burns Block, the city's first micro-condo. Most of the studios she'd seen rented for around $1,400 a month, so her 291-square-feet apartment -- the building's largest -- seemed like a steal at $1,000.

The bedroom of a Pocket Living unit in London.Courtesy Pocket Living.
But it was the design, she says, that she sealed the deal. The tiny space -- all enamel-like white cupboards, foldout tables, and wall-mounted design hacks -- was not only smart, but stylish.

"I wanted something that looked pretty modern. The use of space was really good," she says. "I didn't feel like I was living in a jail cell or anything."

Her friends marveled. Her place was officially cool.

Maxwell Ryan, the New York-based founder of home design website Apartment Therapy, isn't surprised that micro-condo developers are pushing design and utility as their major selling points. To him, it shows an awareness of how generational priorities have shifted.

Living small in New York City

Ever live in a place this tiny? "As a culture, there's been a renaissance of interest in design -- design as a lifestyle choice, design as a way of life," he says.

Ryan believes young people will happily accept smaller spaces, but only if done properly.

Would you live in a parking garage? "When you design a small space, you can design it in a way that has more utility and expansiveness," he says, going on to quote Charles Eames, one of the 20th century's most celebrated product designers: "I have never been forced to accept compromises, but I have willingly accepted constraints."

Read: The rise and rise of the "McMansion"

It's a maxim Smart House, an upcoming micro-condo project in Toronto, exemplifies. The designs, masterminded by architecture firm architectsAlliance, are stylish, with seemingly endless concealed storage, contemporary finishes, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Drawers become dishwashers and refrigerators. Couches fold into beds and walls. A number of elements, like a bathtub and oven, have been left out. But even these omissions are meant to cater to the millennial lifestyle.

"This generation wants to live within the city," says Peter Clewes, of architectsAlliance.

When they aren't working, they're eating out with friends and enjoying city life, not spending time at home. For a unit that offers elegance on a budget (Smart House units, which have yet to go on sale, will likely start at $285,000), Clewes thinks they'll be willing to make a few sacrifices.

"Five years ago, if you suggested units of 258 square feet, people would say that's mean, that's immoral. But that's starting to flip the other way," Clewes says. "It's become a moral cause. We need all (income) groups to make a healthy city."

A micro-loft in Vancouver's Burns Block building.Courtesy Reliance Properties Ltd.
No one seems to know whether tenants or owners will look at micro-condos as temporary stops, or something more permanent. Certain elements seem so tailored to a certain lifestyle they risk being outgrown by those they so carefully target.

For Wong, the initial novelty of micro-living wore off as time wore on. She started to resent not having space for her screen-printing and acrylics projects, or an oven for cooking. When it came time to renew her yearlong lease, she decided to move to a 620-square-foot unit across the street, even though it cost almost $400 more per month.

Today, Wong lives with her boyfriend in a 900-square-foot apartment in East Vancouver. Now 35, she's more focused on settling down. But she doesn't regret giving micro-condos a try.

"My lifestyle has changed a lot since I lived down there," she says. "I liked being there at the time, but I like the space I have now."

[rocketphish]

Planning committee recommends affordable housing development charge

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 21, 2014, Last Updated: August 21, 2014 12:30 PM EDT

The planning committee has voted to restore and slightly increase the portion of development charges that are earmarked for affordable housing.

After the introduction of the 2009 bylaw, the city phased in the collection of $189 for every single- and semi-detached home built. The charges are among those collected from developers to pay for things such as roads and transit, and the cost is usually passed on directly to consumers.

As of Oct. 1, that amount will now climb to $208.

That means the revised development charge (DC) for building single- or semi-detached homes inside the Greenbelt will be $22,173, up from $21,965, while the cost for constructing the same type of home outside the Greenbelt will be $30,362, up from $30,154.

Against the wishes of housing advocates, staff recommended in May that the collection of specific DCs for affordable housing and childcare be removed from the bylaw because the money collected for each is not currently being spent.

The committee, and later council, approved the updated bylaw, but only after committee members passed a motion directing staff to further study whether the affordable housing and childcare charges could be added back.

Throughout the life of the 2009 bylaw, which included a lengthy phase-in period, the city says it collected approximately $2.1 million in the Affordable Housing Development Charges fund. That cash will be used to support the development of affordable housing in 2015 in the Longfields subdivision on lands currently held by the Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation.

The decision still requires council’s approval.

mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/planning-committee-recommends-affordable-housing-development-charge

[Jim613]

Interesting article. I wonder how many years it will take for micro-condos to become popular in Ottawa.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/20/business/micro-condo-development-trend/index.html?iref=obnetwork

Could you fit your life into 300 square feet? Developers are betting on it, positioning tiny living spaces as a new status symbol for urban millennials.

Anyone actually been in one of these micro-apartments? For comparison purposes, a 2 car garage is 400sqft (~20x20)

How does one even configure something smaller than a 2-car garage to be liveable?

[Schattenjager]

Anyone actually been in one of these micro-apartments? For comparison purposes, a 2 car garage is 400sqft (~20x20)

How does one even configure something smaller than a 2-car garage to be liveable?
I haven't gone in a while so they may not still have it but Ikea had a showroom of a 350(?) sq. ft. apartment setup which surprisingly made it feel liveable.

[S-Man]

I haven't gone in a while so they may not still have it but Ikea had a showroom of a 350(?) sq. ft. apartment setup which surprisingly made it feel liveable.

I've been in that thing, but I have to wonder is the fact that room is inside a much bigger room makes it seem...roomier.

[MaxHeadroom]

I noticed today that there is a big new electrical substation being constructed in Orleans along the Hydro Corridor between Tenth Line and Mer Bleue. https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4527215,-75.4925136,565m/data=!3m1!1e3

[gjhall]

Anyone actually been in one of these micro-apartments? For comparison purposes, a 2 car garage is 400sqft (~20x20)

How does one even configure something smaller than a 2-car garage to be liveable?

Simply, design matters. Will any 400 sq ft space feel liveable? No. Can it? Yes.

Exhibit 1:
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/07/08/tour_an_impressively_roomy_425squarefoot_nyc_apartment.php

[acottawa]

Simply, design matters. Will any 400 sq ft space feel liveable? No. Can it? Yes.

Exhibit 1:
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/07/08/tour_an_impressively_roomy_425squarefoot_nyc_apartment.php

If you have a 400k renovation budget and 20+ foot ceilings to build a giant loft.

[Dundas]

At 400sqft or less, you only go back home to sleep and eat quick meals. You study at starbucks, you eat out often, you work overtime, you pretty much don't wanna go back home lol.

You buy this tiny condo because of the location you want to enjoy or live in.

[gjhall]

If you have a 400k renovation budget and 20+ foot ceilings to build a giant loft.

Obviously an extreme example.

But right here in Ottawa, I lived in 474 square feet and found it to be eminently liveable:

http://www.rentcanada.com/bronsonplace/bron_1d.jpg

Here, clearly no 20 ft ceilings or $400k renovation, but again: design matters.

Keeping service and storage space to a minimum an in one area made for living space that felt larger than you'd expect because it was all useable.

I live in a larger space now, but I could definitely live in that size of space again in a heartbeat.

I don't agree that small spaces necessarily mean you "pretty much don't wanna go back home." You adapt to the space you have, and whether you spend time at home or not has more to do with how you want to live your life. That's my experience having lived in everything from a dorm room to a 7000 sq ft house.

[1overcosc]

My last two apartments were 745 square feet & 460 square feet, and the 460 one was much more livable. Layout is what matters.

[Capital Shaun]

My wife & I lived for three years in a 529sqft apartment. It was certainly livable. (Until my wife was pregnant with our first kid, we then moved into a 2 bedroom 660sqft apartment.)

With the right layout, 400sqft is doable for 1 or 2 people.

[PokerPukka]

Ottawa needs some micro-condos like the one in Fifth Element :)

"Korben Dallas's place is a perfect example of an efficient, transforming apartment. ... The shower is on top of the fridge, which raises and lowers as needed, and the bed pulls out from a cabinet. Best of all is the "auto-wash": the shower cleans itself and the bed makes itself. An awesome time-saver…" (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/1337074861668404/)

[acottawa]

Obviously an extreme example.

But right here in Ottawa, I lived in 474 square feet and found it to be eminently liveable:



Here, clearly no 20 ft ceilings or $400k renovation, but again: design matters.

Keeping service and storage space to a minimum an in one area made for living space that felt larger than you'd expect because it was all useable.

I live in a larger space now, but I could definitely live in that size of space again in a heartbeat.

I don't agree that small spaces necessarily mean you "pretty much don't wanna go back home." You adapt to the space you have, and whether you spend time at home or not has more to do with how you want to live your life. That's my experience having lived in everything from a dorm room to a 7000 sq ft house.

I totally agree that this design is livable, but Bronson Place was built in a kinder, gentler era (at least for tenants) and it is basically a square, which means the "usable" space is about the same as a 20x30 600sqft place. Not sure what Smart House is planning, but more modern designs tend to be rectangular which really chokes usable space near the window.

[gjhall]

I totally agree that this design is livable, but Bronson Place was built in a kinder, gentler era (at least for tenants) and it is basically a square, which means the "usable" space is about the same as a 20x30 600sqft place. Not sure what Smart House is planning, but more modern designs tend to be rectangular which really chokes usable space near the window.

We shall have to wait and see. The lot isn't that deep, so not sure if they will have the same pressure to squeeze space the same way toward long rectangular boxes.

[rocketphish]

Demolition approved for Murray Street property next to former Our Lady School

Marie-Danielle Smith, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 27, 2014, Last Updated: August 27, 2014 6:58 PM EDT

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2014/08/ottawa-04-24-05-207-209-murray-street-adjacent-to-287-cumb.jpg?w=800

A demolition permit has finally been issued for the semi-detached residential property owned by Claude Lauzon at 207-209 Murray St., according to Ottawa’s chief building official.

Arlene Grégoire told the mayor and members of city council Wednesday that demolition of the Lowertown property will facilitate the property’s redevelopment.

A building permit for the adjacent property at 287 Cumberland St., the former Our Lady School, has been applied for but has not yet been issued.

Once a building permit is issued, “work on preserving the heritage elements of the building can commence, along with the demolition of the remainder of the structure,” according to Grégoire.

A motion approved by city council July 8 had urged the city’s planning committee to ensure demolition of part of the school and the property at 207-209 Murray St. by Aug. 9, citing dangers to public safety because bricks were falling from the derelict buildings.

The motion also stated that Lauzon had provided Grégoire with an updated schedule of work that planned to complete demolition before winter.

Last October, the heritage committee approved a plan to preserve the south and west walls of the long-vacant school, which was constructed in 1904 and has been steadily deteriorating for years. The plan was a major result of ongoing legal battles between Lauzon and the city surrounding the properties.

The redevelopment is not Lauzon’s only project. He oversees the Claude Lauzon Group, which includes buildings throughout Lowertown, Vanier and New Edinburgh.

Lauzon was not available for comment on Wednesday.

msmith@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mariedanielles

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/demolition-approved-for-murray-street-property-next-to-former-our-lady-school

[rocketphish]

Development charge a small step toward housing fairness

Jonathan McLeod, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 28, 2014, Last Updated: August 28, 2014 12:10 PM EDT

In a decision likely noticed by few, and that will be felt by even fewer, city council has restored a development charge that will help address Ottawa’s affordable housing crisis; this fee is applied to new home builds, and will be devoted, in part, to funding affordable housing. The decision will bring back a valuable funding tool and a little bit of fairness.

The fee was originally introduced in 2009. It was wrapped up in the development charges applied to all new home builds. These development charges run in the tens of thousands, but this particular fee—to be earmarked for affordable housing and child care—is approximately $200. It is a miniscule, relatively speaking. It is barely a pimple on the overall price of a new home.

There is absolutely no doubt that Ottawa has an affordable housing shortage. We have a wait list of over 9000 households for social housing. It generally takes about five years. In 2013, we had fewer people living in shelters, but the average stay was longer, a testament to the difficulty in finding appropriate housing.

Since 2009, the Affordable Housing Development Charge has brought in $2.1M. There can be issues putting the money to use, which is the reason the fee was temporarily suspended, but that is an administrative matter that can be rectified. Administrative concerns do not negate the needs of the people waiting for help.

So there is no question that there is demand for more affordable housing, and this is a relatively easy and painless way to raise funds, but these two factors, alone, do not justify the development charge. If we can simply add $200 to every new build, surely we could just add a lower amount to everyone’s property tax bill and achieve the same end. The question becomes, is it appropriate to level this burden, the development charge, on this activity, building a home?

It is.

There is a clear link between the purpose of the fee and the activity it is applied to — homes — but lumping the two into one category and considering that justification is as facile as it is obvious. No, the reason this is an appropriate fee to add on to new homes is because the nature and the effects of building new homes.

The land you build your home on may be yours by title and deed, but those are merely legal constructs. We can parcel out the land however we like, but the truth is that we all live in community. The land is one; it is a commodity that we all attempt to use and exploit, extracting economic rents out of a natural resource, but a notarized piece of paper does not grant eternal and sacred dominion over your plot.

Building a new home on city land, whether for personal or commercial reasons, is an attempt to leverage a physical portion of our common — though not collective — territory for personal gain, either for wealth or utility. A landowner may feel she is owed such a privilege from the community, but the rest of us, city council included, have no duty to play along.

In fact, it is the duty of council to ensure that landowners and developers are not exploiting our common natural resources for personal gain at the expense of others. This charge, this tiny fee, is a method we can apply to even matters out a bit. It is not so large as to unduly burden builders, but it is enough to offer tangible aid to those in dire need.

Jonathan McLeod is an Ottawa writer and general fellow of the Canadian Council for Democracy.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/mcleod-development-charge-a-small-step-toward-housing-fairness

[bartlebooth]

Looking forward to this!

http://ottawaarchitectureweek.com/

[citizen4829]

Just wondering if there is a thread for Claridge Sterling Place condo's on Merivale RD

[danishh]

Just wondering if there is a thread for Claridge Sterling Place condo's on Merivale RDhttp://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=194129

[daud]

Via Twitter:

NCC inviting proposals for LeBreton Flats based on 'major anchor public institution' or attraction of 'regional or national significance.'

[acottawa]

Via Twitter:

NCC inviting proposals for LeBreton Flats based on 'major anchor public institution' or attraction of 'regional or national significance.'

A monument to victims of something?

[silvergate]

Dean Jerry Tomberlin of the Sprott School of Business just announced they are going to build a new building. But not when or where.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Dean Jerry Tomberlin of the Sprott School of Business just announced they are going to build a new building. But not when or where.

Retired developer and Carleton Alumnus Wes Nicol has donated 10 million toward a new building.
Carleton needs to raise more money to do this project and does not know how long it will take.

This excerpt from an article back in December hints at what they are looking at. Two very different ideas, and ideas much different than just putting up a standard building on Campus.

Carleton University's Sprott School of Business is looking for a new building, and is considering two ambitious locations, including one tied to the proposed redevelopment of the former Domtar pulp and paper site.


Architecture and business students at Carleton University are working in collaboration on two proposals that would see the school move from Dunton Tower.


Dean Jerry Tomberlin said his school's current building is insufficient to the school's needs, so much so that none of the 2,000 business school undergraduates take any courses in the building.


"Dunton Tower has beautiful views, and I can't say much else about it that's good," said Tomberlin.


One plan would see a new home constructed on campus along busy Bronson Avenue, with a hotel attached.

[Uhuniau]

A monument to victims of something?

Canada's National Monument to Victims of National Capital Commission Expropriations.

[Mille Sabords]

Canada's National Monument to Victims of National Capital Commission Expropriations.

:banger: :lmao:

[c_speed3108]

Canada's National Monument to Victims of National Capital Commission Expropriations.

this. :yes:



:goodpost:

[teej1984]

I wonder if the project the NCC is proposing at Lebreton that is supposed to be nationally or regionally significant will turn out to be a new Science & Tech Museum given the current one is going to be "closed indefinitely."

[kwoldtimer]

I wonder if the project the NCC is proposing at Lebreton that is supposed to be nationally or regionally significant will turn out to be a new Science & Tech Museum given the current one is going to be "closed indefinitely."

A very good bet, I'd say. The government needs some PR to help shake off its anti-science reputation before next year's election.

[1overcosc]

Had a thought. In the event that Scotland becomes an independent state following their referendum on Thursday, we should seek a prominent location for a Scottish embassy to Canada given the strong historic ties between Canada & Scotland and the massive number of Canadians of Scottish origin (in fact, there are more Canadians of Scottish descent than there are people in Scotland!).

Any ideas on where such a prominent location exists in the core?