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hackunion
Aug 19, 2008, 12:25 AM
I've been walking by a City of Ottawa Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal notice sign on my way to work for the past week. I took some pics with my cellphone today I can post later. Right now the lot features a decrepit 3-storey apartment building with an adjacent parking lot.


An application has been submitted to rezone the property to allow for an increase in building height and density. The proposed construction is a 16-storey, 136 unit condominium building.

Inquiries in English (613) 580-2424 ext. 13856
Douglas_James@ottawa.ca

hackunion
Aug 19, 2008, 12:52 AM
*The location is on the north side of Lisgar between Bank and O'Connor, across from the Dominion Chalmers Church.

kwoldtimer
Aug 19, 2008, 1:57 AM
Can wails of the alderthingy be far behind? Surely the proposal would be VASTLY too tall for the site?:hell:

fireicedog
Aug 19, 2008, 2:19 AM
This is probably another claridge project since the claridge shack has been moved here a couple months ago. I agree it's gonna be pretty hard to get the 16 floors by diane holmes. Would rather see something of this scale go up on the huge parking lot at Somerset and Oconnor.

hackunion
Aug 20, 2008, 1:51 AM
Some low quality pics

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/seulemente/0818081110.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/seulemente/0818081119.jpg

harls
Aug 20, 2008, 12:12 PM
That building sure is a gem.

harls
Aug 21, 2008, 8:17 PM
Found this on the City's site:

Source: http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%20Referencing_Site%20Plan%20Application_Image%20Reference_Site_Plan_D07-12-08-0075.PDF (page 10 of document)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2784322511_97ea703764_o.jpg


The document here shows 18 floors. Likely that will get shot down by you-know-who.

No colours.... I'm picturing aqua blue windows for some reason...

Aylmer
Aug 21, 2008, 9:33 PM
Not bad, but it needs originality.

And street more interaction.

:)

AuxTown
Aug 21, 2008, 9:42 PM
No colours.... I'm picturing aqua blue windows for some reason...

I like to call that particular design feature "Claridge deco" for some reason. With two towers x 25 floors of it on Rideau plus Somerset Gardens I think we've had our fill of aqua in this city!

I would much rather see something like this building on Bloor Street in Toronto. I much prefer the darker glass and I think it would do a better job of integrating with the gremlins who live in Centretown.

http://www.downtownrealty.ca/Building-image/85-bloor-st-e.jpg http://www.downtowntorontocondos.info/images/condos/36-0.jpg

m0nkyman
Aug 21, 2008, 10:15 PM
I'd prefer to see some townhouses in the podium.... more like a Vancouver residential thingie..
http://www.djc.com/stories/images/20041007/Multifamilies_VancouverTownhouses.jpg

c_speed3108
Aug 22, 2008, 12:11 PM
I like to call that particular design feature "Claridge deco" for some reason.

:lmao:

citizen j
Aug 23, 2008, 7:50 PM
I'd prefer to see some townhouses in the podium.... more like a Vancouver residential thingie..
http://www.djc.com/stories/images/20041007/Multifamilies_VancouverTownhouses.jpg

I agree!

cityguy
Aug 24, 2008, 3:15 AM
Glad to see that area of the city getting developed,most of the housing in that area is crap.

AuxTown
Aug 24, 2008, 3:39 PM
This is probably another claridge project since the claridge shack has been moved here a couple months ago. I agree it's gonna be pretty hard to get the 16 floors by diane holmes. Would rather see something of this scale go up on the huge parking lot at Somerset and Oconnor.

That's another lot vastly in need of development. I can understand surface lots on Lisgar or Gloucester Streets, but to have an empty lot in that area of Somerset is really surprising. It is such a nice street with plenty of restaurants and services and a stones throw away from Bank. They couldn't do anything tall there since the whole street is Victorian homes and a 3-storey mixed-use building, but I'm sure someone could come up with a good idea for an infill development. This is wishfull thinking, but I would love to see something like this (called Montreux) in Vancouver:

http://www.condominiums.com/vancouver/images/vancou2.jpg

It's a bit taller than surrounding buildings on Somerset, but the three-storey brick facade on the lower part keep a consistent streetwall; kind of like how 90 George's podium keeps things consistent despite the tower being 3x taller than anything around.

waterloowarrior
Mar 13, 2009, 4:19 PM
Claridge files site plans for 18-storey Lisgar condo tower
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Fri, Mar 13, 2009 10:00 AM EST

Claridge has revised its plans for a condominium building at 287 Lisgar St., between Bank and O'Connor streets, that adds two additional storeys, but decreases the number of residential units.

A previous zoning amendment proposed a 16-storey, 136-unit condominium. Recent city documents call for an 18-storey, 121-unit building.

The land parcel currently contains a surface parking lot with approximately 28 spaces, according to a site plan proposal summary prepared by the city. The subject property also contains a three-storey apartment building at 293 Lisgar St.

The property must also be rezoned to increase the height and density to accommodate the 18 storeys, according to the city.

City planning staff hope to reach a decision on the application by June 30.

Companies involved so far:

# Douglas Hardie Architect Inc.;

# Novatech Engineering Consultants (servicing brief, stormwater management report, transportation impact study);

# Paterson Group Inc. (phase I-II environmental site assessment);

harls
Mar 13, 2009, 4:22 PM
*cue Diane*

waterloowarrior
Mar 13, 2009, 6:18 PM
http://objdevelopment.blogspot.com/2009/03/claridge-pushing-downtown-skyline.html

Claridge pushing downtown skyline higher
Peter Kovessy (OBJ)


Claridge has added an additional two storeys to its proposal for a condominium at 287 Lisgar St., bringing the height to 18 storeys, or approximately 57 metres. This is the same developer behind the two residential towers that were to be part of Ottawa's bid for the National Portrait Gallery. City council had agreed to allow Claridge to build condominium towers of 20 and 24 floors with the portrait gallery or other public use facility at the base. The developer appealed the height restrictions to the Ontario Municipal Board even before the Conservative government cancelled the Portrait Gallery competition and ultimately won its case to build its towers to a height of 27 storeys around Christmas.

It should be interesting to watch the community reaction - and especially that of the local councillor for the area, Diane Holmes - to the latest Lisgar proposal, especially since some thought Claridge would have trouble convincing the city to allow it to build 16 storeys. Adjacent to the property is an 11-storey government building to the northeast at O'Connor and Nepean streets. Other surrounding buildings include the Dominion-Chalmers United Church and low-rise apartments that range from two to four storeys, according to a site plan proposal summary prepared by the city.

I've heard the suggestion that Claridge is proposing 18 storeys so it can compromise with the city to build 16 storeys, as originally planned, without the expense of going to the OMB. It is an interesting theory, but I haven't come across any evidence to back it up.

However, others have previously observed that the unpredictable outcomes of zoning amendment proposals to increase density has had an effect on land values, especially as developers push for, and receive, one-off permissions from council or the OMB to build taller buildings than the rules allow.

"There is the expectation that you can get greater density than the existing zoning allows, and the (market) for land recognizes that. The price of that land is now approaching a level where you can't do a project that meets the existing zoning requirements," ReDevelopment Group owner Eric Kirsipuu told me last year.

Ottawade
Mar 13, 2009, 8:07 PM
*cue Diane*

:lmao:

highdensitysprawl
Mar 13, 2009, 8:33 PM
*cue Diane*

Those damn developers...always wanting to build high density housing in the middle of the City......don't they know that Clive and I have an obligation to our residents to protect them from high density housing, which obviously belongs somewhere other than Centretown.

Mille Sabords
Mar 13, 2009, 8:33 PM
Those damn developers...always wanting to build high density housing in the middle of the City......don't they know that Clive and I have an obligation to our residents to protect them from high density housing, which obviously belongs somewhere other than Centretown.

Yeah, Diane, well said. Like Manotick, for instance. That's where high rises belong. Sincerely, Clive.

highdensitysprawl
Mar 13, 2009, 9:18 PM
Yeah, Diane, well said. Like Manotick, for instance. That's where high rises belong. Sincerely, Clive.

Good one Mille. These Councillors are very predictable. Somehow I can't see Glenn Brooks welcoming high density in his beloved 'Tick'. High density in the 'tick' is when you have a density greater than 1 unit per ha.

waterloowarrior
Mar 16, 2009, 5:02 PM
Good one Mille. These Councillors are very predictable. Somehow I can't see Glenn Brooks welcoming high density in his beloved 'Tick'. High density in the 'tick' is when you have a density greater than 1 unit per ha.

'Affordable housing' in Manotick is anything under 4000 square feet ;)

Mille Sabords
Mar 16, 2009, 7:04 PM
'Affordable housing' in Manotick is anything under 4000 square feet ;)

You're not too far off the mark... I remember one of the most ferocious fights put on by Manotickers a few years back was over a townhouse project. Never mind that they were going to be pretty upscale, the mere mention of "townhouses" sent whiffs of riff-raff down the Main Street.

highdensitysprawl
Mar 17, 2009, 8:11 PM
You're not too far off the mark... I remember one of the most ferocious fights put on by Manotickers a few years back was over a townhouse project. Never mind that they were going to be pretty upscale, the mere mention of "townhouses" sent whiffs of riff-raff down the Main Street.

People in the 'tick' have all the doom and gloom impacts of 'density' ready to unleash on anybody who dare propose anything denser than 2 lots/ha...noise, traffic, renters, garbage, smells, late night parties, lower property values, higher property taxes.

Where do people in Manotick think that their children will be able to afford w/o going up to their armpits in debt.

Mille Sabords
Mar 18, 2009, 12:33 AM
People in the 'tick' have all the doom and gloom impacts of 'density' ready to unleash on anybody who dare propose anything denser than 2 lots/ha...noise, traffic, renters, garbage, smells, late night parties, lower property values, higher property taxes.

Where do people in Manotick think that their children will be able to afford w/o going up to their armpits in debt.

I wonder, too. I guess once you're in that "bubble", it's self-reinforcing through association. You start thinking the way you think your neighbours think. Nobody wants to upset anybody. Before you know it, it's a collective psychosis, like a NIMBY trance. At the international level, I believe it's called isolationism. The US last tried it up to December 7, 1941.

highdensitysprawl
Mar 18, 2009, 12:57 AM
I wonder, too. I guess once you're in that "bubble", it's self-reinforcing through association. You start thinking the way you think your neighbours think. Nobody wants to upset anybody. Before you know it, it's a collective psychosis, like a NIMBY trance. At the international level, I believe it's called isolationism. The US last tried it up to December 7, 1941.

I know we are getting off topic here regarding the Lisgar site but when I think of people in Manotick (a WASP haven), this article encapsulates the type of people I've met who are from there

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/531wlvng.asp

harls
Mar 18, 2009, 1:21 PM
I don't know it it was mentioned a while back or not, but the Claridge Plaza sales shack is currently parked on this site.

waterloowarrior
Jun 17, 2009, 4:07 AM
recommended for refusal (premature) (http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar.htm)

render
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar_files/image004.jpg

293 Lisgar is no longer part of the proposal for economic reasons

Mille Sabords
Jun 18, 2009, 12:59 PM
A bit of a Charlesforty look to it.

ajldub
Jun 18, 2009, 4:01 PM
The garage needs to be tucked around the side. Unfortunately they are also going to cheap out on materials. Overall a nice enough rendering though.

k2p
Jun 18, 2009, 11:55 PM
Just read the city's report in the link above. The whinging from the community association and Diane Holmes is absurd. What's the mystic quality of 12 storeys? That was the original height of Hudson Park, barely a block away. But it turned into something higher. Oh, the humanity.

(These, of course, are the same people who moan about eight storeys on the old OBE site. Who tried to stop Opus, and whose rote-like objections to anything big makes Pavlovian dogs look spontaneous.)

And it seems the CCOC, the folks building the barracks behind the Y, also miss the point in its complaint. Yes, Centretown needs a housing mix. Absolutely, affordable housing helps build strong communities. But in saying that it has two buildings in the immediate vicinity (both, naturally 12 storeys), the CCOC undermines its own point.

That it has two buildings for low-middle income people and that there are no buildings for people to own points, surely, to Claridge's building providing the mix, not stopping it. And if, as the CCOC says, there should be affordable housing on the Claridge site, by the same token there should be housing to buy on the CCOC sites. Except there's not.

As for community benefit, how about people living on what's now a vacant lot, helping Bank Street turn itself around, building density to support pedestrian and public transit infrastructure and not buying places in the far-flung suburbs, but instead injecting some urgently-needed bodies downtown?

rodionx
Jun 19, 2009, 2:30 AM
:previous:

Well put. The demographic that Centretown needs most right now is owner-occupiers with decent amounts of disposable income. That's the one part of the demographic mix that isn't adequately represented here relative to Ottawa as a whole. They're also the ones who will help fill all those empty retail spaces on Bank Street and (gasp) maybe even create jobs for the low-income people in affordable housing. Unfortunately, all the community groups can think about is 12, 12, 12....

Mille Sabords
Jun 19, 2009, 12:14 PM
:previous:

Well put. The demographic that Centretown needs most right now is owner-occupiers with decent amounts of disposable income. That's the one part of the demographic mix that isn't adequately represented here relative to Ottawa as a whole. They're also the ones who will help fill all those empty retail spaces on Bank Street and (gasp) maybe even create jobs for the low-income people in affordable housing. Unfortunately, all the community groups can think about is 12, 12, 12....

These would all be great points to make to the Committee next Tuesday, with a 5-minute speaker slot.

harls
Jun 19, 2009, 1:41 PM
recommended for refusal (premature) (http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar.htm)

render
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar_files/image004.jpg

293 Lisgar is no longer part of the proposal for economic reasons

The bug antennae at the top look a bit like their Pinnacle project.

I'll change the title to read 287 Lisgar only.

rocketphish
Jun 20, 2009, 3:06 AM
A bit of a Charlesforty look to it.

Definitely Charlesforty.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3582/3642238427_ef8cf4eea9_o_d.jpg

waterloowarrior
Jun 24, 2009, 2:57 AM
Planning and Environment Committee
5. ZONING - 287 LISGAR STREET
ZONAGE - 287, RUE LISGAR
ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108 SOMERSET (14)

(This application is subject to Bill 51)

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council refuse an amendment to the Zoning By law 2008 250 to change the zoning of 287 Lisgar Street to permit modifications to the existing Residential Fifth Density (R5B) zone for a proposed high rise condominium building.

CARRIED

eemy
Jun 24, 2009, 11:38 AM
Does anyone think this would stand up to an appeal to the OMB?

rocketphish
Jun 24, 2009, 12:52 PM
Highrise shelved as planning rules baffle committee

Report rejecting Lisgar development says city's policies are contradictory

By Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen, June 24, 2009


So many contradictory and confusing planning rules cover a section of downtown that Ottawa planning officials couldn't decide whether an 18-story residential building proposed for Lisgar Street is a good idea or a bad one.

City council's planning committee rejected the proposal Tuesday.

Claridge Homes submitted the application and company official Neil Malhotra left city hall shaking his head after the decision. He said his company has trouble understanding what the city wants.

"This is frustrating," Malhotra said. "There's no consistency. There's no clarity. Where's the logic here? Really, somebody tell me what's logical about all of this."

Two weeks ago, city council approved an official plan calling for more density all over the city, particularly in the downtown core, and the company thought it had crafted a building that would deliver that on Lisgar Street, just east of Bank Street.

The plan called for 100 units where there is now a parking lot, and smart growth using existing city services, but Malhotra needed city council to grant a few zoning exemptions to allow more density on the site and allow the building to be constructed closer to the property lines.

The zoning change would allow for twice as many units on the site than it is currently approved for, which would also boost the company's profits.

Claridge submitted the application to the city's planning department, and then it ran into a quagmire of planning rules, policies, bylaws, and goals so complicated and entangled, even city staff couldn't figure them out.

The planning staff report on the application cites at least five different planning documents covering the area, dating back to 1976, many of which have been modified or incorporated into later documents. The report says this has resulted in a patchwork of rules that allows one type of building and size on one piece of property and something completely different right next door.

"The conflicting and inconsistent planning policy and regulatory environment in this part of Centretown makes it difficult to come to a definitive conclusion on the appropriateness of this proposal," the report says. "There is no clear framework."

Planning officials said the building could be considered appropriate under some planning guidelines and rules, but would be too dense, too big and not set back enough from the street under others. Residents in the area also said it was too tall.

The solution, staff said, was to wait to make a decision on the building until the planning department comes up with a set of rules for what constitutes a "quality and livable high-density residential neighbourhood." The report said developing the framework is on the planning department's list of things to do in 2009.

The committee agreed. That ruling will go to council for approval in two weeks.

Malhotra said if the application is turned down by council, his company will appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, which oversees municipal planning decisions, and that he's confident of a win based on recent experience.

Last year, Claridge was looking to build two 27-storey towers on another parking lot on Lisgar as part of a larger complex that would have included space for a portrait gallery. Eventually, the city approved towers of 24 and 20 storeys, but the federal government scrapped the gallery idea.

Claridge appealed and won approval for two 27-storey towers, minus the gallery.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Highrise+shelved+planning+rules+baffle+committee/1726136/story.html

kwoldtimer
Jun 25, 2009, 1:49 AM
I suppose it would be giving the committee too much credit to wonder whether their being baffled couldn't be a bit of payback for the experience with the portrait gallery site?

k2p
Jun 25, 2009, 10:11 PM
:previous:
Naughty developer. Bad! And to punish you, we'll cut our nose off to spite our face, and keep that lovely parking lot intact. When is there payback for the twits who can't imagine people actually living in Centretown?

citizen j
Jun 25, 2009, 10:25 PM
Can you say "OMB hearing with a bonus of 2 extra storeys added to the building just to rub the city's nose in it"?

rocketphish
Jun 25, 2009, 10:38 PM
Can you say "OMB hearing with a bonus of 2 extra storeys added to the building just to rub the city's nose in it"?

Yup... I'll put money on it! Well, an OMB win anyway. :D

rodionx
Jun 26, 2009, 3:56 AM
Our precious, precious parking lot is safe.... but FOR HOW LONG?

Seriously, I don't think the rationale, "we rejected it because we can't understand our own planning documents" is going to fly.

AuxTown
Jun 26, 2009, 8:26 PM
Our precious, precious parking lot is safe.... but FOR HOW LONG?

Seriously, I don't think the rationale, "we rejected it because we can't understand our own planning documents" is going to fly.

It's honestly really sad that our council comes up with excuses like that. I think we need another election soon!

rocketphish
Jun 26, 2009, 9:04 PM
It's honestly really sad that our council comes up with excuses like that. I think we need another election soon!

I agree with you, O-Town, but unfortunately too many of the voters out there are clueless about how their elected representatives participate in running the city (into the ground), and instead vote for them based on popularity alone. Of course this means that we'll get the same bunch of councillors again next time. Sigh.

waterloowarrior
Aug 20, 2009, 10:40 PM
appealed to the OMB

Jamaican-Phoenix
Aug 20, 2009, 11:20 PM
appealed to the OMB

But of course. :rolleyes:

:gaah:

k2p
Aug 21, 2009, 12:37 AM
:previous:
The OMB appeal is probably a good thing. Means there is still a chance of it being built.

Proof Sheet
Aug 21, 2009, 1:20 AM
Can you say "OMB hearing with a bonus of 2 extra storeys added to the building just to rub the city's nose in it"?

Were City Staff in favour of this...if so, the City will have to retain outside counsel, planners, transportation experts etc, to represent the City Council position at the OMB. Often times, the planning experts are from out of town and they don't do too well.

waterloowarrior
Aug 21, 2009, 1:34 AM
Were City Staff in favour of this...if so, the City will have to retain outside counsel, planners, transportation experts etc, to represent the City Council position at the OMB. Often times, the planning experts are from out of town and they don't do too well.

City staff recommended refusal for this one.
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar.htm

BlueJay
Aug 21, 2009, 2:38 AM
City staff recommended refusal for this one.
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar.htm

Thanks for the link. What a joke some of the opposition have posted...

My comments are in CAPS.

5. If approved, the proposed building would adversely affect my view.

-GET YOUR ASS OFF YOUR CHAIR INFRONT OF YOUR LIVING ROOM WINDOW

7. The parking proposed does nothing to promote public transit.

-WHAT? OK, SCRAP THE BUILDING AND MAKE THE SITE A PARK N RIDE, OH WAIT IT MIGHT INCREASE TRAFFIC ON YOUR STREET:koko:

9. If this building is approved it will negatively effect my day lighting and sun exposure.

-DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME WILL REMAIN THE SAME. FOR SUN EXPOSURE, GET THE HECK OUT OF DOWNTOWN AND GO TO THE BEACH OR YOUR LOCAL TANNING SALON.

When will this city wake up and realize it is not a small town, but a growing metropolis???

Residents who live downtown, have to accept that they live downtown.

Proof Sheet
Aug 21, 2009, 2:46 AM
City staff recommended refusal for this one.
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/06-23/5%20-%20ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0108%20-%20287%20Lisgar.htm

Thanks for the confirmation on that.....often times City Staff are in favour and Council don't heed the Staff recommendation.

waterloowarrior
Oct 15, 2009, 1:52 PM
pre-hearing is in November
http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/ecs/CaseDetail.aspx?n=PL090709

waterloowarrior
Jan 8, 2010, 9:59 PM
Hearing is in April (http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions/pl090709-Dec-15-2009.pdf)

waterloowarrior
Sep 28, 2010, 11:39 PM
Approved for 16 fl at the OMB
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2010/10-04/9%20-%20ACS2010-CMR-LEG-0019%20-%20OMB%20287%20Lisgar%20Street.htm

Ottawan
Sep 29, 2010, 1:19 AM
With the Continental nearing completion, Charlesfort must be anxious to get moving on this project. And it will be a very nice one too.

Ottawan
Sep 29, 2010, 4:08 PM
:previous:

Clearly had this site confused with the Charlesfort one. So much is happening on Lisgar!

reidjr
Nov 20, 2010, 12:36 PM
:previous:

Clearly had this site confused with the Charlesfort one. So much is happening on Lisgar!

What else is happening @ lisgar?

ServiceGuy
Nov 20, 2010, 1:23 PM
What else is happening @ lisgar?

This building @ 16 stories, Charlesfort's "Lisgar Apartments" @ 20 stories, Tribeca @ twin 27 stories... I think there was something else as well. Isn't one of the SOHO buildings from Mastercraft also planned for Lisgar?

reidjr
Nov 20, 2010, 1:32 PM
This building @ 16 stories, Charlesfort's "Lisgar Apartments" @ 20 stories, Tribeca @ twin 27 stories... I think there was something else as well. Isn't one of the SOHO buildings from Mastercraft also planned for Lisgar?

Wow that going to really look nice when there all done.

ServiceGuy
Nov 20, 2010, 2:40 PM
Isn't one of the SOHO buildings from Mastercraft also planned for Lisgar?
Found the answer to my own question - 12 story SOHO Lisgar. That's 5 new towers on Lisgar that I can think of so far.

reidjr
Nov 21, 2010, 12:26 PM
Found the answer to my own question - 12 story SOHO Lisgar. That's 5 new towers on Lisgar that I can think of so far.

That should have a nice impact on the skyline.

jcollins
Feb 27, 2011, 10:29 PM
Is Claridge still planning on building this?

They're going to have 5 towers within a few blocks of eachother. This one, two with their Nepean project and two with Tribeca.

amanfromnowhere
Nov 11, 2011, 4:53 PM
Found an artical from www.centretownbuzz.com dated by April 2011... Looks like this was the latest news about the project:

287 Lisgar St.

The drab 30-spot parking lot currently located at 287 Lisgar St. between Bank and O’Connor Streets will soon be home to a 16-storey, 136-unit condominium building, standing approximately 50m tall.

Claridge Homes successfully won a re-zoning appeal put in-front of the Ontario Municipal Board in July 2010, and only has to file building permits with the city before breaking ground.

The initial proposal was rejected in 2009 on the basis that the city planners’ report found the area’s zoning policy to be “conflicting and inconsistent.” However, the developer won an appeal before the OMB, successfully arguing that the project reflected provincial intensification policies and was consistent with surrounding developments.

Given the neighbourhood’s density, Claridge Homes is not required to develop adjacent green-space. Instead, an undisclosed financial contribution will be made to a ‘cash-in-lieu of parkland’ fund, with 50 per cent going to Somerset Ward.

The initial proposal was met with strong opposition by Centretown community organizations, who noted that the project far exceeded local zoning restrictions and offered little in terms of community benefits.

The general opinion amongst area-residents remains divided. Some believed the project could help revitalize the area and bring additional revenues to local businesses, while allowing more people to walk to work in the downtown core. Contrary concerns focused on increased traffic, pressure on local infrastructure and the inability to mesh with existing architecture.

Full artical is here:
http://www.centretownbuzz.com/?p=208

Is Claridge too busy for this project?

kevinbottawa
Jan 13, 2014, 8:55 PM
Claridge proposes 27-storey condo tower for Centretown

OBJ ContributorPublished on January 13, 2014

Ottawa developer Claridge Homes is seeking a zoning change from city hall so it can build a 27-storey condo tower at 287 Lisgar St.

By Jacob Serebrin

According to a “community heads up” sent out by city staff on Monday morning, the 81.6-metre building would have 173 residential units and 10,070 square metres of gross floor area.

The property, located west of O’Connor Street and east of Bank Street, would have 152 parking spaces on eight levels of underground parking.

Before development can go ahead, however, the property will need to be rezoned to allow for its height.

The site was subject of a dispute between Claridge Homes and the City of Ottawa in 2010. The city had rejected a rezoning request from Claridge, who was seeking to build a 16-storey building at the site.

The Ontario Municipal Board overruled the city but the development did not go ahead.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residential/2014-01-13/article-3574684/Claridge-proposes-27-storey-condo-tower-for-Centretown/1

gjhall
Jan 14, 2014, 4:46 AM
http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residential/2014-01-13/article-3574684/Claridge-proposes-27-storey-condo-tower-for-Centretown/1

8 levels of underground parking! That has to be a record! You'd REALLY have to want to drive somewhere to bother getting out of that garage!

Harley613
Jan 14, 2014, 6:30 AM
27 floors.

27 floors.

27 floors.

27 floors.

...Claridge.


(I'm practicing spoken word)

waterloowarrior
Jan 14, 2014, 6:41 AM
This was rejected by the City as being pre-mature in mid-2009 because the updated Centretown CDP had not been done yet. 4.5 years later it's still not in place* due to appeals, and probably won't be in place until 2015 since the hearing doesn't start until Fall 2014

*assuming multiple sections or the whole OPA has been appealed - not sure of the details of the case. Perhaps this site is OK.


edit: site plan application has been posted and references the new secondary plan/CDP, not the old one
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__9YKH3M

Proof Sheet
Jan 14, 2014, 1:04 PM
27 floors.

27 floors.

27 floors.

27 floors.

...Claridge.


(I'm practicing spoken word)

It may be 27 floors, but don't worry....


The podium has been designed to closely match and complement the scale of the
neighbouring two and a half storey building (2.5) to the east and to maintain a sense
of human scale along Lisgar Street. The podium contains some articulation and
modulation of building heights ranging from 1 to 2 storeys to provide additional
street-level architectural interest, and further minimize the scale of the podium. The
variation in height of the podium, the strategic recesses in the building wall and the
high degree of glazing will ensure that the building maintains a low-scale and open
feel.


from the Planning Rationale Report...it will closely match and complement the scale of the adjoining 2 1/2 storey building !!!!!!!!!!! and it will have a low scale and open feel.

I am sure that when news that this application had been filed for a 27 storey building, that the local elected official was not impressed...and that is saying it lightly.

OTSkyline
Jan 14, 2014, 3:33 PM
So this would be almost directly in front of the SOHO Lisgar, no?

If so... sucks for those who just bought a unit at SOHO with north/downtown view.

At least the SOHO "tower" is shorter than 27 floors so it wouldn't make another "ceiling" of 27 floors on Lisgar, adding a tiny tiny bit of variance between the two :shrug:

waterloowarrior
Jan 14, 2014, 4:04 PM
85.2 metres... unless we are counting the 'spire' as part of the height? :)

JackBauer24
Jan 14, 2014, 4:14 PM
Not exactly in front of Soho Lisgar but it will be across the street, slightly to the east.

If my sight lines are correct, the new project will block the Soho views of the Bell Place and new commercial building on Elgin.

So this would be almost directly in front of the SOHO Lisgar, no?

If so... sucks for those who just bought a unit at SOHO with north/downtown view.

At least the SOHO "tower" is shorter than 27 floors so it wouldn't make another "ceiling" of 27 floors on Lisgar, adding a tiny tiny bit of variance between the two :shrug:

J.OT13
Jan 14, 2014, 4:44 PM
It's not a bad building IMO. Good setbacks, blank walls are less blank and bricked as opposed to just concrete As much as I'm not a fan of the beige brick, it will add colour to a mostly black and white skyline and it sure beats CP's precast junk. I also kind of like the spire-ish type deal.

The design is also different from Claridge's usual. Not identical to the CPs or the Gloucester and Nepean towers. Of course, as always, I'm disappointed with yet another 27 storey building.

McC
Jan 14, 2014, 5:17 PM
At there very least, I won't complain if "contempo-deco" is the new teal glass.

Boxster
Jan 14, 2014, 5:22 PM
SOHO Lisgar is going to look like a dwarf. :elf:

OTSkyline
Jan 14, 2014, 8:51 PM
Nice, the render is pretty good looking. I like the top/spire as others mentioned and I also like that it is not very bulky so it will look pretty good at 27 stories. I kinda looks like Hudson Park condos in Ottawa, no?

waterloowarrior
Jan 15, 2014, 12:09 AM
Citizen article
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Claridge+files+storey+condo+proposal+Centretown/9387124/story.html


here's the render - architect Douglas Hardie
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cms/binary/9387125.jpg

Rob64
Jan 15, 2014, 1:08 AM
No balconies on the lower/mid floors? I can't tell.

rocketphish
Jan 15, 2014, 1:17 AM
Citizen article
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Claridge+files+storey+condo+proposal+Centretown/9387124/story.html

Claridge files new 27-storey condo proposal for Centretown

By David Reevely, OTTAWA CITIZEN January 14, 2014 6:02 PM

OTTAWA — Developer Claridge Homes wants to turn a parking lot across from Dominion Chalmers United Church into a 27-storey condo building, part of a growing district of high-rises in northeast Centretown.

The proposal needs a rezoning — Claridge applied for one this week — to change rules set for the site by the Ontario Municipal Board. The tribunal ruled in 2010 that Claridge could put a 16-storey condo there, over city council’s objections.

But since then, the city has approved a new neighbourhood plan for Centretown, which designates a wide strip of land along the downtown business core for buildings as tall as 27 storeys, which is what Claridge is proposing. It would join several other towers of about that height, many of them also Claridge projects, either under construction or approved in the area around Nepean and Metcalfe Streets.

The building (designed by Douglas Hardie) would look like a spire for now, surrounded as it is by two- and three-storey low-rises, but the idea is that eventually the rest of that land would be filled in by new towers, too. Claridge wants the rules bent so that the tower wouldn’t have to be set back from the street as far as the city ordinarily requires for something that tall: Instead of stepping back several metres at the two-storey mark, the next 25 storeys would rise practically straight up. There’d be a bit of pulling back at the corners.

But the OMB allowed that for the 16-storey building. “The difference in the experience for the pedestrian between a 16 storey and a 27 storey building is negligible as such,” Claridge’s application argues. Also, the 16-storey Soho Lisgar condo building, which is in the final stages of construction just across the street, is built in much the same way, with “shallow setbacks, small building floor plates and minimal podium treatments.”

The Claridge Plan for 287 Lisgar St. would have 173 units, nearly all of them one-bedroom condos (but one townhouse-style three-bedrom unit down at street level). An eight-storey underground garage would have 152 spaces, and one entrance with cars crossing the Lisgar Street sidewalk.

Since the application has just been filed, there’s no date set for city council’s planning committee to consider it.

dreevely@ottawacitizen.com

ottawacitizen.com/greaterottawa
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Claridge+files+storey+condo+proposal+Centretown/9387124/story.html

AndrewSerre_RE
Jan 15, 2014, 3:07 AM
Not exactly in front of Soho Lisgar but it will be across the street, slightly to the east.

If my sight lines are correct, the new project will block the Soho views of the Bell Place and new commercial building on Elgin.

As I was walking my dog, I took a moment just now to see how it would impact my fellow Soho Lisgar north facing neighbours.
It's true that Claridge's tower will not be directly in front, but to the side parking lot. I don't think it will be a negative aspect in terms of the view as it will block some of the low rise ugly buildings on Nepean.
Construction on the other hand is another story.

teej1984
Jan 15, 2014, 4:10 PM
This looks so suburban (reminds me of Petrie Landing)... god cant we get a provocative design anywhere in Ottawa!?

citizen j
Jan 15, 2014, 4:12 PM
This looks so suburban (reminds me of Petrie Landing)... god cant we get a provocative design anywhere in Ottawa!?

Not unless it provokes all Canadians.

J.OT13
Jan 15, 2014, 5:51 PM
I don't hate the design, but it's nothing more than a vertical extrusion of the old design. It's been 5.5 years; designs need to evolve.

Boxster
Jan 15, 2014, 6:03 PM
There is one called "le Viu" just across the river.

This looks so suburban (reminds me of Petrie Landing)... god cant we get a provocative design anywhere in Ottawa!?

Urbanarchit
Jan 15, 2014, 8:37 PM
This looks so suburban (reminds me of Petrie Landing)... god cant we get a provocative design anywhere in Ottawa!?

I don't like this building either. This is the 4th condo proposal by Clardige in this area (the 3 on Nepean that look exactly alike). I mean... 1040 Somerset and the Rideau/Chapel condos are great, but everything else they're doing isn't very attractive. It seems to me like they're going for cheap materials and cheap designs for maximum height condos.

JackBauer24
Jan 15, 2014, 8:59 PM
How much does Le Viu pay you? You have to be their #1 advocate.

There is one called "le Viu" just across the river.

JackBauer24
Jan 15, 2014, 9:03 PM
It "seems" that way because it is that way. By using cheap materials, repeating the same uninspired and unoriginal designs and essentially building the same project again and again, Claridge can compete with the one thing that most buyers have on the top of their list - price.

Personally, value (that is cost versus quality) is much more important that absolutely cost, but I'm not in the majority. Yes, they're product is cheaply made, but with a cheap price tag, they'll always generate some sales.



I don't like this building either. This is the 4th condo proposal by Clardige in this area (the 3 on Nepean that look exactly alike). I mean... 1040 Somerset and the Rideau/Chapel condos are great, but everything else they're doing isn't very attractive. It seems to me like they're going for cheap materials and cheap designs for maximum height condos.

Boxster
Jan 15, 2014, 10:41 PM
Yes perhaps :cheerleader:

Simple reason, because the architect dared to be creative and original.

As I have said before, no other building in the area looks like it. :)

How much does Le Viu pay you? You have to be their #1 advocate.

cr872190
Jan 22, 2014, 1:45 AM
Yes perhaps :cheerleader:

Simple reason, because the architect dared to be creative and original.

As I have said before, no other building in the area looks like it. :)


I agree it looks a little different. But it is still essentially a giant box with some oversized balconies on one side and a glass box in the middle. Hardly creative or original.

But it just goes to show how little thought or 'vision' needs to go into a building to make it interesting in Ottawa(/Hull).

waterloowarrior
Sep 3, 2015, 1:25 AM
Demolition Control
Permit the demolition of a vacant three-storey residential use building prior to a permit to construct.
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__0SVV73

ServiceGuy
Sep 3, 2015, 9:06 AM
Demo application is from Richcraft. Seems they own a couple lots right next 287 Lisgar which might be interesting if both companies get going so close to each other.

AndyMEng
Sep 3, 2015, 8:45 PM
I remember reading about the red and beige apartment block that will be demolished. It was a design by W.E. Noffke, for an older woman who wanted some additional income, so he built the small apartment building. If I remember correctly, she lived on the top floor until she died.

Does anyone have a link to this story? An Urbsite post, perhaps?

Love the design, it's a shame it's in a shambles. Would be interesting to break in to see the interior.

rocketphish
Sep 4, 2015, 1:08 AM
I remember reading about the red and beige apartment block that will be demolished. It was a design by W.E. Noffke, for an older woman who wanted some additional income, so he built the small apartment building. If I remember correctly, she lived on the top floor until she died.

Does anyone have a link to this story? An Urbsite post, perhaps?

Love the design, it's a shame it's in a shambles. Would be interesting to break in to see the interior.

Is this what you're looking for? Google thinks it is :)
http://ottawastart.com/christopher-ryan-the-lonely-life-of-the-gilbert-apartments-on-lisgar-street/
http://www.historynerd.ca/?cat=15

FutureWickedCity
Aug 11, 2016, 7:25 PM
I live across the street from this site and there has been a huge amount of activity lately. I don't know if they are building the originally envisioned tower or what. But every day they have been hammering away and seem to be excavating a huge pit. They have also erected a wall of corrugated metal around the perimeter. I would certainly like to know what's going on

Arcologist
Aug 12, 2016, 6:45 PM
Citizen article
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Claridge+files+storey+condo+proposal+Centretown/9387124/story.html


here's the render - architect Douglas Hardie
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cms/binary/9387125.jpg

That tiny house (beside the matching 2.5 storey podium) looks ridiculously small!

Assuming this is the final design, and also the constructed height (27 storeys), then the one good thing about this development is that it'll provide some variety to the skyline when viewing from the south. Maybe even hide the twin L'Esplanade buildings a little...

cr872190
Aug 12, 2016, 7:46 PM
That tiny house (beside the matching 2.5 storey podium) looks ridiculously small!

Assuming this is the final design, and also the constructed height (27 storeys), then the one good thing about this development is that it'll provide some variety to the skyline when viewing from the south. Maybe even hide the twin L'Esplanade buildings a little...

That plan has been scrapped, based on the information I can find Claridge is currently performing brownfield remediation at the site, and is proceeding with a 16-storey rental building.

Beedok
Aug 12, 2016, 9:38 PM
Oh, so that's what they're building. I can see the site from my apartment. It'll be fun watching it go up (assuming they get above ground level within a year).

Urbanarchit
Aug 12, 2016, 10:00 PM
That plan has been scrapped, based on the information I can find Claridge is currently performing brownfield remediation at the site, and is proceeding with a 16-storey rental building.

Any idea if it's mixed-use and what it'll look like?

Arcologist
Aug 15, 2016, 12:22 PM
I hope they don't just revert to their original design... it was far too stumpy in appearance.

Hamada
Oct 3, 2016, 2:53 PM
so it will be 16 storeys instead of 27 storeys?