General Update/Rumour thread [Archive] - Page 25

kevinbottawa

Sep 5, 2012, 4:09 PM

I don't really understand the point of putting a marina on the canal.
It would clearly cost more than a marina on a natural river and it doesn't really answer one of ncc's missions. Based on you're drawing I can't see more than 30 boats docked in that water area. You seem to underestimate the cost of canal marina. Just taking a wild guess, I would estimate the cost to be at least 1 or 2 millions$. For the same cost I'd rather see public art.
Something like cloud gate, Chicago
http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/780515cloudgategrantpkchicago.jpg (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=780515cloudgategrantpkchicago.jpg)
La fourchette de vevey, Geneva
http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/358350LafourchetteaVeveya22665002.jpg (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=358350LafourchetteaVeveya22665002.jpg)
Porte du temps Marmande
http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/508871dallaneseportedutemps1263247361.jpg (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=508871dallaneseportedutemps1263247361.jpg)
http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/127079lampadaires.jpg (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=127079lampadaires.jpg)

You'd rather spend $1-2 million on public art than a marina in the canal along Confederation Park? Wow. No comment.

Kitchissippi

Sep 5, 2012, 4:59 PM

More berthing spots are pointless when Parks Canada is reducing season and the hours of operation of the Rideau Canal locks. This in addition to the fact that the number of boats that can get downtown is limited by the capacity of the locks (especially the Ottawa Locks). Pleasure boating is a minuscule tourist niche, and further declining with the price of gas rising.

If you've never been to Chicago, you'd be surprised how many thousands of people everyday flock around that shiny bean and the unique video fountain nearby

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/7937926902_bb80e5450f_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8039/7937924698_5c7b36509f_c.jpg
photos by me, last spring

bobcage

Sep 6, 2012, 2:44 PM

kevinbottawa

Sep 9, 2012, 2:42 PM

Cool: web app lets you redesign your street with "civic bling"

Posted by Trevor Pritchard on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 (OPEN FILE)

So today, I single-handedly planted a bunch of trees and installed a fruit cart on Bank Street.

No, I haven't given up news curation to become an urban vigilante. Rather, I've been playing around with Blockee, a web-based app that—using images imported from Google Street View—lets you mess around with your streetscape by adding trees, bike lanes, food trucks and other pieces of "civic bling."

And how did I hear about Blockee? From the amazing Atlantic Cities blog, which got in touch with the app's creators at Code for America:

Code for America hopes...that you’ll get a kick out of playing with the app, but that the game might also lead to actual civic improvements. The idea originally grew out of more serious discussions in Macon, Georgia (a CfA host city this year) about how to engage citizens in bettering their own blocks. After all, why can’t your street get that new bike rack?

Or a Victorian-style lamppost, or a child-friendly play structure, or a speed bump, or...well, you get the point. There are a few dozen pieces of infrastructure included in Blockee, and Code for America is taking suggestions for bling to feature in a future version of the game.

Meanwhile, here's a fuller version of my tree-lined Bank Street vista:

http://www.openfile.ca/files/journalist/upload/city-ottawa/blockee_bank.JPG

If you've redesigned a section of Ottawa using Blockee, share your link in the comments below.

http://www.openfile.ca/ottawa/blog/2012/cool-web-app-lets-you-redesign-your-street-civic-bling

http://blockee.org/

eternallyme

Sep 9, 2012, 6:14 PM

http://www.openfile.ca/ottawa/blog/2012/cool-web-app-lets-you-redesign-your-street-civic-bling

http://blockee.org/

Does that app work for outer city and suburban areas as well?

Chris-R

Sep 9, 2012, 6:23 PM

Does that app work for outer city and suburban areas as well?

It should. It just seems to snap a StreetView pic and you overlay the street furniture, trees, and other items. I just added some trees to my needlessly wide street in Vanier, for example.

Davis137

Sep 10, 2012, 1:57 AM

The Residence Mariott at Walkley is topped out, and they are building the mechanical rooms on the rooftop, and getting ready to put some of the exterior materials on it, starting from the rear corner, closest to the transitway. It also looks like things are starting to happen for Distillery lofts behind it too...new digging, mechanical parts for below grade now in location waiting to be installed, etc. The new parking lot for the new Swiss Chalet is almost done, and looks to be minimum 2x larger than the original. Perhaps this will also include another driveway/entry for the lofts tower, and the hotel, as they are both kind of situated behind it, the beer store, and shoppers...

amanfromnowhere

Sep 11, 2012, 2:11 PM

hmmm... not sure what building they are talking about... From DCN

OFFICE TOWER

Proj: 9116995-4

Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton Reg ON

CONTEMPLATED

Place de Ville, Queen St, Bank St, K1R

$35,000,000 est

Note: This project is preliminary. Owner has completed the site plan and is seeking Municipal Council site plan approvals. Schedules for design, tender and construction will be set based on approvals and the owner's decision to proceed. Further update spring 2013.

Project: proposed construction of an office tower for Government offices.

Scope: 281,000 square feet; 18 storeys; 4 storeys below grade; 1 acres

Development: New

Category: Commercial offices; Government offices

DCN (http://dcnonl.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=4d05353281c8d49f80da5e18283a203fe095f21e&projectid=9116995&region=ontario)

J.OT13

Sep 11, 2012, 2:34 PM

hmmm... not sure what building they are talking about... From DCN

DCN (http://dcnonl.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=4d05353281c8d49f80da5e18283a203fe095f21e&projectid=9116995&region=ontario)

I think, and I hope, it's the replacement for the Podium building. Makes sense for various reasons (I will call the building tower D for this purpose);

a. Bids are in for the subway and Brookfield has some inside knowledge about it since they negotiated with all bidders for station entrances

b. In the 2010 plans for tower D, they had a link between D and C with new escalators to the underground concourse, replacing the Edmonton LRT looking ones around tower C and the Podium.

c. Brookfield has no holdings on Bank Street, furthermore, the Queen street parking lot can fit way more than 281,000 square feet, so it is more consistent with the Podium site, so is the one acre.

d. Podium is a waste of space, time money and heating/cooling/electricity not only because it is small, but it has a huge abandoned theatre in the middle.

e. As McC said before, either department of Justice across the street might need swing space, Tower C might need swing space or Transport Canada might want to consolidate their offices in one awesome complex.

And if I'm right, it might mean that the Rideau Centre might announce an expansion before December.

:banana::cheers::haha::tup:

J.OT13

Sep 11, 2012, 2:36 PM

Oh and "First report Wed Apr 14, 2010";

not quite, but;

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__7TBR2F

pretty damn close.

amanfromnowhere

Sep 11, 2012, 4:16 PM

Oh and "First report Wed Apr 14, 2010";

not quite, but;

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__7TBR2F

pretty damn close.

My first thought was about this builing too, but number of floors and site areas are different. Who knows, they might have been changed it...

J.OT13

Sep 11, 2012, 4:20 PM

My first thought was about this builing too, but number of floors and site areas are different. Who knows, they might have been changed it...

There are a few inconsistencies, but it comes to be expected from, well, everyone really. Look at how many times 150 Elgin varied in height (and I'm talking after they switched it to office space), same with the EDC, the Edge, SoBa and Tribeca (is it 27 or 28?).

J.OT13

Sep 20, 2012, 11:21 PM

Somerset House, do something or tear it down;

http://www.openfile.ca/ottawa/blog/2012/petition-calls-city-resolve-dispute-over-somerset-house

S-Man

Sep 21, 2012, 4:49 AM

Jesus - anything is better than a wreck being there. This is how we treat heritage in Ottawa. We don't save it, just keep it off limits and unusable.

J.OT13

Sep 21, 2012, 1:50 PM

Jesus - anything is better than a wreck being there. This is how we treat heritage in Ottawa. We don't save it, just keep it off limits and unusable.

Until a developer comes and asks to tear it down.

That’s the city's queue to say "Take pictures, document and put a plaque on your new building stating this use to be the site of a nicer, better building".

J.OT13

Sep 21, 2012, 2:08 PM

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-residential/2012-09-21/article-3077102/Jackson-Building-on-feds%26rsquo-redevelopment-radar/1

Jackson Building on feds’ redevelopment radar

Public Works says it is considering various redevelopment options for a storied downtown office building currently in "critical" physical condition.
Topics : Jackson Building , Public Works , Public Safety Canada , Ottawa , Elgin Street , Gatineau

The government-owned Jackson Building is located at 122 Bank St., at the northwest corner of Slater Street. According to Centretown blogger Charles Akben-Marchand, the nine-storey structure was first constructed in 1919-21 by Ottawa lumber baron J.R. Booth and was badly damaged in a 1958 natural gas explosion originating in a building on the south side of Slater Street before reopening in 1969.

Today, approximately 620 civil servants work in the 190,200-square-foot building, which houses Public Safety Canada, the Security Intelligence Review Committee, the Correctional Service of Canada and the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, according to Public Works, which oversees the government’s real estate portfolio.

A Treasury Board database of federal government property lists the condition of the Jackson Building as “critical,” the lowest possible level. That’s despite repairs to the building envelope, undertaken as part of the Conservative government’s stimulus program announced in 2009.

When asked about the government’s plans for the property, Public Works spokesperson Sébastien Bois said the department “will analyze all options for the redevelopment of the site.”

“At this point no specific timelines have been established as this is only at a very preliminary planning stage.”

Any redevelopment could present lucrative opportunities for the private sector, which has played an increasingly active role in several recent federal builds.

Over on Elgin Street, between Slater and Albert streets, the federal government used a “lease-purchase approach” to turn an outdated seven-storey office building and surface parking lot into a modern 17-storey government office tower that’s currently under construction.

Insurer Great-West Life won a contract last year – worth $19.5 million in annual lease payments for 25 years – to design, construct, finance and manage the new building. Public Works will continue to own the site and will lease it to GWL for 25 years, plus the allotted time for demolition and construction. The space will then, in turn, be subleased back to Public Works.

In another public-private partnership involving Crown land, developer Broccolini Construction is nearing completion of a new 12-storey building at 455 de la Carriere Blvd. in Gatineau. At the end of the 25-year lease-purchase agreement, ownership of the building and land will automatically revert back to the federal government.

If Public Works does decide to redevelop the Jackson Building site, any future structure is likely to be much larger than the one it is replacing. A significant addition of Crown-owned office space to the downtown core could push the federal government’s next request for a large amount of private-sector space much further into the future.

If so, it would be disappointing news to property owners holding development sites in the core. These firms include Morguard, which has plans for a 17-storey office tower directly across the street.

I love this quote;

A Treasury Board database of federal government property lists the condition of the Jackson Building as “critical,” the lowest possible level. That’s despite repairs to the building envelope, undertaken as part of the Conservative government’s stimulus program announced in 2009.

Where did the money go!? :shrug:

Again, I don't see how this building could be in such a bad shape. The things nearly a hundred years old, likely steel framed. I'm not sure how much work was done to it in the 50s and 60s after the explosion, but if it wasn't structurally sound they would have torn it down.

And if it is in such bad shape today, why did they invest even a penny back in 09? It didn't go to crap in 3 years.

archie-tect

Sep 21, 2012, 4:10 PM

Out the window. I know bad building envelope joke.

J.OT13

Sep 24, 2012, 3:19 PM

With the feds being so trigger happy when it comes to demolishing buildings, here is a story of a perfectly fine building demolished in (I guess) 91' for reasons I can't figure out.

http://urbsite.blogspot.ca/2012/09/forgotten-ottawa-sir-alexander-campbell.html

waterloowarrior

Sep 24, 2012, 9:28 PM

J.OT13

Sep 24, 2012, 10:34 PM

:sly: Here comes the 300 foot wall.

kevinbottawa

Sep 24, 2012, 11:13 PM

Jay Baltz ‏@jaybaltz https://twitter.com/jaybaltz/status/250325025494814721
Tega Developments has applied for rezoning for 32 storey condo at 111 Parkdale (@ Burnside). Same Tega who wanted 36 storeys on Parkdale Pk.

I guess that's next to the 99 Parkdale development meaning Urbandale won't be building twin towers like they were showing in their documents.

kevinbottawa

Sep 24, 2012, 11:19 PM

I hope they don't cap it at 28 storeys so it ends up being the same height as the other approved/proposed buildings. Some variety in height among the new buildings would be nice.

S-Man

Sep 24, 2012, 11:24 PM

Geez. Tega is bound and determined to build a tall building.

That stretch of parkdale could handle two tall buildings (visually and traffic-wise), but three seems to be pushing it. Read the transportation report attached to the 159 Parkdale application and it shows the intersection of Parkdale and Scott is already at capacity or exceeding capacity at peak periods. Now add the two Parkdale towers that we know of, plus this. I'm not sure how that road can handle any more, especially when you think there will be 1,000 units added through the (eventual) Tunney's redevelopment.

Oh...and there's NOWHERE to buy groceries without using a car! Much like the up and coming Dow's Lake/Preston area, I should add.

If you want to cut down on off-peak traffic, build a damn grocery store.

Cre47

Sep 24, 2012, 11:32 PM

That's the little bit of problem for sure lack of grocery stores. There's the small Metro on Richmond Road near Island Park, the RCS at Richmond and Kirkwood and that's pretty much it in a surrounding of 2 km or less. Hopefully, maybe in the future in the Bayview area.

Might be a similar problem for the Preston area

S-Man

Sep 24, 2012, 11:46 PM

Closest thing to Preston and Carling is the Food Basics at Carling and Kirkwood. Or the Giant Tiger on Wellington in Hintonburg, which I shopped at regularly out of necessity when I lived on Champagne. That area is also next to a government campus just like Tunney's. If you wanted so much as a Coke or a pack of cigarettes, a bus ticket, a loaf of bread, booze, or gum after 5p.m., you were out of luck. Ridiculous thinking they're going to put 1-2,000 units there without the bare essentials.

Nobody is going to eat at a pricey Italian restaurant every night. What will they do? Get in their car and drive. Same for Parkdale. Amenities dead zone.

J.OT13

Sep 25, 2012, 12:24 AM

With all the Shoppers Drug Marts and Starbucks, you would think someone would be original and take in a grocery store.

I think Tribeca will have the only condo retail space occupied by a grocery store. Hopefully, Claridge continues this trend; someone has to do it.

S-Man

Sep 25, 2012, 12:58 AM

Yes, and to think that that downtown condo/grocery store/(?)daycare(?) was opposed by the always forward-thinking parking lot protector, Diane Holmes, who stated Metcalfe would be jammed by (I believe) 6-7 delivery trucks a day, turning onto Nepean.

But having hundreds of condo dwellers get in their cars to find food is fine if you achieve your goal of making a building slightly shorter.

S-Man

Sep 25, 2012, 12:59 AM

That 159 Parkdale condo shows a full ground floor of retail now - I have to imagine most or some of it would be food.

McC

Sep 25, 2012, 2:54 PM

I guess that's next to the 99 Parkdale development meaning Urbandale won't be building twin towers like they were showing in their documents.

Hobin was very up front that another developer, not Urbandale, owned the lots south of 99Parkdale and he was showing what it would look like if they were approved for the same scale of building that he had drawn for Urbandale at 99. It was never a proposal for twin towers, just an illustration of what it would look like using the same silhouette for simplicity's sake. I'd been hearing rumours that whoever owned Parkdale at Burnside was going to "shock" us with extra height, and was fully expecting whoever it was to try and one up Claridge's Icon proposal, but now that we know it's Tega, it's shocking at any height (to borrow a line from Nader)

Here's the announcement (warning?) to neighbours from the City:

Good morning,

A completed Zoning By-Law Amendment application has been submitted for 111, 115, 121 Parkdale Avenue, and 71 Burnside Avenue. You will receive formal circulation for this application in the near future.

Site Location:
The subject site, municipally known as 111, 115, and 121 Parkdale Avenue and 71 Burnside Avenue, is located at the northeast corner of Parkdale Avenue and Burnside Avenue, to the north of Scott Street, and south of the Ottawa River Parkway, in Kitchissippi Ward (Ward 15).

Description of Site and Surroundings:
The property has a total area of 1, 373.5 square metres, a lot frontage of 46 metres on Parkdale Avenue, and a lot frontage of 30 metres on Burnside Avenue. The property backs onto a City lane. The site currently holds two low-rise apartment buildings and two single-family dwellings.

The site is surrounded by a mixture of uses including low-rise to high-rise residential in the neighbourhood to the east, low-rise residential to the immediate north with high-rise residential further north along Parkdale Avenue. A mid-rise apartment building is located to the south, and the Tunney’s Pasture Federal Office Campus is located to the west. The Tunney’s Pasture rapid transit station is located about 500 metres to the southwest.

The site is designated ‘Mixed-Use Centre’ pursuant to the City of Ottawa Official Plan, and currently zoned ‘Residential Fifth Density, Subzone B, Maximum height of 37 metres’ (R5B H(37)) pursuant to Zoning By-law 2008-250.

Details of Requested Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal:
In order to permit a 32-storey mixed-use development with retail and commercial uses at grade and 221 residential units above, a Zoning By-law Amendment has been requested. The Zoning By-law Amendment proposes to introduce site-specific performance standards by increasing the permitted height from 37 metres to 105 metres; reducing interior setbacks from 1.5 metres (for the first 21 metres of lot depth) and 6 metres (after 21 metres of lot depth) to 2.9 metres; reducing rear and front setbacks to 0 metres; reducing corner setbacks from 3 metres to 1.5 metres; and reducing the required percentage of Landscape Area from 30% to 13%.

Vehicular access to the site will be provided via the municipal lane from Burnside Avenue into seven levels of underground parking. There will be a total of 111 bicycle parking spaces.

McC

Sep 25, 2012, 2:59 PM

That 159 Parkdale condo shows a full ground floor of retail now - I have to imagine most or some of it would be food.

They're also talking a fully commercial podium now. I'm hoping for offices for doctors, dentists, and therapists of various sorts, which I think would be better for the privacy of e neighboring townhouses and also very useful for both the community (lots of older folks in the older Parkdale towers for whom it would be nice to have these services close to hand) and for the Tunney's Pasterians (it's great having a dentist in walking distance from the office, and it might be nice to have the same for other doctors).

Ottawan

Sep 25, 2012, 3:13 PM

They're also talking a fully commercial podium now. I'm hoping for offices for doctors, dentists, and therapists of various sorts, which I think would be better for the privacy of e neighboring townhouses and also very useful for both the community (lots of older folks in the older Parkdale towers for whom it would be nice to have these services close to hand) and for the Tunney's Pasterians (it's great having a dentist in walking distance from the office, and it might be nice to have the same for other doctors).

I agree that that would be ideal. Mixed-use centres should have a true mix of uses, and not be developed solely with condo towers that nod to the principle by dedicating half their ground-floor space to retail.

Another interesting thing to note is that this one proposal, if approved for its full density would have more than a quarter of the total number of units currently proposed for the Tunney's Pasture site (220 vs. 800). This indicates that the Tunney's Pasture plan is not at all truly ambitious about anything but increasing government office space.

KHOOLE

Sep 25, 2012, 3:17 PM

J.OT13

Sep 25, 2012, 4:39 PM

teej1984

Sep 25, 2012, 7:47 PM

20 coolest condo towers going up in Toronto: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/24/coolest-condos-toronto-condo-bubble_n_1910559.html#slide=1561736

Too bad none are this cool in O-town! :(

J.OT13

Sep 25, 2012, 11:03 PM

26-27-28 looks a bit like Place de Ville Tower C, only slimar and taller.

RTWAP

Sep 26, 2012, 2:42 AM

20 coolest condo towers going up in Toronto: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/24/coolest-condos-toronto-condo-bubble_n_1910559.html#slide=1561736

Too bad none are this cool in O-town! :(

Nice! Thanks.

Cre47

Sep 26, 2012, 11:49 PM

In the news this evening, Group Hefley is proposing residential buildings of 24, 27 and 30 stories behind the Terrasses de la Chaudiere. They hope starting the first building in 2013, pending of course passing all the zoning requests. Mayor Bureau seems to be in favor of the project.

Might eventually start a thread soon once articles will be posted online.

kevinbottawa

Sep 27, 2012, 12:10 AM

Do you know what's happening at La Redempteur and Allumietierres? There's some digging going on there.

S-Man

Sep 27, 2012, 1:56 AM

Just drove past there. Definitely a line of parking lots ripe for development, though a 30 storey residential building would be shorter than the tall Terraces building.

kevinbottawa

Sep 27, 2012, 2:03 AM

Not sure if anyone posted this yet. City of Gatineau wants a Byward Market type district in the Gatineau sector near the Centre Sportif. Will probably make their downtown even more deserted.

Un marché By pour Gatineau

Patrick Duquette
Le Droit

Plus de 1500 logements, des condos de luxe, un hôtel, des commerces et une rue d'ambiance se bâtiront d'ici 10 ans dans l'ancien centre-ville de Gatineau, sur les vastes terrains situés au nord de la Maison de la culture et du centre sportif. La vie du quartier tournera autour d'une artère commerciale destinée à reproduire à Gatineau le concept du marché By.

Des bistrots, des restaurants, des commerces spécialisés, des boutiques et de grandes terrasses extérieures à l'européenne s'installeront le long de cette artère commerciale d'ambiance. Ils s'établiront au rez-de-chaussée d'immeubles qui pourront atteindre jusqu'à 18 étages de hauteur, soit plus que la limite actuelle de 10 étages. L'entrée de la rue se trouvera entre le café Moca Loca et la Maison de la culture. Elle aura une vocation piétonnière, même si les voitures pourront y circuler. Un concept de « carrés giratoires » ralentira le trafic.

Le conseiller Joseph De Sylva a pu consulter les plans d'ensemble du futur quartier. Il ne cache pas son enthousiasme, même s'il prévient que le projet est encore embryonnaire. « Ça veut dire qu'on n'aura plus besoin d'aller sur le marché By à Ottawa pour aller souper avec des amis, faire une promenade et un peu de shopping. On va pouvoir faire ça ici, chez nous », se réjouit-il à l'avance.

L'ensemble du projet a été baptisé « centre d'activités de la Cité ». La Ville a ainsi voulu éliminer toute référence au centre-ville de l'ex-Gatineau, qui n'existe plus. Depuis la fusion, c'est une partie du secteur Hull qui est désigné comme le centre-ville officiel de Gatineau.

Trois promoteurs se partagent les terrains du futur « centre d'activités », soit Roger Lachapelle, Léon Adam et Sam Chowieri. Avant de creuser les fondations de leurs nouvelles tours à logements, ils ont encore plusieurs autorisations à obtenir de la Ville de Gatineau. Mais un premier immeuble à logements semble sur le point de décoller le long du boulevard de l'Hôpital. Un condo-modèle a été érigé tout près du complexe Cité-Jardin.

Pour Joseph De Sylva, c'est de bon augure. « Quand quelqu'un commence, normalement, les autres vont suivre. Je peux dire que ça avance à grands pas, les plans ont été déposés et notre service d'urbanisme travaille avec les promoteurs pour que leurs projets soient conformes à nos règlements et à notre schéma d'aménagement. »

Au plan environnemental, plus rien ne s'oppose au développement des terrains, poursuit M. De Sylva. La présence d'une espèce menacée, la rainette faux-grillon, avait été détectée voilà quelques années. Après vérification, le ministère du Développement durable et de l'Environnement (MDDEP) a donné son aval au développement. « Le propriétaire a donné de la compensation ailleurs où il y a de la rainette faux-grillon et, de ce côté-là, la situation est réglée », indique Christian Perron, porte-parole du MDDEP.

Le futur quartier de la Cité sera situé à distance de marche du futur Rapibus. Et donc facilement accessible par autobus, note M. De Sylva. « Les gens vont pouvoir prendre le Rapibus et arrêter là pour manger, magasiner, prendre une bouchée avant d'aller voir un spectacle à la Maison de la culture ou de se dépenser au centre sportif. »

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/ville-de-gatineau/201209/20/01-4576104-un-marche-by-pour-gatineau.php

Hybrid247

Sep 27, 2012, 3:53 AM

Council approves twin office towers for Bayview

OTTAWA — A pair of office towers proposed for a vacant lot near the Bayview transit station got approval from city council Wednesday, with only Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes concerned that they not block the station off from nearby residents.

Even Holmes voted for the proposal from DCR Phoenix, however, which will see 32- and 29-storey buildings constructed on a shared podium with restaurants and retail space on property just north of the existing City Centre complex. The project is meant to provide office space to the federal government, though the rezoning is flexible enough to allow much of the space in the buildings to be used for condominiums instead.

DCR Phoenix promises the project will include outdoor and indoor pedestrian passages so people can get to Bayview — already a major interchange between the Transitway and the O-Train, which will only get more important when the city’s light-rain plan replaces buses with trains.

Holmes said she intends to be strict in the next phase of approvals, when the company presents a detailed plan for the site, to make sure those promises are kept.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Council+approves+twin+office+towers+Bayview/7303171/story.html#ixzz27df5SoWx

J.OT13

Sep 27, 2012, 2:50 PM

Not sure if anyone posted this yet. City of Gatineau wants a Byward Market type district in the Gatineau sector near the Centre Sportif. Will probably make their downtown even more deserted.

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/ville-de-gatineau/201209/20/01-4576104-un-marche-by-pour-gatineau.php

Delusional, it will never be anything like the Byward market, that’s 186 years of unplanned history right there. And what does "luxury condos" mean? Seems nearly every project uses that expression. They should try to get as many affordable condos down there (<200 to 350). Right now, affordability is the only advantage for Gatineau, especially when you consider the high provincial tax rate.

harls

Sep 27, 2012, 3:02 PM

Do you know what's happening at La Redempteur and Allumietierres? There's some digging going on there.

It's an affordable housing project. Last time I saw they had the frame of the building up already.

Acajack

Sep 27, 2012, 9:11 PM

Delusional, it will never be anything like the Byward market, that’s 186 years of unplanned history right there. And what does "luxury condos" mean? Seems nearly every project uses that expression. They should try to get as many affordable condos down there (<200 to 350). Right now, affordability is the only advantage for Gatineau, especially when you consider the high provincial tax rate.

I would be satisfied with any type of improvement. It doesn't have to be like the Byward Market. Nowhere in this region really is.

amanfromnowhere

Oct 3, 2012, 5:52 PM

looks like that ugly Laurier Avenue's building will get a new skin soon.

150 Laurier Ave. W.
Contractor: Unknown
Description: Interior alterations in a five-storey mixed-use building
Value: $1,650,000

a full list of contracts is here:

Construction permits up 54% (http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Construction/2012-09-27/article-3080303/Construction-permits-up-54/1)

kevinbottawa

Oct 3, 2012, 7:16 PM

Just saw this picture on the COLE + Associates website of what they proposed for the portrait gallery. It would be great to see something like this on Wellington.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C3MzNi53m2I/UGyOfi-5wYI/AAAAAAAACDU/QKbFwq4AjUQ/s689/Portrait%2520Gallery.png

http://www.cole.on.ca/

J.OT13

Oct 3, 2012, 9:46 PM

looks like that ugly Laurier Avenue's building will get a new skin soon.

a full list of contracts is here:

Construction permits up 54% (http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Construction/2012-09-27/article-3080303/Construction-permits-up-54/1)

Why invest in that piece of junk? Why didn’t Morguard buy out the three tiny buildings on Laurier and tear them down?

A parking lot would look better than those buildings.

Just saw this picture on the COLE + Associates website of what they proposed for the portrait gallery. It would be great to see something like this on Wellington.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C3MzNi53m2I/UGyOfi-5wYI/AAAAAAAACDU/QKbFwq4AjUQ/s689/Portrait%2520Gallery.png

http://www.cole.on.ca/

It would have added something new and modern (although I wonder what the BMO buildings expansion will look like) to Wellington. Thank Paul Martin for cancelling the project and Harper’s fight for Calgary that never got their act together (remember the Gallery in the "Bow" that got cancelled and then the competition that was also cancelled after the deadline was extended for Calgary).

kevinbottawa

Oct 4, 2012, 12:14 AM

looks like that ugly Laurier Avenue's building will get a new skin soon.

a full list of contracts is here:

Construction permits up 54% (http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Construction/2012-09-27/article-3080303/Construction-permits-up-54/1)

Every time I drive past that building I wonder when it's gonna get torn down and replaced with something else.

Fraser

Oct 4, 2012, 1:39 AM

J.OT13

Oct 4, 2012, 1:40 PM

I don't remember if we had a thread for the Rideau Street renewal project, so I'll just put it here;

Street art has bee revealed, and I have mixed feelings about it. Where is this going? On top of lamp posts?

City selects public art for reconstructed Rideau Street

By Peter Simpson and Neco Cockburn, Ottawa CitizenOctober 3, 2012

OTTAWA — Four “colourful glass and light-based sculptures” have been selected as public art pieces to be installed along a renewed stretch of Rideau Street.

The city selected a proposal from artist Mark Thompson as the winner of a public art competition for a section of Rideau from Dalhousie Street to the Cummings Bridge, it announced on Wednesday.

The proposal, titled Cube, Lattice, Sphere, Wave, is composed of “four colourful glass and light-based sculptures that share a common rectangular form,” says a city news release sent out Wednesday afternoon. “Each of the four sculptures contains unique and intricate three-dimensional glass compositions abstractly reflecting the attributes of the surrounding neighbourhoods.”

The sculptures will be installed between Dalhousie and the Rideau River as part of the $16 million Rideau Street Renewal project. Crews are replacing aging underground pipes, rebuilding and improving the roadway and adding new lighting and street furniture as part of the renewal, which is expected to be completed by the spring of 2014.

Pedestrians will see in Thompson’s work a feast of moving colours, which will appear to shift and change as the viewer passes by and which will slowly change at night. The surface of the sculptures will be tempered glass.

“Inside there are vertical strips,” Thompson said during a recent public meeting to display models and drawings of the four art proposals for Rideau Street, “and inside the vertical strips there are sort of graphics that change from the inside to the out and up and down and that sort of thing, and they describe different things. ... The image within the cube relates to the neighbourhood in which it’s located. The one close to the river has the wave motif, the one that’s more residential has the sphere motif, whereas the red cube is downtown (and) symbolizes the arts.”

The announcement is part of the city’s public art program, which sees one per cent of the money for municipal development projects earmarked for outdoor art. The city says criteria for choosing outdoor art proposals include “artistic excellence, experience of the artist, reflection of the site characteristics and sustainability.”

Comments from the public during an open house last month helped a selection committee choose the winner from four shortlisted proposals that included works from Lynda Cronin; Erin Robertson and Anna Williams; and David Watson and Frank R. Anjo.

Thompson’s sculptures, the city said, “subtly mark the diverse areas of Rideau Street by referencing concepts of vitality, integration, community and the natural environment.”

Thompson, who lives near Westport, studied at the Ontario College of Art and has had many exhibitions over the past 25 years, most of them in Toronto and Kingston.

Video of all the proposals;

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/10/03/pulsing-cubes-of-light-to-be-new-art-on-rideau-street/

We need to revisit this whole 1% for art thing. These pieces are just randomly selected and thrown on the streets; I don't see any relation to the street or improvements to the urban landscape. As long as we have nice lamp posts and street furniture, we should be alright. And while we're at it, demanding developers to design buildings with good architecture would be an expense free way to bring visual interest to our streets.

Same goes for the subway; I don't want any tacky shit in the stations. TTC's Museum station's weird Egyptian looking totem poles and TTC's Bayview station optical illusions are original, but I really would not want to see those every day. Plus, Bayview's architectural features make it look like the original 40s subway stations, all white subway tiles, more money in design, less money in art would have been way better.

J.OT13

Oct 4, 2012, 3:20 PM

Another new proposal on Robinson Ave. across the Queensway from U of O's new stadium.

I don't know the developer and their is no planning rational so I am reluctant to start a new thread.

City of Ottawa;

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8AR9KN

Perspectives;

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%20Referencing_Site%20Plan%20Application_Image%20Reference_D0712120159%20Perspective%201.PDF

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%20Referencing_Site%20Plan%20Application_Image%20Reference_D0712120159%20Perspective%202.PDF

kevinbottawa

Oct 4, 2012, 3:25 PM

amanfromnowhere

Oct 5, 2012, 6:24 PM

Not sure if it was mentioned before...

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Proj: 9145017-3

Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton Reg ON

PREPARING PLANS

Westboro Collection, Parcel 3, 319 McRae Ave, K1Z 8L8

$60,000,000 est

Note: Project is preliminary. Scope of work, design, tender and construction will be determined once all approvals are in place. Parcel 1 can be followed under ID# 9145009 and parcel 2 can be followed under ID# 9145012. Further update spring, 2013.
Owner: 914168 Ontario Inc, 320 McRae Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 5R8.

Project: proposed construction of a six-storey building with retail at-grade, office on the second floor and condominium apartments on the remaining floors transitioning to four-storey stacked townhouses.

Scope: 55,316 m²; 6 storeys

Development: New

Category: Apartment bldgs; Commercial offices; Retail, wholesale services

dcn (http://dcnonl.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=b1ea923f5ffe730c78a0054f4cbc1bffed3c1898&projectid=9145017&region=ontario)

Beatrix

Oct 6, 2012, 7:37 PM

J.OT13

Oct 7, 2012, 1:40 PM

I've heard a very preliminary rumour that a developer purchased the building on the south-east corner of Bank and Nepean (where the Hermossa hair salon is) for condo development.

Was wondering if anyone here has heard anything?

I sure hope not.

With all the parking lots and dreadful buildings, why do they have to tear down a nice, detailed, historic building to build new condos? That’s one of the appeals of Bank Street (and all the other traditional main streets), the old small scale brick late 19th/early to mid 20th century buildings.

I don't mind tearing down the one at Bank and Florence for Urban Capital's new condo since it dosen't have any visual flair, but not this one.

That being said, if the condo will be built in the parking lot behind it and they have to tear down that old building that has been modified beyond recognition, then please, knock yourselves out.

Beatrix

Oct 7, 2012, 3:26 PM

I sure hope not.

With all the parking lots and dreadful buildings, why do they have to tear down a nice, detailed, historic building to build new condos? That’s one of the appeals of Bank Street (and all the other traditional main streets), the old small scale brick late 19th/early to mid 20th century buildings.

I don't mind tearing down the one at Bank and Florence for Urban Capital's new condo since it dosen't have any visual flair, but not this one.

That being said, if the condo will be built in the parking lot behind it and they have to tear down that old building that has been modified beyond recognition, then please, knock yourselves out.

A co-worker of mine was talking to the owner of that parking lot and said the developer purchased the parking lot and the Hermosa building (so both should bite the dust).

Regarding the building in question - it is a nice building, but I personally don't feel like it would be much of a loss. Maybe the developer will throw the city a bone and incorporate the building's facade in the condo's podium.

But then again, this is largely unsourced and very preliminary - so don't put too much into it. I was just asking to see if anyone here heard any rumblings. :)

c_speed3108

Oct 9, 2012, 12:58 PM

Definitely from the rumour pile at this point. There appears to be something happening with the Shopper's City east complex on Ogilvie Rd at Blair Place.

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=shoppers+city+east&ll=45.435631,-75.603114&spn=0.005759,0.008175&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=shoppers+city+east&hnear=0x4cce05b25f5113af:0x8a6a51e131dd15ed,Ottawa,+ON&cid=0,0,12147344935739773886&t=h&z=17

No development applications have been filed as of yet, but businesses seemed to be moving out pretty rapidly.

The Burger King closed down.
The Pioneer Gas Station closed down, as did the car wash.
The LCBO is moving to Gloucester Centre
The Beer Store is supposed to close.

There is quite a bit of land there, much of it currently asphalt parking lot that goes mostly unused. The buildings are also rather old, although they have been renovated and reconfigured a few times.

kevinbottawa

Oct 9, 2012, 1:29 PM

Luker

Oct 9, 2012, 2:00 PM

Wow, thats a big parcel of land! It'll be quite the opportunity and project if and when someone develops it. What do you all suppose the chances are of a mixed use center? Or will we see another 'Smartcenter' style development? Who owns the property? Woudln't be suprised.. Ottawa still does have one of lowest amounts of retail sq/ft in the country per capita...

Similarly, and yet to be discussed here, there is also a large plot of land for sale at 975 Gladstone the location of the former BA Banknote co. The lot which is bound by Gladstone, Breezehill, Loretta, and Laurel is currently owned by Quebcor whom is yet to confirm any details on the lot.

See: http://hintonburg.com/devwatch.html

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=BA+banknote+ottawa&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1691&bih=833&wrapid=tlif134979068829210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

c_speed3108

Oct 9, 2012, 2:53 PM

The church I go to is in that plaza on the south side and we're trying to move too. ASAP.

Are they making the church move? Or does the church just want to?

blacktrojan3921

Oct 10, 2012, 12:11 AM

Saw this interesting article about a new compound being contructed for CSEC.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/08/canadian-spies-camelot-defence-hoping-to-attract-world-class-talent-with-880m-intelligence-complex/

http://www.plenarygroup.com/assets/media/plenary-csec-factsheet.pdf

OTTAWA — Canada’s electronic spy organization says that the state-of-the-art headquarters now being built in an Ottawa suburb will make it a leader among its allies and attract the best and brightest of spies, according to newly released government documents.

When finished in 2015-16, Communications Security Establishment Canada’s new $880-million spy campus in Gloucester is expected to be home to more than 1,800 employees.

CSEC management objected last year when officials with the Union of National Defence Employees dubbed the 72,000-square-metre complex the “Taj Mahal” because of its numerous amenities.

Federal government looks to build ‘cyber perimeter’ over ‘hostile threats’ to national security

CSIS warns of dangers of foreign acquisitions as Nexen shareholders approve Chinese takeover

But the documents, obtained by The Ottawa Citizen, show the government has its own moniker for the new facility: Camelot, named for the mythical castle and court of King Arthur.

kevinbottawa

Oct 10, 2012, 1:54 AM

Are they making the church move? Or does the church just want to?

I'm not privy to any info, but once the gas station was torn down I think they got the message that their time could be running out.

Capital Shaun

Oct 10, 2012, 2:56 AM

I'm not privy to any info, but once the gas station was torn down I think they got the message that their time could be running out.

I live in the area. The rumour is that all the buildings will be torn down and the land redeveloped. But no one really knows what will be built there. Some neighbours are saying it'll be new retail similar to Trainyards.

kevinbottawa

Oct 10, 2012, 3:17 AM

I live in the area. The rumour is that all the buildings will be torn down and the land redeveloped. But no one really knows what will be built there. Some neighbours are saying it'll be new retail similar to Trainyards.

Hopefully council learns from that mistake and never allows another trainyards inside the Greenbelt again. Shoot, even outside the greenbelt. What a waste of good space that would be, especially since it'll be near the end of the LRT line.

S-Man

Oct 10, 2012, 3:34 AM

How close would it be to LRT? Hopefully there will never be another Trainyards.

c_speed3108

Oct 10, 2012, 11:55 AM

I live in the area. The rumour is that all the buildings will be torn down and the land redeveloped. But no one really knows what will be built there. Some neighbours are saying it'll be new retail similar to Trainyards.

Since College Square used to be Shoppers City West, I sorta picture that it will take perhaps a similar College Square, Train Yards type form.

There is certainly some types of stores that tend to settle in those places which that area of the city lacks so I can picture there being a market.

c_speed3108

Oct 10, 2012, 12:00 PM

How close would it be to LRT? Hopefully there will never be another Trainyards.

I have walked from Blair Station to Staples there before. It would fall short of anything you could remotely call TOD. The walk also takes you across private property (that being the office park behind Canadian Tire). There is a walkway under Blair Rd, but then you need to cross the highway off ramp at the traffic light.

The walk is do-able-ish but could certainly use some refinement. Many do walk from Blair station to the office park.

It is along the 12 and a few local routes which serve Beacon Hill.

waterloowarrior

Oct 10, 2012, 10:01 PM

removed from the property managers site
http://web.archive.org/web/20110719160422/http://www.20vic.com/retail.html

vs http://www.20vic.com/retail.html

profile of site
http://www.20vic.com/propertyPDFs/0909/shoppersCityEast.pdf

J.OT13

Oct 12, 2012, 11:49 PM

Also on OBJ;

Bank of Canada lease signed: Colliers

A major Crown corporation has signed a long-awaited lease to occupy approximately 350,000 square feet inside the Plaza 234 office tower at the corner of Laurier Avenue and O'Connor Street, according to brokerage firm Colliers International.

The Bank of Canada is vacating its Wellington Street headquarters for renovations and will use Plaza 234 - the former home of Export Development Canada - as swing space while work is underway.

Bank of Canada officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Department of Justice, which leased space inside the Bank of Canada building, is also being displaced and recently signed a lease for approximately 78,000 square feet inside the Sun Life Financial Centre.

The two moves mean there are no longer any pockets of contiguous space of 35,000 square feet or more available for direct lease in the downtown core, according to Colliers.

That will change in the next 12 to 18 months as Morguard completes its Performance Court tower at the corner of Elgin and Gloucester streets and the Canada Council for the Arts vacates its space at 350 Albert St. in the Constitution Square complex.

Additionally, two full floors inside the World Exchange Tower at 45 O’Connor St. will be vacated in the coming months as the Canadian Institute for Health Information consolidates its operations at its 495 Richmond Rd. location and Allstream relocates to 150 Laurier Ave.

Citywide, the office vacancy rate declined 110 basis points to 7.5 per cent at the end of the third quarter, according to Colliers statistics. The downtown core was slightly lower, at 5.6 per cent.

For a closer look at why the Department of Justice is moving into the Sun Life Financial Centre - rather than the office tower that submitted the lowest bid - pick up Monday’s print edition of OBJ.

What’s good for Cadillac Fairview (Plaza 234 co-owner) is good for the Rideau Centre, what’s good for Gillin (Plaza 234 co-owner) might be good for an NAC connection to the subway and Bentall's (Sun Life Centre and World Exchange Plaza) is pretty much a break even, so I still expect a subway connection to the two complexes.

Kitchissippi

Oct 13, 2012, 3:59 AM

I thought the Bank of Canada building was just renovated a couple of years ago. The plaza was certainly boarded up for a long time. Sheesh, I guess if you're printing money you've got lots to spend!

J.OT13

Oct 15, 2012, 9:08 PM

Nature museum ponders P3 underground parking garage

The Canadian Museum of Nature is seeking expressions of interest concerning a new underground parking garage that would be operated through a public-private partnership.

In documents posted on Merx, a procurement site, the museum states it is looking for a qualified company interested in “a position to construct, fund, maintain and operate a new underground parking facility through a ‘long-term lease to own’ private-public partnership.”

The museum seeks to house 200 cars in the facility and says the parking structure can be located on the east or west side of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, which is the museum’s main site.

After the museum completed a $216 million renovation and fully re-opened to the public in 2010, officials found that the museum’s annual average attendance of 450,000 visitors cannot be accommodated with its 96 permanent parking places. It is currently providing additional parking in a temporary parking lot on the west side of the grounds, which adds 110 spaces.

Annual parking revenues are estimated at $650,000, with operations costs of $50,000.

To grant use of the land, the museum plans to charge $600,000 minimum for an annual lease, indexed at 1.5 per cent a year, for use of the land for no more than 35 years.

The proponent would be responsible for such items such as construction costs, land taxes, maintenance and utilities payments and capital repairs, while the museum will take care of landscaping over the structure as well as lawn care and snow removal.

The winning proponent can pay its costs out of parking revenues after taking care of its lease financial responsibility for the museum, the solicitation documents stated.

There is an optional site visit Thursday. Submissions are due Nov. 15, and there is no firm date yet set for a request for proposals nor construction.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Construction/2012-10-15/article-3099759/Nature-museum-ponders-P3-underground-parking-garage/1

J.OT13

Oct 15, 2012, 10:25 PM

McGuinty's resigning!? I would say good riddance, but the next guy in line is likely just as Toronto centric and all around incompetent.

Update; yup, he's resigning but first, he'll take a page from the Harper book of dictatorship and proroguing parliament. Well, I guess you’re better off quitting while your ahead-ish.

umbria27

Oct 16, 2012, 6:49 PM

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Construction/2012-10-15/article-3099759/Nature-museum-ponders-P3-underground-parking-garage/1

This needs to happen. The new surface parking lot on the west side of the museum is an eyesore and takes up valuable event space.

J.OT13

Oct 16, 2012, 11:38 PM

This needs to happen. The new surface parking lot on the west side of the museum is an eyesore and takes up valuable event space.

It's nice to see the museum showing initiative on this instead of waiting for Federal cash that may never come. It shows that they really do care about their image and their role as an important institution in Centertown and determined to keep their promise of restoring the hundred year old park.

But I wonder, if the garage ends up being 200 spaces, would they repurpose the east lawn into a park? It would only remove 6 parking spots from the site (96+110-200). That would allow the city to take out the Metcalfe stump of a road to create two full sized parks on each side of the museum.

m0nkyman

Oct 16, 2012, 11:44 PM

That was the original plan the museum had, and the mid-centretown design plan also has that happening.

DubberDom

Oct 17, 2012, 6:46 PM

Old Alterna Building - Brocolini Project - anybody got news on the development?

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-residential/2012-07-24/article-3037997/Broccolini-buying-Alterna-land/1

J.OT13

Oct 17, 2012, 7:55 PM

Old Alterna Building - Brocolini Project - anybody got news on the development?

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-residential/2012-07-24/article-3037997/Broccolini-buying-Alterna-land/1

Nope, and we probably won't see anything going up there for at least a decade.

gjhall

Oct 17, 2012, 8:22 PM

Nope, and we probably won't see anything going up there for at least a decade.

Why do you say that?

J.OT13

Oct 17, 2012, 10:52 PM

Why do you say that?

The site will likely end up as mixed use (office, residential and retail), and since the demand for office space will likely be low for the next decade since there are millions of square feet U/C, the fact that there are already many condo proposals waiting in line and that Brocolinni is not a big player in the condo market (they build as contractors, but I can only recall "The Slater" as being their own) and finally, the retail market is seeing a huge boon that limits any new possibilities from this point on (Outlet in Kanata, Bayshore, Lansdowne, Rideau, maybe St-Laurent; I think that’s enough to catch up with Ottawa's supposed lack of retail).

Furthermore, the city will be using the north-east corner of Albert and Lyon as a staging area for the subway project.

Although Alterna is vacating the building in 2013, so who knows how long Brocolinni wants to keep the site empty. I doubt they would try to find a tenant for the building.

But that’s just what I rely don’t know. Let’s wait and see what happens.

Harley613

Oct 17, 2012, 11:24 PM

i'm hoping that towards the end of the decade Ottawa is of a certain size and recognition that it starts attracting major corporate headquarters. i see Ottawa becoming a little like Minneapolis....Minneapolis has many corporate headquarters because of it's quality of life and most importantly Geography....it's close to the centre of population distribution in the US, just like Ottawa is perfectly situated in the centre of population density in Canada. I think the cost of space in Toronto and the political instability in Montreal will start pushing corps to look at Ottawa in a serious way. We're building the infrastructure...and what is it that Kevin Costner said in that movie Field of Dreams? :p

anyhow, my point is that I feel like an office space boom might happen at the end of the decade if my vision comes to fruition.

kevinbottawa

Oct 18, 2012, 2:29 AM

I think the cost of space in Toronto and the political instability in Montreal will start pushing corps to look at Ottawa in a serious way.

I've been wondering if Ottawa could benefit from the "instability" in Montreal. On top of the Bloc Quebecois being in power, today the media were talking about a report by the Université de Montréal that says Quebec companies pay the highest taxes in North America. Perhaps Ottawa should be marketed as an alternative for companies in Quebec that want to do business in French but don't want to be heavily taxed or have had enough of hearing about separatism. If they still want to be Quebec residents they could live across the river in Gatineau and operate their business in Ottawa. You'd think that because Ottawa is full of qualified English and French speaking people there would be national headquarters here. A company could serve English speaking and French speaking people from here.

phil235

Oct 18, 2012, 3:31 AM

IYou'd think that because Ottawa is full of qualified English and French speaking people there would be national headquarters here. A company could serve English speaking and French speaking people from here.

That's one reason that Costco located here. It would be nice to see more of that happen, but I think that the competition among cities for corporate head offices is pretty heated. Unless Ottawa decides to offer incentives to companies, I wouldn't expect a flood.

Acajack

Oct 18, 2012, 1:14 PM

There was Costco (which was in Laval previously) it is true but historically there were far worse years in Montreal than today and Ottawa didn't really see many relocations from there. The vast majority went to Toronto.

Although maybe it's because Ottawa didn't chase after them aggressively.

Also, Ottawa has a good location but its transportation links are (were?) not exactly stellar.

The 416 has improved things (was not there in the late 70s and early 80s) for linkages to southern Ontario, and air links are a lot better than they were.

But Ottawa is still I believe the largest city in Canada without a freight rail terminal of any kind.

J.OT13

Oct 18, 2012, 1:21 PM

Over the years, we have seen a lot of Montreal head offices move out in waves, but they seem to always go to Toronto. I'm hoping, as Harley 613 indicated, that the next wave seriously considers Ottawa due to its more reasonable general affordability, and that, as kevinbottawa pointed out, that Ottawa would be at the top of the list because of the widespread bilingualism.

Of course, the PQ currently has a minority, so any of her new radical initiatives to piss off companies might not pass in the "National" Assembly. But I would hope that these companies’ smarten up and move out before the next election (or vote of non confidance), where if the PQ or a combination of the PQ and Action National won a majority, and the “Reférendum sur la Souvranité”bomb is deployed.

J.OT13

Oct 19, 2012, 3:40 AM

Centretown community design plan recommends two-way streets

Consultants working on a Centretown design blueprint like the idea of converting arterial one-way streets to two-way.

The final version of the Centretown community design plan went public Thursday.

The document recommends first converting Metcalfe St. to a two-way road, followed by Lyon St., Kent St. and O’Connor St.

As the plan suggests, the conversions would need to follow a technical review of the Queensway ramps.

The consultants say the downtown’s one-way streets largely serve peak-hour commuters, so they aren’t being maximized for the full day. Two-way streets, they say, would give motorists more routes to choose from and make travelling by bike or foot safer.

If the city was to test out the two-way idea, the plan recommends piloting Metcalfe St. between McLeod and Wellington streets as a priority because of low traffic volumes and connections to the highway wouldn’t be affected.

The plan also contemplates eliminating the south chunk of Metcalfe St. that runs through the east lawn of the Canadian Museum of Nature. That would also promote the expansion of public space between the museum and Elgin St.

In the plan, Metcalfe St. is considered a “premiere” road in Ottawa since it’s a straight connection between the nature museum and the Parliament Buildings.

Changing how people get around downtown has also been a priority for the city in preparation for light rail through a “mobility overlay” study.

Council’s planning committee is anticipated to receive the Centretown community design plan in December.

http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/10/18/centretown-community-design-plan-recommends-two-way-streets

c_speed3108

Oct 19, 2012, 1:45 PM

http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/10/18/centretown-community-design-plan-recommends-two-way-streets

I really disagree with that plan.

I don't see how two way streets makes things safer for pedestrians. You end up with more vehicles turning, plus you have to pay attention to traffic from more directions when you are trying to cross the street.

Look at Manhattan, pretty much everything is one-way. It works much better downtown.

Aylmer

Oct 19, 2012, 2:00 PM

AuxTown

Oct 19, 2012, 2:03 PM

I really disagree with that plan.

I don't see how two way streets makes things safer for pedestrians. You end up with more vehicles turning, plus you have to pay attention to traffic from more directions when you are trying to cross the street.

Look at Manhattan, pretty much everything is one-way. It works much better downtown.

I agree with Lyon and Metcalfe, but not Kent and O'Connor. The volume of traffic that comes up Kent in the a.m. and down O'Connor in the p.m. coming to and from the 417 is huge. Making those streets 2-way will slow things down considerably. As it is now, people turning left basically do so as they please (often onto other 1-way streets) but with two-way traffic they will be stuck waiting and things will back up behind them. If a cab stops to pick someone up on the left side of Kent in the morning (happens quite often) things jam up immediately. I can only imagine what will happen when at least one of the lanes are lost to this plan. Anyway, I guess I will have to find a new route into work in the morning.

Kitchissippi

Oct 19, 2012, 3:02 PM

:previous: +1

Definitely Metcalfe should be turned into a two-way street, as it is a lousy one-way ending awkwardly on both ends. It would also work great with north-south segregated bike lanes, which would certainly make the Bixi system much more attractive to use downtown. Solving the stupidity of the World Exchange parking ramp (why the hell did the city allow them to use up the road right of way for this?) will be a problem to face.

Aylmer

Oct 19, 2012, 3:36 PM

I think the maximum width for a city one-way should be two narrow lanes. More than that and speeding can become much more of a problem imo. I say make them either one-lane/two-way streets with parking or two-lane/one-way streets with parking on both sides, a segregated bike lane behind the parking and curb bulges.

The problem with one-ways is not as much the fact that they only go in one direction (though that does negatively affect the life on the street), but that it turns into a racetrack: if there's no parking on Kent, it's four wide lanes. That's more than the Queensway downtown. You can't expect people to go 50 when you design the road for 120.

However, Metcalf can easily accomodate 1L/2D with parking and bulges. If it's a narrow two-way, you can get away with the bicycle sharing arrows (>>) to indicate that bikes are to be treated as full-sized vehicles.

c_speed3108

Oct 19, 2012, 3:44 PM

It makes it safer because cars go slower when there's the possibility of hitting someone head-on. So it's safer because there's more going on.

More obstacles = Slower speeds = Better safety for everyone! Yay!

That is exactly the problem. A driver can technically only look at one thing at a time.

When making a left turn the driver is focused on finding a gap in oncoming traffic (which is a treat to their safety) and misses a pedestrian crossing at the crossing. I have even done this myself driving and had it happen to me walk. I stopped well short of hitting the pedestrian as I noticed my error, but it was interesting learning/realization experience. I walk a lot and actually prefer to unless it is too far or what I am carrying is too heavy so the error sorta shocked me as I am pretty darn passionate about pedestrian friendliness and related things.

A similar problem is encountered when (as a pedestrian) you walk along the sidewalk approaching traffic and come upon a vehicle entering the roadway turning right. They focus 99% percent of their attention to the left as that is when the traffic is coming from.

With two one-way streets the driver no longer has to worry about oncoming traffic since it is only one possible turn or straight through. The only conflict becomes pedestrians so that is where they look.

c_speed3108

Oct 19, 2012, 3:49 PM

a think a better design would be to leave streets one-way, but add segregated bike lanes and re-open blocked up intersections (or intersection when you can't drive straight through.

Opening the intersections would add more traffic lights (which slows things down). It would also spread the traffic out a bit better so things are not as busy.

The bike lanes would work well on a one-way as it would still allow things like para-transpo to stop (say bike lane(s) on left) so there would not be all the drop-off issues they hit on laurier.

They could actually take the left vehicle width lane of the street and make a segregated two-way bike lane.

Aylmer

Oct 19, 2012, 4:33 PM

That is exactly the problem. A driver can technically only look at one thing at a time.

When making a left turn the driver is focused on finding a gap in oncoming traffic (which is a treat to their safety) and misses a pedestrian crossing at the crossing. I have even done this myself driving and had it happen to me walk. I stopped well short of hitting the pedestrian as I noticed my error, but it was interesting learning/realization experience. I walk a lot and actually prefer to unless it is too far or what I am carrying is too heavy so the error sorta shocked me as I am pretty darn passionate about pedestrian friendliness and related things.

A similar problem is encountered when (as a pedestrian) you walk along the sidewalk approaching traffic and come upon a vehicle entering the roadway turning right. They focus 99% percent of their attention to the left as that is when the traffic is coming from.

With two one-way streets the driver no longer has to worry about oncoming traffic since it is only one possible turn or straight through. The only conflict becomes pedestrians so that is where they look.

Though it's less of a risk to safety because people go slower because they are more careful because they expect the unexpected. If safer roads were those that had the least amount of distractions, then crossing the Queensway should be as safe as warm milk.

You would be right if people went just as fast/slow on any road, but that isn't the case: when there are more outside distractions, you go slower, so if you do by some mishap bump into a pedestrian, it will be just that: a bump.
When there are fewer distractions, you're more at ease and pay less attention to your surroundings, so when something unexpected, like a pedestrian crossing, does happen, you'll be slower to notice and your speed almost guarantees serious injury or death.

c_speed3108

Oct 19, 2012, 4:44 PM

Though it's less of a risk to safety because people go slower because they are more careful because they expect the unexpected. If safer roads were those that had the least amount of distractions, then crossing the Queensway should be as safe as warm milk.

You would be right if people went just as fast/slow on any road, but that isn't the case: when there are more outside distractions, you go slower, so if you do by some mishap bump into a pedestrian, it will be just that: a bump.
When there are fewer distractions, you're more at ease and pay less attention to your surroundings, so when something unexpected, like a pedestrian crossing, does happen, you'll be slower to notice and your speed almost guarantees serious injury or death.

While they are obviously not for pedestrians, 400 series divided highways have considerably less crashes per km driven than do city streets, so it is not simply a speed thing. There is actually one spot where people do walk across the divided 100 km/h portion of the 174, at Trim Rd in Orleans. There is a traffic light and while that intersection has had it's share of collisions, I don't believe a pedestrian has ever been hit there - though it is not an extremely busy crossing except when there is special events on at Petrie Island such as Canada Day.

Now on the other hand there does seem to be a sweet spot with driver psychology. When there is too little going on drivers seem to occupy themselves with other things (likely mobile devices). The rural roads in Ottawa, which are straight and have very little traffic do have a absurd number of single vehicle crashes.

Dado

Oct 20, 2012, 12:42 AM

I'm with c_speed on this one.

Turning one-ways into two-ways just because the one-ways have historically been used to turn streets into race tracks is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

With limited width rights of way, one-ways - for cars - allow things that are difficult with two-ways, such as segregated bike lanes and bus lanes.

Consider two average-width downtown streets. They typically have room for about four lanes plus sidewalks and not much else. When configured as two-way, each street typically has two traffic lanes and two parking lanes. If you want to put in bus lanes, then a lane of parking has to go for each direction. With bike lanes, you also end up removing a lane of parking for each street on which you put them, and if you want segregated lanes with barrier/buffer zones wider than a curb you may end up removing parking entirely.

But if the streets are one-way, that's not the case. Only one lane per street needs to be devoted to general traffic, unlike on a two-way street where it's two lanes that have to be reserved. That means the overall number of general traffic lanes per direction can be reduced from two to one (i.e. between the two streets), with the result that traffic can potentially be slowed down rather than sped up. This also allows bike lanes to be inserted on both streets in both directions without giving up any parking at all.

On two-way streets, buses and bikes tend not to get on too well due to the leap-frogging tendency between the two modes, but on one-way streets the bikes can be put in a two-way bikeway on one side (the left side) and buses in a lane on the other (the right side) while still having a lane left for parking, which can go either between the bikeway and the traffic lane or to the right of the bus lane if the bus lane isn't too busy.

In short, one-way streets offer the potential for a range of streetscaping improvements that cannot be attained with two-way streets of limited width.