General Update/Rumour thread

[Mille Sabords]

I think the Pinnacle is what really jaded me when it comes to Claridge. I'm sure the units are nice inside, but I just can't get over that massive blank wall on the West side of the tower. Are they planning on building a second tower? Who owns the land directly beside it? Anyone have any insight?

I agree with you that Pinnacle is a pretty underwhelming building but that blank wall on the inside of the block is actually the proper way to build a city block. I don't know who owns the land next door but the stage is set for another tower, yes.

[AuxTown]

I agree with you that Pinnacle is a pretty underwhelming building but that blank wall on the inside of the block is actually the proper way to build a city block. I don't know who owns the land next door but the stage is set for another tower, yes.

The problem is that I can think of 3 or 4 large buildings in downtown Ottawa that left blank walls for just that reason and nothing was ever built...the Lithwick being the most prominent example. Let's hope it doesn't happen this time.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/363841182_4030dea585.jpg?v=0
photo from 'Screen Door Slams' on Flickr
The tower looks great from this angle, but if you look at the opposite side of the building, there is a massive blank wall :( .

[harls]

Didn't know where to put this one, so into the General thread with you..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2109/2528034819_bee370bd48_b.jpg

(pic - me)

90 George and Claridge seem to blend in there pretty good..

[waterloowarrior]

On April 10 there was an OMB hearing on a proposed development at 300 Richmond Road at the corner of Eden. This used car lot is 98 feet wide by 68 feet deep. The owners applied to the Committee of Adjustment (CoA) to build a five storey building where basically a one-two storey building is permitted under the CDP. The City’s Committee of Adjustment had denied the application on the basis that it was not a ‘minor variance’ and should be treated as a re-zoning application. This was also the position of the WCA. Instead the developer chose to appeal to the OMB and, in the absence of support from the City, the WCA appeared as an intervenor at the hearing to defend the integrity of the CDP.

If approved by the OMB a building (http://lovewestboro.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/wca-rendering-300-rr.pdf) basically filling the lot from one side to the other of at least 52 feet in height will be built. It will be taller than the homes at the south end of Eden Ave. What we heard at the hearing is the proposed five storey building is the only thing that is economically viable.

Yet the two storey Pharmasave (http://lovewestboro.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/westboro-pharmasave-building.pdf) at the corner of Richmond and Berkley has been very successful. Also you can find an example of heritage infill (http://lovewestboro.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/wellington-heritage-infill.pdf) on Wellington Street that won an award from the City. It works and the frontage is about the same as 300 Richmond Road. As soon as we receive OMB’s decision, we will post it.

300 Richmond
http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/300richmond.jpg

appeal allowed, project is approved
http://lovewestboro.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/omb-decision-300rr.pdf

[Rathgrith]

WOw harls, Vanier and Blair look so close in that picture.

[waterloowarrior]

on the WCA website's, 'David' had this to say about 300 Richmond. great points.

It’s not really a surprise that the WCA lost this one. It’s argument boiled down to the fact that the proposed FSI of 3.7 was above the current 2.0, which will supposedly be reduced to 1.0 in the CDP. I say supposedly because I can’t find any such reference in the CDP - what section or page is it in, because I’ve read the entire thing and haven’t seen it. I’ve seen the height reduction from 24 to 15 m, but not the supposed FSI reduction. That doesn’t help the case (though the OMB didn’t seem to notice that it’s not true), but even if it was present… it’s idiotic. An FSI of 1.0 in a traditional main street mixed use zone doesn’t even make sense. Few of the two-storey buildings would comply with that (e.g. the building just across the street that the Miss Tiddleywinks is in will be in excess of 1.0). Even 2.0 is pushing it; 2.5 would make more sense in an area with 5-6 storeys permitted. Anyone at the OMB will know that an FSI of 1.0 in a mixed use zone is insane and will likely dismiss the testimony of anyone who promulgates it. If the OMB members believed that the CDP contains such a provision, they would likely end up regarding the document as not being founded in reality.

The WCA could probably have argued it down to an FSI of 2.5 and might even have succeeded in getting it down to 2.0. But arguing for 1.0 was doomed to failure from the outset. Instead, a precedent for 3.7 has been set.

[AuxTown]

An interesting article on the challenges (and benefits) of purchasing small condos in a downtown environment. It also discusses some of the trends in construction in that we are (finally) starting to build smaller homes in the 'burbs as well.

Small is the new big
Young urbanites are migrating to downtown condos where every bit of space is vital. Even some suburban homes are shrinking in the name of convenience and price

Patrick Langston
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, May 31, 2008

OK, so Lisa Petalek does truck her off-season wardrobe to her parents' home for storage. But that proviso aside, Petalek gets along just fine in her compact -- as in 546 square feet -- condo in the ByWard Market.

Heck, for a year she even used it as a home office.

Petalek, a business analyst with the federal government, is one of many buyers snapping up small downtown condos faster than they can be built. Even out in the 'burbs, there's a new market for Lilliputian (at least by McMansion standards) singles.

"I have to limit my purchases," admits Petalek, adding that "the closet is still a bit of a problem." And clutter is a no-go in her Spire, one of the pint-sized models in Urban Capital Property Group's east market development on George Street. "If you leave stuff out, it's obviously messy."

Products, including a closet system and under-the-bed hideaway baskets, help Petalek keep the space tidy. And although few retailers carried it when she moved into her condo in 2003, she says the sleek contemporary furniture demanded by mini-condos is now easier to find.

None of these tricks of the trade would help if her one-bedroom condo weren't well-designed. Nine-foot ceilings, an open-concept kitchen/living room/dining area, generous windows, and a sweeping balcony breathe light and space into the urban home in the sky. Neutral shaded walls decorated with mirrors and large paintings push the space outward, while stainless-steel appliances and dark cabinetry add drama.

"All my friends are trying to get me to move to Barrhaven," says Petalek, but she delights in avoiding "all that business" of snow shovelling and grass cutting.

And while she couldn't host a 30-person party in her place, she revels in the fact that her life is "a five-block radius: You go out and play; you go to work, you go home and rest."

Petalek paid an affordable $150,000 when she bought her condo in 2001. Paying relatively little for all that a downtown location offers is one of the big draws of small condos, especially for young professionals.

Baby-boomer couples selling off the family ranch for a hip spot downtown usually go for bigger living spaces. After all, why blow 30 years of marriage by being constantly face-to-face with your beloved?

No figures are available on the number of small condos across Canada, but a glance around Ottawa finds plenty, especially in buildings under construction.

East Market, the Mondrian and Central -- the latter two on Bank Street and all by Urban Capital -- offer small condos. So does Domicile's project known simply as "g" and EcoCité, both on Bank Street; ditto Charlesfort's Hudson Park Phase I, and others.

"The growth is for small types of dwellings," says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s Sandra Perez, senior marketing analyst for the Ottawa region. As evidence, she points to the 40-per-cent leap in condo construction forecast for Ottawa this year over last year. Half of that will be downtown, where high land costs favour plenty of small units.

By contrast, single-family home starts in the region are expected to drop seven per cent from 2007 levels. Trends are similar in Toronto, says Perez. Across Canada, meanwhile, CMHC reports that single-family homes in cities of more than 10,000 people dipped to 52 per cent of the construction market last year from 61 per cent in 2002. A blend of town and row homes, apartments and condos has picked up the slack.

"Things are changing, people are downsizing," says Maureen O'Connell, who sold out half the condos in Central, a condo slated for the corner of Bank Street and Gladstone Avenue, in an astonishing four days earlier this year. The small condos, like the tiny, perfect Vancouver -- 468 square feet, $196,900 -- went first. "A lot of people don't even buy the parking," adds O'Connell.

Making small spaces work requires, well, work. For the buyer, says O'Connell, it means thinking smart, like the condo owner who attached an industrial arm to her plasma television so she could swing it around from the living room to watch it in bed. Bingo. Space saved in the bedroom.

For the designer, it means "everything is tight, scaled-down," says Ottawa architect Barry Hobin. His projects have included small condos, including the 463-square-foot Berkley in Phase 1 of Charlesfort's Hudson Park tower now under construction on Kent Street.

"The focus is on things like sliding panels instead of swinging doors, having integrated cabinetry in the kitchen," says Hobin. "The first thing is making them as bright as possible, and the space needs to be big enough to flow. One thing you lose is your flexibility: You have to pre-judge where everything is going to go, what length of wall you can put a bed on."

A buyer of a pocket-sized condo almost needs an interior designer, he says, adding that "in a small place, there's no room to be quirky."

And while slimming down usually means greening up, no one mentions the environmental advantages of living more compactly. Cost and convenience seem to be the driving forces behind the growth of small.

What we're not seeing in Ottawa are micro-homes, many of them pre-fabs, which are popping up in more crowded cities, including London, England (see 'Smallest of the small' on page 3). These wee places -- featured in magazines, including Dwell and touted by reduced living advocates, including Jay Shafer, co-founder of the Small House Society -- are as small as 96 square feet. They perch everywhere from rooftops to microscopic vacant lots, and they toe the small-is-better line, if perhaps a little literally, of downscale boosters like writer/architect Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House.

With downtown land prices in Ottawa still relatively low compared to other major cities and not a lot of infill or severance opportunities, there's simply no market for such places here, the experts say.

But there is shrinkage, if not miniaturization, going on in the suburbs.

Mattamy Homes, for example, has included the three-bedroom, 1,279-square-foot Ashford in its Fairwinds project in Kanata -- the first Ottawa build for the Toronto-based developer -- and at Half Moon Bay in Barrhaven.

The home combines functionality with less space by doing away with a formal dining room but including a kitchen with an eating area that flows into a great room.

Starting at $234,900, the Ashford fulfils the observation by Frank Cairo, Mattamy's vice-president of land development for Ottawa, that increased land prices are forcing developers to downscale houses if they want to meet the still-healthy hunger for singles. "Square footage rules," Cairo says, thinking of bigger townhomes, "except if you can get into a single."

Minto Group Inc., meanwhile, has introduced the Anderson, a three-bedroom, 1,365-square-foot home at $243,400, in its east-end Avalon project. Buyers, says Minto's marketing director Catherine Shea, tend to be first-timers or people trading up from a terrace or townhome.

The situation is a far cry from that described by Minto's vice-president Robert Greenberg in 2001. Back then, he told the Citizen that, for Minto, a 1,500- to 1,600-square-foot single was the minimum size that made financial sense.

He added that Minto hadn't built a 1,200-square-foot single since 1983.

The early '80s, in fact, was just about when we got hooked big-time on big living spaces.

Prior to that, houses had been mostly modest. At the minute end of the scale, tens of thousands of bungalows, some as small as 500 square feet, were built by the federal government's Wartime Housing Ltd. during the 1940s for labourers and Second World War veterans across the country. (You can spot these homes, some now expanded, in neighbhourhoods including Carlington and at the corner of Carling and Fisher Avenues.

By 1950, North American homes were averaging about 900 square feet.

Suburban development flourished in the 1950s and '60s, with Ottawa companies, including Minto and Campeau Corporation building slews of suburban singles in Elmvale Acres, Parkwood Hills and similar areas, many of them in the 1,200-square-foot range.

Through the 1970s and '80s, says Hobin, real estate increasingly became "the embodiment of wealth collection and the dominance of baby boomers. The house became a vehicle for playing. People were saying, 'Why not have some fun with it?' It's also true that we're a consumer-oriented society -- status and all that other crap."

Hence the current crop of sprawling homes that owners adore and many others scorn as wasteful and ostentatious.

No Canadian figures are available, but according to the U.S. National Association of Home Builders the average American home is now over 2,400 square feet -- double what it was 50 years ago when families were larger. Observers agree Canadian houses have kept pace.

It's worth noting that Hobin, including many others contacted for this story, emerged unscathed from a childhood where bedrooms were shared and the bathroom battle a morning ritual.

In addition to whatever bragging rights even a 2,400-square foot-home confers, there are practical reasons for avoiding small. Because many costs -- a garage door, for example, or a staircase -- are the same for a small or bigger home, economies of scale kick in, and developers wind up charging more per square foot for a small home to realize a profit. As well, jumping from $250,000 to $270,000 to gain a few hundred square feet won't boost your mortgage by all that much.

No wonder Hobin hasn't designed a 1,200- or 1,400-square-foot home in two decades.

But Diane and George Hanson moved into one, even if it's not a custom job.

The retirees sold their 1,800-square-foot Cadillac-Fairview home and, seven years ago, moved into their 1,335-square-foot Yellowstone bungalow in Tartan Homes' Findlay Creek development off Bank Street South near the community of Leitrim. The same model, now priced at $333,900 and with a larger porch, is also available at Tartan's west-end community in Stittsville's Jackson Trails.

"All our children were married and we wanted to downsize," says Diane Hanson. "It's a lot easier to look after. There's a smaller lawn to cut. You don't collect so much junk; you have to have everything in its place."

The Hansons have turned one of the two bedrooms into a den and finished part of the basement, providing a little more elbow room when their children, their spouses and grandchildren descend.

An open-concept design, a half-wall between the living and dining rooms, and other features give the home an open feeling.

While George says there's "nothing too much" he misses about their big home, his wife does long for the good old spacious days when the whole family piles in at Christmas.

And she still remembers watching the new house being built. "I thought, 'Oh, gosh, it's so small. We'll never be happy here.'"

Is she? "Oh, yes!"

Patrick Langston is an Ottawa writer.

[ajldub]

Don't know if this has been posted elsewhere, but urban developments has released the preliminary elevations of the infill at St. George's school on Piccadilly south of Byron. This one is called 'St. George's Yard':

http://www.uniformdevelopments.com/stgeorges/

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the future is West Ottawa...

[waterloowarrior]

annual development report 2007 (http://www.ottawa.ca/city_services/statistics/dev_report/2007/index_en.html)

[waterloowarrior]

average MLS price up 12.6% in Hintonberg/Westboro

top 5 most expensive areas (mls average values)
rockliffe - 1.248 mil
manotick - 436k
downtown - 382 k
hintonberg-westboro - 355k
east rural - 296k

73.9% of units created were outside the greenbelt (26.1% in). It was 76.2% last year.

exurban vacant land
Sales of land euphemistically referred to as “future growth”
(speculation on properties outside the urban boundary) fell
by 29% to $240m. According to one expert opinion
presented at the 2006 Ottawa Real Estate Forum, land
investment is in part a consequence of the unavailability of
other real estate investment vehicles, and is unrelated to
urban growth pressures.

Notable players in 2007 included
Alberta’s the Walton Group, which spent about $9.2m
assembling farmland between Stittsville and Richmond.
Monarch and Claridge were also active, acquiring lands in
the east and west suburbs, straddling the urban boundary.office news

There are also plans for four downtown towers on the
drawing boards. These include Brookfield’s Place de Ville
Phases III and IV, with a combined 47,000.m2 of office
space; Northam’s proposed office tower at 142 Bank Street
with 26,500.m2 of space; and Great-West Life has filed an
application for Tower II of BMO Place, which would add
33,900 m2 at 265 Laurier Avenue West.

Power centres have risen from 18% of retail space in 2004 to 23% in 2007 (see the power centre thread for more news)

[waterloowarrior]

Don't know if this has been posted elsewhere, but urban developments has released the preliminary elevations of the infill at St. George's school on Piccadilly south of Byron. This one is called 'St. George's Yard':

http://www.uniformdevelopments.com/stgeorges/

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the future is West Ottawa...

planning app page (http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__6AP7U3)

[clynnog]

planning app page (http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__6AP7U3)

I gather that the church wouldn't sell. I don't know the location, but it looks to me like technically 2 separate applications as it is not contiguous.

[harls]

Does anyone know what that building is going up in Kanata (on Campeau Drive, I think?) It's massive.. I just caught a glimpse of it when I was out there car shopping last week..

[harls]

The problem is that I can think of 3 or 4 large buildings in downtown Ottawa that left blank walls for just that reason and nothing was ever built...the Lithwick being the most prominent example. Let's hope it doesn't happen this time.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/363841182_4030dea585.jpg?v=0
photo from 'Screen Door Slams' on Flickr
The tower looks great from this angle, but if you look at the opposite side of the building, there is a massive blank wall :( .

Here's the other side -
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/2563845165_ba44b76d7b_b.jpg

(pic -moi)

[clynnog]

Does anyone know what that building is going up in Kanata (on Campeau Drive, I think?) It's massive.. I just caught a glimpse of it when I was out there car shopping last week..

It is a seniors home. I believe it is going to be 6 storeys and fairly high end.

[waterloowarrior]

Dispute highlights challenge of infilling
Rothwell Heights residents battle 10-house proposal
Patrick Dare

Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

OTTAWA - Everyone from the Ontario government to academics and environmentalists is telling city planners and councils that municipalities must build more housing and businesses on less land. The City of Ottawa
has made intensification central in its planning guides.

But Tuesday, a modest proposal to build 10 high-end semidetached houses at 741 Blair Rd. drew opposition from neighbours in Rothwell Heights, who said such a dense development would mar the neighbourhood of large single-family homes on very big lots. The fact that the developer, Routeburn Urban Developments, has a track record of doing tasteful, interesting infill developments in Ottawa didn't sway them.

The group said they didn't want 10 more houses in their neighbourhood and didn't want new neighbours in three-storey homes looking into their backyards. One neighbour said such a dense development would be like "a bomb" going off in the community.

Some members of the planning committee said if Ottawa can't handle such a modest attempt at intensification, the city is in deep trouble. Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes said the increase doesn't come close to the highrise development being approved for her downtown ward. She said if such a "minor piece of intensification" can't make it through City Hall, "we're going to blow ourselves off this planet."

Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder said suburban communities such as Barrhaven and Kanata must accept buildings of some height to generate the population to support public services such as transit.

The city's planning staff urged the planning committee to approve the zoning change to allow the 10-unit development, but Beacon Hill-Cyrville Councillor Michel Bellemare led the charge to stop it.

He initially proposed rejecting the development in favour of approving a few single-family homes. When that motion was defeated, he introduced another motion, at the behest of the Rothwell Heights Property Owners Association, proposing that six houses be allowed. That motion was also defeated.

In the end, a motion from Kanata South Councillor Peggy Feltmate carried, allowing eight houses to be built.

The issue is to go to full council on June 25.

Lloyd Phillips, the development consultant working on the project for the builder, said the company's owner will consider what to do next, particularly the economics of building such a small development.

Mr. Phillips said the case shows the challenge for such infill projects and how old attitudes are hard to shake.

"Things have changed. It's not the 1970s anymore," said Mr. Phillips.

Alta Vista Councillor Peter Hume, who chairs the planning committee, said people are fighting hard for the status quo in their neighbourhoods. He said the city needs to require that developers offer such things as greenspace and pools to benefit a neighbourhood when more intensive land development is allowed.

"There is a tremendous amount of opposition to any kind of change," Mr. Hume said.

© Ottawa Citizen 2008
sad.. how are we ever supposed to have intensification with these sorts of resident attitudes. this is almost right at Blair and Montreal. These aren't even a bunch of townhomes and low rise apartment buildings, they're only semis.

here's the staff report
(http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2008/06-10/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0112%20ENGLISH.htm)
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2008/06-10/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0112%20ENGLISH_files/image004.jpg

[adam-machiavelli]

I suspect the true amount of local opposition has been overblown.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

But Tuesday, a modest proposal to build 10 high-end semidetached houses at 741 Blair Rd. drew opposition from neighbours in Rothwell Heights, who said such a dense development would mar the neighbourhood of large single-family homes on very big lots.

That part really grills me... :hell:

[waterloowarrior]

I suspect the true amount of local opposition has been overblown.

the problem is that even slight opposition can influence councillors to stop or significantly reduce a project (in this case 20% of the units) recommended for approval

[Mille Sabords]

I suspect the true amount of local opposition has been overblown.

You're probably right but the media has established a perception.

What really grills me is that Routeburn is now doing suburban semis instead of Mainstreet condos like 1277 Wellington.

[c_speed3108]

I do suspect that the level of opposition is getting somewhat overblown...its not really the most pristine corner of Rothwell heights anyway....but...


I think the problem we are really running into is a lack of good planning as to where densification should be and what type. I have to agree with the residents that mixing high density townhouses with estate lots (that are on wells or septic systems...I forget which) is a really strange thing to do. I can agree with them that doing this would probably devalue nearby homes.

The problem is that we are lacking a good zoning plan as what is to be built in what areas. Instead what we have is a plan that does not give things enough room to grow (or instance height limits downtown) and we are left relying on granting exception after exception to developers in order to be able to get anything built. Frankly it might even be an odd use of that land parcel for residential development....but I am not sure.

All I am really saying is that zoning by exception is not the way to go. We need a much better plan. It is easy to say densify, densify, densify but we need a plan where to put it...that everyone will agree on...or at least most people :-)

[clynnog]

the problem is that even slight opposition can influence councillors to stop or significantly reduce a project (in this case 20% of the units) recommended for approval

And we're not even into the silly season just before a municipal election where councillors come up with some of the craziest motions to save face in front of their electorate.

On a moments notice a motion can be proposed by a councillor which reduces the # of units from 10 to 8 (as if that would make a noticeable difference on the neighbourhood adjacent to it), which often throws the proforma out the window for the developer. It often means all new drawings, calculations and designs that have taken months to do.

[clynnog]

I have to agree with the residents that mixing high density townhouses with estate lots (that are on wells or septic systems...I forget which) is a really strange thing to do. I can agree with them that doing this would probably devalue nearby homes.

we need a plan where to put it...that everyone will agree on...or at least most people :-)


Good luck with the plan that most people will agree on...if you can do that, you've got a job for life at Ottawa City Hall or the consulting field.

I wasn't aware that the nearby area was on wells or septic. The two are different...wells are for water and septic systems are for waste (toilets,showers,sinks etc) leaving the property. You can have well water and municipal sewers or city water and septic beds.

[c_speed3108]

Good luck with the plan that most people will agree on...if you can do that, you've got a job for life at Ottawa City Hall or the consulting field.

I wasn't aware that the nearby area was on wells or septic. The two are different...wells are for water and septic systems are for waste (toilets,showers,sinks etc) leaving the property. You can have well water and municipal sewers or city water and septic beds.

I familiar with both as my parents live in the rural part of the city and have both. I know all the water treatment stuff, wells, pumps, pressure tanks the whole 9 yards. It also becomes a frequent thing when you live out there all your life to get calls from newer neighbours who have no water and have no idea how to prime a system when it becomes loses pressure in a power failure or something...so you get to see a variety of systems. Septic systems are really simple...dig it up and get it pumped every other year or so....

-----

I think Rothwell was one or the other but not both, but I am not 100% sure. When that area was built it was somewhat out of the city :haha: It is sort of a interesting area of town. It is quite likely to turn into Rockcliffe the second if cards played right....and that would not be a bad thing IMO.


And yes I guess everyone or most agreeing was a bit of far fetch comment :cool:

[clynnog]

What really grills me is that Routeburn is now doing suburban semis instead of Mainstreet condos like 1277 Wellington.

Some would be happy that Routeburn is wanting to spread their love around the entire 'City' of Ottawa. Believe me the location of this development proposal does not limit the comments...they are often the same everywhere...noise/traffic/shadowing/density/snow removal/reduction in property values coupled with higer property taxes etc.

I'm surprised that the local Councillor was actually engaged in this application enough. He can be quite underwhelming.

[waterloowarrior]

Some would be happy that Routeburn is wanting to spread their love around the entire 'City' of Ottawa. Believe me the location of this development proposal does not limit the comments...they are often the same everywhere...noise/traffic/shadowing/density/snow removal/reduction in property values coupled with higer property taxes etc.


funny...
on that note, the studies I've seen (from the ULI IIRC) show that singles near lots of multiples have higher appreciation rates than areas where it's only singles or only a few multiples.

[TransitZilla]

News Story
Rideau Centre expansion planned after Congress Centre redevelopment
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Thu, Jun 12, 2008 12:00 PM EST

The general manager of the Rideau Centre reconfirmed the shopping centre's expansion is still in the works and will likely take place once the Congress Centre redevelopment project winds down.

Cindy VanBuskirk said development could occur at the corner of Rideau and Nicholas Streets and the corner of Daly Avenue and Nicholas Street in the next three to five years.

"We've got two terrific development sites on our property and I think that the expansion of the Congress Centre will really be a catalyst for us to finally go ahead and develop those sites, whether there is potentially a new hotel or a retail expansion. We couldn't do that while the Congress Centre project is underway because the site is so constrained," said Ms. VanBuskirk.

She made the comments in an interview Wednesday night at a gala marking the 25th anniversary of the partnership between the Rideau Centre, the Ottawa Congress Centre and the Westin Ottawa.

Ms. VanBuskirk noted the Rideau Centre has adapted to several changing retail trends, such as the shift to larger, more accessible stores. When the shopping centre opened in 1983, it featured 240 stores, compared to the current roster of 170 retailers, she said.

Another partner in the downtown complex, the Westin Ottawa, has also undergone major changes, said general manager John Jarvis.

For example, the hotel had a fine dining room when it first opened, a feature that gradually faded away across the hotel industry, he said.

The Westin Ottawa is currently undergoing $35 million in renovations that will change the look and feel of the property, said Mr. Jarvis. Work on the entranceways should be completed in the coming weeks while a redesign on the guest rooms will start this fall.

Mr. Jarvis also noted the benefits of having the unique combination of a hotel, convention centre and shopping mall in a single complex.

"Being that we are in a cold weather capital, there are huge advantages to having that. Even on the hot days, when it is humid outside, it is nice to have that connectivity. It makes it very attractive for convention planners to pick a hotel like ours, where everything is right there."


.

[harls]

Speaking of that corner...


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2571264024_1f618c2ac2_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/2571261818_2c4800359a_b.jpg

[OttawaBrent]

^ Wicked pictures! Do we have any idea what the new parking garage is going to look like? Same height as the old, I'm assuming.

Xtra.ca has a live webcam of the construction on Bank Street (http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=2&STORY_ID=4885&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=1). I wonder how many businesses are going to feel the crunch in the next few months - I've seen a few 'end of lease' signs up in the past weeks.

[c_speed3108]

^ Wicked pictures! Do we have any idea what the new parking garage is going to look like? Same height as the old, I'm assuming.

Xtra.ca has a live webcam of the construction on Bank St (http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=2&STORY_ID=4885&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=1). I wonder how many businesses are going to feel the crunch in the next few months - I've seen a few 'end of lease' signs up in the past weeks.

I walked this stretch yesterday afternoon. They were busy sorting out the temporary water hoses and digging just inside the sidewalk to find the lines into the various buildings. They had started a couple of the bigger holes in the middle as well.

[AuxTown]

^ Wicked pictures! Do we have any idea what the new parking garage is going to look like? Same height as the old, I'm assuming.

Xtra.ca has a live webcam of the construction on Bank Street (http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=2&STORY_ID=4885&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=1). I wonder how many businesses are going to feel the crunch in the next few months - I've seen a few 'end of lease' signs up in the past weeks.

I'm sure this will spell the end for a few of the businesses along that stretch. With the construction just to the North last year, the Duke of Somerset this Winter, and now this I'm sure some are hanging on by a thread. I just hope that a few of the building owners take this as an opportunity to fix up their facades a little. Some of those buildings would look really nice with a little scrubbing and some fresh paint.

[harls]

I read in my local community rag this weekend that the city of Gatineau has had applications for re-zoning downtown, specifically the block at Eddy/du Portage (across from Terrasses de la Chaudière) and the lot bounded by Laval/Hotel-de-ville/Portage (where the Motel Duvernay resides). The current height limit is 8 floors.. the request is to allow 16. Broccolini (the guys behind the Telus building on Bank/Slater) have interests in the Eddy/Portage location.. I suppose we may see something show up here soon.

[Luker]

that would be sweet, hull could easily be revitalized with 2/3 new condos in downtown and another couple to go along wtih stage 4 of portage or whatever is due to go up, the skyline would fill out and the city would probaly accualy become a city instead of pure 9-5 working area.

Not to mention it would be helpful for promoting a light rail line across the river, I cant understand why not with blackbridge already ready to go? cross your fingers

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

A cheap yet effective commuter rail system could be created from Gatineau across the river into Ottawa. I don't why they never fully explored this idea...I guess the cultural divides and phobias of both sides of the river just won't budge for the greater good... :(

What I'd like to see with the Domtar site is the establishment of a national Aquarium or the new Museum of Science and Tech. I'd also like to see a tonne of tall condos and office towers go up around the Government Complexes, and some high-density low to mid-rises replacing many of the shabby and run down houses that scar the Hull Island landscape...

[adam-machiavelli]

Victoria Island is supposed to have an Aboriginal history and culture museum.

[Tor2Ott]

EDC negotiating new build at Slater and O'Connor
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Jun 23, 2008 12:00 AM EST

Sources say 350,000-square-foot office tower would be developed by Broccolini and Canderel on Brouse property

Negotiations for at least 350,000 square feet of office space for Export Development Canada's (EDC) headquarters could transform a downtown parking lot into a new commercial tower.

Although EDC spokesperson Phil Taylor would not identify the bidder or site, sources told OBJ that EDC has selected a property at the southeast corner of Slater and O'Connor streets, owned by Brouse Holdings and currently occupied by a parking lot, and 9,000 square feet of retail in four low-rise commercial buildings.

Those buildings would have to be demolished to make way for a 350,000-square-foot office tower planned for the site, said David Brouse of Brouse Holdings.

While Mr. Brouse confirmed he was involved in a bid to house EDC's headquarters, he declined to comment on whether he was involved in negotiations.

Likewise, Broccolini Construction Ltd. project co-ordinator Anthony Broccolini confirmed his company had submitted an EDC bid, but said he could not comment on its location or whether his company had any involvement with the Brouse property.

OBJ reported in late April that sources identified the Brouse lands, which would be developed by Broccolini Construction Ltd. and Canderel, as one of four contenders for EDC.

The other options were to be Great West Life's property, currently a parking garage next to the Bank of Montreal building on Laurier Avenue between O'Connor and Bank streets, a Brookfield site on the southeast corner of Kent and Queen streets, and EDC's current home which is split between two buildings at O'Connor and Gloucester streets.

The last time EDC searched for a new headquarters less than five years ago, the status quo prevailed. At the time, the Crown corporation decided to stay put and take "more time to develop those options," said EDC's Mr. Taylor.

The institution, whose current 394,000 square feet are divided between two neighbouring buildings on O'Connor Street, had reportedly signed a five-year lease with landlord Gillin. Some say EDC started their previous relocation process too late, and was subsequently forced to renew the lease on its current property.

But that lease is due to expire in around two years' time, and Mr. Taylor told OBJ in April that EDC's best possible scenario was to sign a new, long-term lease to house its 1,000 or so employees in one building. "That's a prerequisite," said Mr. Taylor at the time. "We're looking to consolidate, because we're actually spread out over two locations."

Some critics also question whether the buildings at Slater and O'Connor can be demolished and replaced before EDC's current leases expire in 2010 and 2011. Although Mr. Taylor said he believed those deadlines could be met if EDC signed a deal for a new build, Mr. Brouse said development of his property is realistically five years down the road.

The requirements contained in EDC's request for proposals mandated that the building be located downtown, meet or exceed LEED Silver environmental standards, and contain at least 350,000 square feet of office space.

The evaluation criteria give the most weight to the building, lands and premises. This plays to the strengths of the Slater and O'Connor site, said DTZ Barnicke's Bruce Wolfgram.

"The ability to build this size of building so close to their current facility is extremely fortunate," he said, noting its close proximity would minimize disruption to EDC's operations during the transition.

A coalition of downtown business owners have also named the site as an option for an underground transit station, should the rail line run underneath Slater Street.

While EDC is looking to consolidate its operations into a single building, it was not willing to sacrifice a downtown location. The Crown corporation, which offers financing, insurance and risk management for Canadian exporters and investors, needs to be close to the gears of federal government, Mr. Taylor said in an earlier interview. He added EDC employees also demanded a downtown location.

Mr. Taylor said he expects negotiations to wrap up within the next two months, with a final agreement to be closed by the fall.

[harls]

Wow! I was walking by that area last week and I was thinking, "this block should be developed". Looks like someone was reading my mind! :D

[harls]

Downtown Gatineau Development Proposals are now on line (from last week's open house - good read!)

http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/prenez_place/consultations_publiques_centre-ville_volet_2.en.htm

The PDF -

http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/pdf/consultations_publiques/centre-ville/proposition_amenagements.en.pdf

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Downtown Gatineau Development Proposals are now on line (from last week's open house - good read!)

http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/prenez_place/consultations_publiques_centre-ville_volet_2.en.htm

The PDF -

http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/pdf/consultations_publiques/centre-ville/proposition_amenagements.en.pdf

Gatineau should pretty good in a couple decades. :) :tup:

[m0nkyman]

Wow! I was walking by that area last week and I was thinking, "this block should be developed". Looks like someone was reading my mind! :D
And I've always liked those little retail buildings and think that Broccolini already has a proposal that is on hold next to the new Telus building that is just a parking lot and won't necessitate tearing down some nice buildings.

[harls]

I'll agree that the coffee shop and the brick building near Laurier are nice, but those other buildings are truly forgettable..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2605153238_04e1b98c88_b.jpg

[clynnog]

I'll agree that the coffee shop and the brick building near Laurier are nice, but those other buildings are truly forgettable..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2605153238_04e1b98c88_b.jpg

In the mid - late 1990's wasn't there a store in that block that sold maps (a competitor to World of Maps).

[AuxTown]

I love World of Maps! I bought an awesome upside down (or South-up) world map there. Recognize this planet?

http://www.mapsworldwide.com/itm_img/1865001104.jpg

As far as that lot goes, those buildings bring very little to the table in terms of neighbourhood and architecture and I don't imagine it would be a big loss if we got a highrise in return.....possibly the time to finally get an Ottawa Supertall (aka 40+ floors ;) )

[adam-machiavelli]

I'd support the construction of this building if they put in ground-level retail that was something other than a lunch bar for downtown office workers.

[Château Frontenac]

I love World of Maps! I bought an awesome upside down (or South-up) world map there. Recognize this planet?

http://www.mapsworldwide.com/itm_img/1865001104.jpg

As far as that lot goes, those buildings bring very little to the table in terms of neighbourhood and architecture and I don't imagine it would be a big loss if we got a highrise in return.....possibly the time to finally get an Ottawa Supertall (aka 40+ floors ;) )


did the money follow to the south and the starving to the north ?

[AuxTown]

did the money follow to the south and the starving to the north ?

No, thank God! We don't know how good we have it here.

[Luker]

I can only imagine!

But as you pointed out Otown, do you really believe a 40storey is ever coming? I mean I truly hope and belive ottawa "steps its game up" and starts to emerge as a worldy city, and although some people like the beauty and small town feel of ottawa, ive just heard to many times "where is your downtown" and other similar comments, our skyline is so uniform and blocked out. What makes you think that location would get approval at 40 or 50 storeys?

[AuxTown]

I can only imagine!

But as you pointed out Otown, do you really believe a 40storey is ever coming? I mean I truly hope and belive ottawa "steps its game up" and starts to emerge as a worldy city, and although some people like the beauty and small town feel of ottawa, ive just heard to many times "where is your downtown" and other similar comments, our skyline is so uniform and blocked out. What makes you think that location would get approval at 40 or 50 storeys?

I just think it needs to happen soon if its ever going to happen. We would need 2 or 3 of them to balance out the skyline a bit and the lots downtown are disappearing quick. It would be great to watch some significant construction in this city for once....one can dream I guess.

[waterloowarrior]

1420 Carling (http://apps104.ottawa.ca/emap/?emapver=lite&LAT=45.383479&LON=-75.739054&featname=1420+Carling+Avenue&lang=en) @ Kirkwood - 12 storey mixed used building
planning app page (http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__6A5CZB) - nothing up there except for the description so far

[Mille Sabords]

1420 Carling (http://apps104.ottawa.ca/emap/?emapver=lite&LAT=45.383479&LON=-75.739054&featname=1420+Carling+Avenue&lang=en) @ Kirkwood - 12 storey mixed used building
planning app page (http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__6A5CZB) - nothing up there except for the description so far

Interesting. Tiny site, close to the 417 and the the Carling Ave. hotel strip right past Westgate. One more argument in favour of a Carling Ave. tramway.

[clynnog]

Interesting. Tiny site, close to the 417 and the the Carling Ave. hotel strip right past Westgate. One more argument in favour of a Carling Ave. tramway.

Tiny is the operative word....have a look at the property on the City's mapping system that goes with the ZBL and you'll see how small it is...most of the original property has been taken by road widenings from both roads.

[harls]

Yesterday I was surprised to see an actual crane up in Aylmer, near the downtown. (Wilfrid-Lavigne/Principale). I believe it's for a seniors residence, behind the old monastery. AylmerOptimist must be excited.

edit.. here it is.. 6 floors..

http://www.groupemelior.com/pages/futurs-complexes/projet-en-cours/le-redemptoriste-aylmer.aspx?lang=FR-CA

[Aylmer]

Darn, you beat me to the post...

When I used to attend school there, I remember all the construction for the different phases...

I feel bad, because that parking lot used to be our winter sliding spot...
(Roi de la montagne)!

:)

[harls]

I caught a blurb on TVA Gatineau tonight - they've issued demolition permits for the buildings on that Eddy/Wellington block, including the Crown Taxi joint. They interviewed a couple of cabbies, asking them how they felt... they were pretty indifferent (honestly, what did they expect? it's not like they work in the place). One of them thought they should move out to the industrial park where Regal cab co. is, since they are ultimately the the same company.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/66/200356566_cb52901792.jpg?v=0 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/200356482_64dd4f0e5f.jpg?v=0

[Tor2Ott]

Ashcroft to build Sparks Street residential complex
By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Fri, Jun 27, 2008 4:00 PM EST

Ashcroft Urban Development Inc. will build a mixed-use complex with 120 residential units on Sparks Street, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced this week.

The complex will be built on the Canlands A site, which is between Sparks and Queen Streets near Metcalfe Street. The proposal called for a two-part complex consisting of a six-storey building fronting on Sparks Street and a 16-storey building on Queen Street.

In addition to the residential units, the complex will include street-level retail businesses, some office space and underground parking.

The site, roughly 150 metres from Parliament Hill, currently houses two vacant buildings owned by the NCC. As part of the proposal, the facade and front three metres of the 19th century building at 108-116 Sparks Street.

The Ashcroft proposal was retained by the NCC following a national request for proposals.

In 2006, Morguard Corp. withdrew a proposal to develop a mixed-use residential complex on the Canlands A site for "business reasons," according to an NCC official quoted at the time.

[AuxTown]

Ashcroft to build Sparks Street residential complex
By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Fri, Jun 27, 2008 4:00 PM EST

Ashcroft Urban Development Inc. will build a mixed-use complex with 120 residential units on Sparks Street, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced this week.

The complex will be built on the Canlands A site, which is between Sparks and Queen Streets near Metcalfe Street. The proposal called for a two-part complex consisting of a six-storey building fronting on Sparks Street and a 16-storey building on Queen Street.

In addition to the residential units, the complex will include street-level retail businesses, some office space and underground parking.

The site, roughly 150 metres from Parliament Hill, currently houses two vacant buildings owned by the NCC. As part of the proposal, the facade and front three metres of the 19th century building at 108-116 Sparks Street.

The Ashcroft proposal was retained by the NCC following a national request for proposals.

In 2006, Morguard Corp. withdrew a proposal to develop a mixed-use residential complex on the Canlands A site for "business reasons," according to an NCC official quoted at the time.

Yet another reason to run LRT under Queen Street. Great news for Sparks Street too! It's been busy down there all summer and there are a number of new bars/restaurants on Sparks to choose from. Gonna be a mad house down there on Tuesday.

[cityguy]

WOW,two potential buildings in that area of downtown in one week.

[Mille Sabords]

Ashcroft to build Sparks Street residential complex
By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Fri, Jun 27, 2008 4:00 PM EST

Ashcroft Urban Development Inc. will build a mixed-use complex with 120 residential units on Sparks Street, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced this week.

The complex will be built on the Canlands A site, which is between Sparks and Queen Streets near Metcalfe Street. The proposal called for a two-part complex consisting of a six-storey building fronting on Sparks Street and a 16-storey building on Queen Street.

In addition to the residential units, the complex will include street-level retail businesses, some office space and underground parking.

The site, roughly 150 metres from Parliament Hill, currently houses two vacant buildings owned by the NCC. As part of the proposal, the facade and front three metres of the 19th century building at 108-116 Sparks Street.

The Ashcroft proposal was retained by the NCC following a national request for proposals.

In 2006, Morguard Corp. withdrew a proposal to develop a mixed-use residential complex on the Canlands A site for "business reasons," according to an NCC official quoted at the time.

Great news! I hope they come up with a good looking building. I wonder if they will preserve the Sparks Street facade of what was the old Centre Theatre that stood on that site for decades. The empty lot where the new building will go up was the auditorium.

[AuxTown]

I wonder if they will preserve the Sparks Street facade of what was the old Centre Theatre that stood on that site for decades.

I think that's what they meant by this very poorly constructed sentence:

"As part of the proposal, the facade and front three metres of the 19th century building at 108-116 Sparks Street."

Does no one read the articles before they are posted? Oh well.

[clynnog]

Does no one read the articles before they are posted? Oh well.

There is a public notification sign in Orleans for a new hotel that reads something like 'access for 'x' # of cars will be off of Road Y'...can't remember the # of pkg spaces or the name of the access road but it is a real clunker of a sentence.....instead of 'off of' I believe the word 'from' would have done the trick.

[clynnog]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/200356482_64dd4f0e5f.jpg?v=0

How can they think about getting rid of that store...it must be on the Hull historic registry somewhere...where are the girls of the Pink Panther, Club 61, Taboo etc, going for improve their wardrobe.

[clynnog]

Interesting. Tiny site, close to the 417 and the the Carling Ave. hotel strip right past Westgate. One more argument in favour of a Carling Ave. tramway.

I believe that the application includes a crappy looking 3 or 4 storey apartment building and that hotel to the west...the whole plan is for a retirement home (probably with commercial at grade level) of 12 storeys...at least that is what I caught as I was driving by it on Saturday.

[Acajack]

I caught a blurb on TVA Gatineau tonight - they've issued demolition permits for the buildings on that Eddy/Wellington block, including the Crown Taxi joint. They interviewed a couple of cabbies, asking them how they felt... they were pretty indifferent (honestly, what did they expect? it's not like they work in the place). One of them thought they should move out to the industrial park where Regal cab co. is, since they are ultimately the the same company.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/66/200356566_cb52901792.jpg?v=0 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/200356482_64dd4f0e5f.jpg?v=0

They must be paying a lot to buy out Crown Taxi from their location. It’s a real goldmine, right across the street from the Terrasses de la Chaudière with thousands of public servants who have to grab cabs to Ottawa all the time. (Although it’s true many public servants do call Blue Line from across the river to come and pick them up over here just the same…)

[harls]

I wonder if they'll have to decontaminate that site, since there's gas tanks underground.

It would've been nice if they would save the brick building next door. I remember seeing for sale signs on it touting loft space, but there were no takers. At least the ol' Bank Hotel will be spared.

[harls]

How can they think about getting rid of that store...it must be on the Hull historic registry somewhere...where are the girls of the Pink Panther, Club 61, Taboo etc, going for improve their wardrobe.


Ha.. well, there's still another place just up the street. ;)

[cityguy]

Tell the girls to go to Excitibles on Preston,their stuff is skank-a-licious.

[harls]

Yesterday I was surprised to see an actual crane up in Aylmer, near the downtown. (Wilfrid-Lavigne/Principale). I believe it's for a seniors residence, behind the old monastery. AylmerOptimist must be excited.

edit.. here it is.. 6 floors..

http://www.groupemelior.com/pages/futurs-complexes/projet-en-cours/le-redemptoriste-aylmer.aspx?lang=FR-CA


Actually, I was wrong.. there are two cranes there now, one substantially shorter. Man, Aylmer is booming. :haha:

[waterloowarrior]

from the WCA
http://s.wordpress.com/wp-content/themes/pub/neat/images/h1.gifMeeting notice re: 93 and 109 Richmond Road (http://lovewestboro.wordpress.com/2008/07/05/meeting-notice-re-93-and-109-richmond-road/)

July 5, 2008 ( … a.k.a the old CanTire gas bar and the former used car lot just to the east of the gas bar.)
FoTenn Consultants is hosting a public meeting on behalf of Ashcroft Homes:
Tuesday July 8th
at St. George’s church, 415 Picadilly Ave.
7:00 - 9:30 p.m.For details, view a PDF of their poster (http://lovewestboro.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/ashcroft-fotenn.pdf).


proposal: expand a pre-approved 6 storey mixed used building at 93 Richmond to now include 109 Richmond - termintates at NE corner of Richmond and Patricia. Also a commercial patio.

http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/richmondpatriciaAshcroft.jpg

[Ted]

this is a classic example of the problem everyone is discussing wrt height zoning - these guys have done the opposite of Westboro Station - no tapered back design, instead they follow the zoning and in order to maximize floor space it ends up looking like a building out of the soviet union.

[harls]

A couple of things I noticed at lunch today..

- the Richcraft proposal at Bay/Gloucester has a new application for a variance, asking for a height limit increase. (I hadn't noticed they wanted a 4 level underground parking garage at that site, now I know).

- there's a new convenience store at ground level at the Pinnacle condo.

[waterloowarrior]

vacant lot beside mayfair (bank and sunnyside) has a proposed shoppers with 2nd storey offices

[harls]

Shopper's Drug Mart is opening a location at the World Exchange Plaza. That's pretty close to the one on Bank and Laurier.

[adam-machiavelli]

I'm not sure how many of you have seen this page before?

http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en.html

Entries 33, 34 and 37 were totally new to me.

[waterloowarrior]

thanks for the link... 33 (Nate's Deli) has been posted here (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2008/02-12/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0033.htm) before but only a few details (no renders til now). 34 was at the OMB (http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions/pl031085_%230999.pdf) a few years ago. 37 is at the OMB AKA 594 Rideau (not sure if that one is done yet)

http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-65.jpg
http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-66.jpg
308 - 328 Rideau / 263 - 287 Besserer
Proposed demolition and redevelopment of several commercial buildings
Type: Mixed-use: Two apartment buildings with ground floor retail. - 14 storeys along Rideau Street and six storeys along Besserer Street
Developer: Claridge Homes
Architect: DCYSA Architecture
Units: 280
http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-67.jpg
http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-68.jpg
560 Rideau
Proposed mixed-use development. Vacant site
Type: Ground floor retail and condominium apartments - nine storeys
Developer: Richcraft Homes
Architect: Roderick Lahey
Units / Unités: 12

http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-73.jpg
http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-74.jpg
590 Rideau
Proposed mixed-use development. Demolition of existing commercial-use building.
Type: Mixed-use building: condominium apartments above ground floor retail
Developer: Richcraft Homes
Architect: Roderick Lahey
Units: 64

[clynnog]

I'm not sure how many of you have seen this page before?

http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en.html

Entries 33, 34 and 37 were totally new to me.

Thanks for the link...however some of the information is old...the architect listed for #11 and #30 died in the summer of 2005.

[Mille Sabords]

Thanks for the link...however some of the information is old...the architect listed for #11 and #30 died in the summer of 2005.

Fortunately, his buildings got built.

[AuxTown]

Shopper's Drug Mart is opening a location at the World Exchange Plaza. That's pretty close to the one on Bank and Laurier.

Ya, we were discussing that a couple of weeks ago. The one currently at Bank and Laurier will be closing and a new Shopper's will be opening on the ground floor of Mondrian (also at Bank and Laurier). The two stores are pretty close, but there are a ton of pedestrians and workers in both areas so I don't imagine finding business will be a problem.

[Deez]

http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/downtown/construction_en-66.jpg

Holy smokes. That's seriously blocky.

[Rathgrith]

^ I think students are going to live there too.

[Cre47]

I guess there will be some more Claridge bashing.

[waterloowarrior]

at tommorow's CofA (http://www.kitchissippiward.com/vm/newvisual/attachments/735/documents/SUMMARY%20July%2016%202008%20-%20English%20Panel%201.pdf)(panel 1)

388 Booth Street @Balsam
The Owner wants to demolish the existing building and construct a 5-storey mixed-use commercial/residential condominium building, containing 27 dwelling units, as shown on plans filed with the Committee. The property is
subject to zoning designations under both Zoning By-law 1998 and the new City of Ottawa Zoning By-law.

224 Preston is prosposed as the sales centre - owner is Princiotta Tower Inc

[movebyleap]

Why is our downtown overrun by Shoppers Drug Marts? There's a freaking drugstore on every choice corner of the city!!

[kwoldtimer]

Why is our downtown overrun by Shoppers Drug Marts? There's a freaking drugstore on every choice corner of the city!!

It's not just Ottawa - honking big Shoppers seem to be going up everywhere. They are starting to look more like department stores than pharmacies.:shrug:

[Cre47]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e1e18054-2181-40eb-98fb-cc2862987ae6

[harls]

It's not just Ottawa - honking big Shoppers seem to be going up everywhere. They are starting to look more like department stores than pharmacies.:shrug:

There's another one at 240 Sparks, in the basement.

Other than Shoppers, I can think of a few more pharmacies within a five minute walk of my office.

[m0nkyman]

It's not just Ottawa - honking big Shoppers seem to be going up everywhere. They are starting to look more like department stores than pharmacies.:shrug:

Wait until London Drugs makes it out here. They really are more like Department stores...

[c_speed3108]

Why is our downtown overrun by Shoppers Drug Marts? There's a freaking drugstore on every choice corner of the city!!

It is not just downtown, they are opening them everywhere in Orleans. They used to have two (3 if you count Blackburn Hamlet) in all of Orleans. They have open 4 more in last about 2 years. They also have at least one more (Tenth Line at the Blackburn Bypass Extension) in the pipe.

They also seem to be repositioning themselves to be a convenience store as well as a drug store. They now sell a fair bit of food and such in several of the locations.

I just ran the store locator function on there website. Not counting locations In Quebec or Rockland, I found 21 locations EAST of Bank Street and North of Walkley Road.

[TransitZilla]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e1e18054-2181-40eb-98fb-cc2862987ae6

Yay!!

I'm all for anything that removes the Colonel By underpass and fixes that intersection.

[Acajack]

It is not just downtown, they are opening them everywhere in Orleans. They used to have two (3 if you count Blackburn Hamlet) in all of Orleans. They have open 4 more in last about 2 years. They also have at least one more (Tenth Line at the Blackburn Bypass Extension) in the pipe.

They also seem to be repositioning themselves to be a convenience store as well as a drug store. They now sell a fair bit of food and such in several of the locations.

I just ran the store locator function on there website. Not counting locations In Quebec or Rockland, I found 21 locations EAST of Bank Street and North of Walkley Road.

Shoppers Drug Mart are really going nuts these days. Their Quebec banner Pharmaprix just opened a huge pharmacy about 2 km from my place last year and a sign is announcing another one soon to be under construction about 1 km from my place in the other direction. I'm going to be completely surrounded!

In Gatineau at least, they are taking on existing pharmacies. The one currently open is almost right across the street from a large Jean Coutu, and the new one will be across the road from a smallish Familiprix (a smaller Quebec chain recently propelled into household name status thanks to its “Ah! Ha! Familiprix!” ads…).

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e1e18054-2181-40eb-98fb-cc2862987ae6

I hope they don't put any roundabouts in, I find them pretty unfriendly for pedestrians, as drivers don't want to yield to you despite that you have the right of way. I don't think it would work too well at Rideau and Sussex. I do love that they are getting rid of the pedestrian underpass/ramp though.

[harls]

I hope they don't put any roundabouts in, I find them pretty unfriendly for pedestrians, as drivers don't want to yield to you despite that you have the right of way. I don't think it would work too well at Rideau and Sussex. I do love that they are getting rid of the pedestrian underpass/ramp though.

The new roundabouts in Hull (Allumettières blvd) are pretty dangerous.. the crosswalks are just outside of the circles, and even though they have lights, most people just fly right through them as they come out of the roundabout..

Maybe that's because no one here knows how to drive through one properly (yet).

[waterloowarrior]

The new roundabouts in Hull (Allumettières blvd) are pretty dangerous.. the crosswalks are just outside of the circles, and even though they have lights, most people just fly right through them as they come out of the roundabout..

Maybe that's because no one here knows how to drive through one properly (yet).

They've been here for a while in Waterloo... but still people don't signal, try to pass bikes in the roundabout, don't use the right lane on the two lane ones (and cut me off trying to turn right from the left lane!), and don't yield to pedestrians.

The worst incident I had was when I was biking in one (to make a right turn) and a car coming from the right went around the channelized turn, turned leftinto the roundabout and headed straight toward me.... :rolleyes: luckily this one was pretty wide...

[kwoldtimer]

They've been here for a while in Waterloo... but still people don't signal, try to pass bikes in the roundabout, don't use the right lane on the two lane ones (and cut me off trying to turn right from the left lane!), and don't yield to pedestrians.

The worst incident I had was when I was biking in one (to make a right turn) and a car coming from the right went around the channelized turn, turned leftinto the roundabout and headed straight toward me.... :rolleyes: luckily this one was pretty wide...

Although I have had no problem with the Waterloo Region roundabouts, I do find that they are far too small - the limited space available to move through the circle correctly, combined with the (lingering) lack of familiarity of drivers with roundabouts, seems to invite no end of trouble. In Ottawa, I think a roundabout as the western "gateway" could be sensational, but I would have doubts about trying to squeeze one into the other end, especially given the challenges they pose for pedestrians, as you point out.

[movebyleap]

Well, don't hold your collective breaths for this grand new NCC scheme - it's a 20 year plan, which in Ottawa means that it won't happen!! Or by the time it does, the monument will actually be a new mega Shoppers Drug Mart in the middle of the roundabout!! (After all a monument can't pay rent!!)

[waterloowarrior]

update from David Gladstone
http://www.centretown.net/news_detail.php?news_id=295

246 and 330 Gilmour
In a 3 July decision, N.C. Jackson of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) endorsed a settlement reached between a developer (Epcon Enterprises Ltd) and the owner of the neighbouring Gainsborough Apartments. In his decision, Mr. Jackson notes that the zoning for the site includes “a heritage overlay that requires any new structure mirror as far as possible the previous structure [the house that was occupied in 2003 and subsequently demolished].” He goes on to note that the evidence presented to him demonstrated that this requirement was met.

The settlement resolved issues resulting from the close proximity of the Gainsborough Apartments to the proposed new building, which will include seven rental apartment buildings.

The respect for the Centretown Heritage Conservation District in the decision for 246 Gilmour is, of course, very relevant to the hearing scheduled to start 31 October on the Appeals of the rezoning of the former OBE Headquarters (330 Gilmour). At a 24 June pre-hearing conference, it was agreed that a central issue in the hearing would be why any portion of the existing building needs to be demolished for “appropriate development” of the site.


he has some strange comments about Section 37 as well

[waterloowarrior]

c of A rejects 132 Stanley Variances (http://www.kitchissippiward.com/vm/newvisual/attachments/735/documents/SUMMARY%20July%2016%202008%20-%20English%20Panel%201.pdf)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/07/22/ot-newedinburgh-080722.html

[m0nkyman]

c of A rejects 132 Stanley Variances (http://www.kitchissippiward.com/vm/newvisual/attachments/735/documents/SUMMARY%20July%2016%202008%20-%20English%20Panel%201.pdf)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/07/22/ot-newedinburgh-080722.html

I've posted a snarky comment in the CBC's little response thingie at the bottom of the article.

How dare those townhome dwellers infest the purity of their single family home neighbourhood!

[waterloowarrior]

^ nice, most recommended comment so far

[harls]

I clicked the recommend button, looks like I'm not alone. :)

[Mille Sabords]

I left a comment as well. I'm baffled that the Committee of Adjustment would do this. I'm beyond pissed off.