Queen Street renewal

[zzptichka]

Going on for a while now. I think it deserves its own thread.

Project description

The City of Ottawa is undertaking the renewal of Queen Street between Bronson Avenue and Elgin Street.

The renewal of Queen Street is a project that implements the vision from the Downtown Moves: Transforming Ottawa’s Streets, which was approved by Council on March 27, 2013. The overall plan aims to make walking, cycling and transit use more comfortable and convenient by redistributing and improving the streetscape environment.

As a "Transit Showcase Street", Queen Street will comfortably support high pedestrian volumes destined to and from the Confederation Line stations within an improved street environment.

The project includes improved pedestrian, cycling and vehicle infrastructure along the central portion of the Queen Street corridor with extra-wide boulevard sidewalks, creative designs for parking and access, priority crosswalks and landscaping.

Since the LRT downtown tunnel runs under Queen Street, and two of the three integrated tunnel stations will be located on the street, the renewal of Queen Street surface infrastructure is being coordinated with the Confederation Line project construction.

Project schedule

The Queen Street Renewal project will begin construction in Spring 2016 in the sections between Lyon Station (Queen and Lyon streets) and Parliament Station (Queen and O’Connor streets).

As part of the renewal, the roadway sections of Queen Street west of Lyon Station and east of Parliament Station will undergo a complete resurfacing in advance of Ottawa’s 2017 celebrations to mark Canada’s 150th birthday.

In order to ensure continuity of the Queen Street streetscape, those sections will then undergo the same complete streetscaping renewal after Confederation Line is up and running in 2018.

Taking this phased approach will give area residents and businesses some reprieve from the higher level of construction activity that would occur if the entire streetscape was done all at once.

This streetscaping project will be completed in spring 2018 to coincide with the opening of the Confederation Line Light Rail Transit Project.

Queen Street renewal – construction timeline

Bronson Avenue to Bay Street (resurfacing/reinstatement only) - August/September 2016

Bay Street to Kent Street (Lyon Station) - September 2016 to November 2017 (final surface asphalt in April/May 2018)

Kent Street to Bank Street - April 2016 to October 2016 (final surface asphalt in August 2017)

Bank Street to Mid-Block O’Connor/Metcalfe (Parliament Station) - July 2016 to November 2017 (final surface asphalt in April/May 2018)

Mid-Block O’Connor/Metcalfe to Elgin Street (resurfacing/reinstatement only) - August/September 2016

[zzptichka]

For some reason there are no plans for the stretch between O'Connor and Elgin.
Are they leaving it to be the same ugly 4-lane road with no trees and narrow sidewalks? Weird, considering it's the route from LRT station to NAC and War Memorial.

[m0nkyman]

http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/planni...street-renewal if you want check the source, and yes, as usual, we're leaving the job half done.

[zzptichka]

Some photos:





Source

[kevinbottawa]

The sidewalks, crosswalks and intersections on Queen will end up looking better than on Wellington where our country's Parliament is. The NCC, or who ever is responsible, should look at giving Wellington similar treatment.

[Uhuniau]

All the streetscaping in the world won't do anything for Queen Street as long as the building ground floors along it suck. It's not the condition or colour of the pavement that is the problem; it's the hostile faces presented by the ass of the D'Arcy McGee (Royal Bank) building; by the shiny glass ugly thing across the street from it; by World Exchange; by Whatever The Hell The Met Life Building Is Called This Year; by 240 Sparks; by the even uglier things west of Kent Street.

And oh, great: Tripping Hazard By Design; aka bloody paving stones. Guys, the damn things didn't work on Sparks, and they're not going to work on Queen; you'll be digging them up and re-installing or replacing them by 2019.

[Kitchissippi]

To me, a "Transit Showcase Street" shouldn't have any on-street parking at all, and should have proper (possibly segregated) bike lanes instead.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

To me, a "Transit Showcase Street" shouldn't have any on-street parking at all, and should have proper (possibly segregated) bike lanes instead.

This is not on-street parking. It's a pedestrian priority* flex space
*as long as no car is parked there

“flex space” - space in the street with pedestrian priority for cafes and markets, but where vehicles are permitted during certain times, for example, for parking, loading, deliveries, food trucks, or other vendors.

Honestly, whose brilliant idea was it, building bunch of on-street parking right in front of the LRT station entrance? On a "transit showcase street"

[techDAFT]

I just wanted to point out that the sections between O'Connor-Elgin and Bay-Bronson will be done after the Confederation Line opens in 2018

'In order to ensure continuity of the Queen Street streetscape, those sections will then undergo the same complete streetscaping renewal after Confederation Line is up and running in 2018' (http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/planni...newal-overview)

[rocketphish]

Revitalized Queen Street bringing life back to central Ottawa corridor

By: Michael Curran, OBJ
Published: Jan 2, 2019 11:46am EST



Standing at the corner of Queen Street and O’Connor Street is a somewhat disorienting experience these days.

For years, the street was nondescript at best.

On a cold December evening, you can start to imagine the future of the street that sits above LRT’s Confederation Line.

At the east end, the $100 million spent rejuvenating the National Arts Centre is brilliantly on display. The 20-metre-high Kipnes Lantern is lit up like a giant Christmas present.

And, at the intersection in question, a Christmas light-like display is also illuminating entrances into the train tunnel below.

Back at street level, barren asphalt streets are now dressed up with paving stones, giving the area a much more walkable feel.

Finally, the darker curtains that once cloaked Hy’s Steakhouse have been thrown away, revealing the much more boisterous Queen St. Fare food hall accompanied by the thump-thump of live DJ music. (The 9,000-square-foot blend of upscale eateries, a cocktail bar and a live music stage opened in early December in the space Hy’s vacated three years ago. Before the food hall, the only boisterous activity on Queen Street was likely the rabble around the Glue Pot Pub and Barbarella’s.)

The owners of Sun Life Financial Centre (a.k.a. 50 O’Connor and 99 Bank) have clearly bought into Queen Street’s future, spending millions on renovations and attracting new tenants such as Telfer EMBA and Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP. (The building is also Ottawa’s first to gain LEED Platinum and BOMA Best Platinum status for green building efficiency.)

Now look farther west. This is harder to see. At the end of Queen Street is the future site of the joint City of Ottawa and Library and Archives Canada facility, the so-called “super library.” The $193-million project took a step closer to reality in mid-November when Diamond Schmitt Architects of Toronto and KWC Architects of Ottawa won the design competition. (It’s interesting that this is the same design partnership that undertook the NAC’s transformation at the other end of Queen Street.)

The NAC and super library will neatly bookend Queen Street, creating a much more lively corridor than ever before.

With LRT, better buildings improved entertainment options and a trend for burgeoning tech companies such as Klipfolio and SurveyMonkey to settle downtown, it’s easy to see a more promising future for this once-tired old street.

The Queen is dead, long live the Queen.

https://obj.ca/article/prospectus-re...ttawa-corridor

[J.OT13]

"And, at the intersection in question, a Christmas light-like display is also illuminating entrances into the train tunnel below."

What? There are no entrances anywhere near Elgin and Queen.

Though the Re has nothing to do with the Confederation Line, I think it's worth mentioning. Same with the Morguard Complex renovations with the new Hilton Hotel(s).

I'm not sure I would qualify the new Library site as the end of Queen Street, unless they somehow build a pedestrian/cycling link connecting Queen and Wellington (please rename). That said, the patch of grass combined with the Juliana Apartments at the end of Queen would have been an excellent site for the Library. A compromise between LeBreton and the CBD. Expropriation of the Juliana would have been exorbitantly expensive though.

All and all, Queen is looking great. The Bank-O'Connor block in particular. Hoping Brookfield does something significant with the Podium Building and underground concourse over the next few years. Not sure we can expect much improvement from the parking lot at the corner of Kent for a while, but Claridge could do something great with its parking lot at Lyon.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

"And, at the intersection in question, a Christmas light-like display is also illuminating entrances into the train tunnel below."

What? There are no entrances anywhere near Elgin and Queen.

Though the Re has nothing to do with the Confederation Line, I think it's worth mentioning. Same with the Morguard Complex renovations with the new Hilton Hotel(s).

I'm not sure I would qualify the new Library site as the end of Queen Street, unless they somehow build a pedestrian/cycling link connecting Queen and Wellington (please rename). That said, the patch of grass combined with the Juliana Apartments at the end of Queen would have been an excellent site for the Library. A compromise between LeBreton and the CBD. Expropriation of the Juliana would have been exorbitantly expensive though.

All and all, Queen is looking great. The Bank-O'Connor block in particular. Hoping Brookfield does something significant with the Podium Building and underground concourse over the next few years. Not sure we can expect much improvement from the parking lot at the corner of Kent for a while, but Claridge could do something great with its parking lot at Lyon.

He's talking about Queen and O'Connor (you have to back to the first sentence of the article).

You are right about the grass and the Juliana. Hopefully the Escarpment Plan comes to fruition and they liven up that park. It has an incredible view, and could be a draw for people in the area and even tourists.

I'm still hopeful for a civic square at Queen and Lyon. Or at least a (tall) building on half of the site and public space at the other. It would instantly be successful during the day, and with the direction Queen is trending, I can see it working at night and on weekends. Since the City is unlikely to pony up for the land, I think the only possible option is to grant additional height in exchange for the use of the square.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by phil235

He's talking about Queen and O'Connor (you have to back to the first sentence of the article).

Ooops. Thanks for the clarification.

You are right about the grass and the Juliana. Hopefully the Escarpment Plan comes to fruition and they liven up that park. It has an incredible view, and could be a draw for people in the area and even tourists.

I'm still hopeful for a civic square at Queen and Lyon. Or at least a (tall) building on half of the site and public space at the other. It would instantly be successful during the day, and with the direction Queen is trending, I can see it working at night and on weekends. Since the City is unlikely to pony up for the land, I think the only possible option is to grant additional height in exchange for the use of the square.

Due to the strict NCC sanctioned height restrictions in the CBD, I think the possibility of a taller building is extremely low, but crazier things have happened. I do hope that the City is working closely with Brookfield to come up with a plan for that parking lot that includes, as you've suggested, a civic square or park in the middle of the CBD, something sorely lacking.

I would love to see Brookfield purchase the entire block (Kent to Bank) and redevelop from scratch. They've done great work in other cities, both in Canada and abroad. I'd like to see them place similar investment and effort in Ottawa. I'm not particularly impressed so far.

[Marshsparrow]

This article is comedy / satire... the street is getting up to what every other street in a city would typically look like... not something earth shattering - perhaps all this Queen St magic will spill over and magically revitalize Sparks... yeah, call me a cynic...

[Kitchissippi]

I was a bit disappointed that Queen Street Fare was closed New Years Eve. I was hoping for the possibility of grabbing drink there before heading up to the hill for the fireworks. Would have been a perfect place for a party.

[Ottawaresident]

Albert & Slater needs replacement. Sparks is closedto cars, and Wellington is always congested. Queens Street is a good place to start. Also should be extended to Lebreton Flats and Booth, and on the other side Colonel By and Nicholas

[zzptichka]

So the new intersection with reduced turning radii didn't even last a year. Rip up nice pavers and patch it with garbage asphalt.
This is why we can't have nice things... sigh



source

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

So the new intersection with reduced turning radii didn't even last a year. Rip up nice pavers and patch it with garbage asphalt.
This is why we can't have nice things... sigh



source

One of the responses to the tweet is correct, the cut is required to permit STO to make the left turn from Kent to Queen when they loop back after stopping at Lyon.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

So the new intersection with reduced turning radii didn't even last a year. Rip up nice pavers and patch it with garbage asphalt.
This is why we can't have nice things... sigh



source

I have to laugh after seeing this.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Catenary

One of the responses to the tweet is correct, the cut is required to permit STO to make the left turn from Kent to Queen when they loop back after stopping at Lyon.

That does not sound right. Kent is one way and Queen is two way. If you're taking a left from Kent you'd be scraping the car on the eastbound lane if you took the curve that close, and you can't make a right from eastbound Queen, you'd be going the wrong way.