General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Getting pretty bad. Sure Harper hired a bunch of people then layed half of them off, but at least he commissioned new government buildings in order to transfer employees and renovate the older stock.

I was trying to remember if this was the building with the (in)famous Bat Floor, but it isn't:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/bats-dri...tineau-building-documents-show-1.3303046

[kwoldtimer]

Does anyone know what, if anything, is happening with the proposed condo at Laurier and Blackburn (?) that would incorporate the former All Saints church?

[J.OT13]

They installed these zig-zag LED lights mounted on a steel cage along the outside jail wall between the OAG and Rideau Centre.

[Urbanarchit]

No idea who the builder, architecture, or function of this building. Located here on Cambridge, behind Yangtze restaurant.

I'll wait to see how it turns out when it's done, but with a site as large as this one, I kind of which there was a more substantial building.

[danishh]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

No idea who the builder, architecture, or function of this building. Located here on Cambridge, behind Yangtze restaurant.

I'll wait to see how it turns out when it's done, but with a site as large as this one, I kind of which there was a more substantial building.

https://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__0FC15Z
I don't actually see any elevations there.

looks to be purpose built rental, 24 units, possibly students, 8 parking spots. They needed a variance to allow one building of 24 units rather than 4 stacked sixplexes. Its actually interesting to compare in relation to the new charlesfort building on Gladstone, which really could have done the same thing. Charlesfort ended up maximizing interior floorspace at the expense of an elevator, whereas these guys get an elevator. I wonder if charlesfort had another lot they would have gone this route.

Also interesting that they didn't try to push on height at all. I'm sure if they were willing to go through to OMB process, they could have got it up to 5-6 stories.

[Buggys]

4 floors high is the highest they can go on wood framing (instead of concrete), so maybe they though that any fight for only 1-2 floors more wouldn't be worth it.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by Buggys

4 floors high is the highest they can go on wood framing (instead of concrete), so maybe they though that any fight for only 1-2 floors more wouldn't be worth it.

The building code was updated a couple of years ago so that now, in Ontario, you can use wood framing for buildings up to 6 storeys.

[Urbanarchit]

For some reason I can't seem to find the thread for this project - unless there wasn't one made.

Progress on this project at Ladouceur and Merton. They still have some work to do, but it seems some have moved in already. Did they have access to the rooftop?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

For some reason I can't seem to find the thread for this project - unless there wasn't one made.

Progress on this project at Ladouceur and Merton. They still have some work to do, but it seems some have moved in already. Did they have access to the rooftop?

No dedicated thread, just some posts back on p.173 of this thread.

[Buggys]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

The building code was updated a couple of years ago so that now, in Ontario, you can use wood framing for buildings up to 6 storeys.

Oh, interesting, thanks!

[rocketphish]

Feds closer to cooking up better heating and cooling system for capital region buildings

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 18, 2018

The federal government is moving closer to awarding a big contract to transform the aging heating and cooling system in the capital region.

Components of the current generation and distribution system are between 50 and 100 years old. The system heats 80 buildings and cools 67 buildings in the capital region, including the Parliament Buildings. The feds want a more energy-efficient system that will save temperature-control costs over the long term, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

More than $3 billion in federal money has been made available for the modernization project.

In spring 2019, the feds plan to sign a public-private partnership contract lasting at least 35 years to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the district energy system.

Miguel Martin, the project manager with Public Services and Procurement Canada, walked city council’s environment committee through the work on Tuesday.

Two replacement plants will be established at Tunney’s Pasture and on Fleet Street, near the Supreme Court building. Upgrading the Cliff plant near the Supreme Court has caught the attention of the National Capital Commission.

“You can imagine the interest of the NCC to make that particular plant, from an architectural point of view, a pleasant facility,” Martin said.

Other plants are at the National Printing Bureau in Gatineau and Confederation Heights in Ottawa. A plant at the National Research Council in Ottawa will be decommissioned, Martin said.

All plants will be connected. A new connection pipe will be installed between the Tunney’s Pasture and Cliff plants, requiring some city land. Talks between the feds and the city are ongoing.

The upgraded plants will stop using steam and instead use low-temperature water and electric chillers to regulate temperatures.

Martin said the feds are looking at building a biomass plant, likely in Gatineau, as part of a second stage in the project.

More non-federal buildings could be connected to the new heating and cooling system.

Some councillors were interested in knowing if Ottawa city hall could be plugged into a new district energy system. City staff were scheduled to meet with federal representatives about the project, but it would likely cost money for the city to convert its existing heating and cooling system to work with the federal network.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...ling-system-for-capital-region-buildings

[Jayday23]

this little tid-bit seems to have slipped under the radar:

151 Slater to be gutted; both inside and out. New skin will be done in 6 months.

https://renx.ca/metcalfe-realty-renovate-ottawa-office-nav-canada/

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by Jayday23

this little tid-bit seems to have slipped under the radar:

151 Slater to be gutted; both inside and out. New skin will be done in 6 months.

https://renx.ca/metcalfe-realty-renovate-ottawa-office-nav-canada/

Over the past 10 years or so I've actually become quite fond of a lot of the architectural styles of the mid 19th century (highrise, lowrise, and residential). I hope they are able to maintain some of the 1960's feel for the building.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Over the past 10 years or so I've actually become quite fond of a lot of the architectural styles of the mid 19th century (highrise, lowrise, and residential). I hope they are able to maintain some of the 1960's feel for the building.

Don't you mean 1860's?

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

Don't you mean 1860's?

Shit.....YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!! 20th century.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Shit.....YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!! 20th century.

Three of my favourite Modernist buildings in Ottawa are: The First Congregation Unitarian Church, 1495 Heron Road, and Adult High School (which was a Centennial building).

[rocketphish]

Victoria Island to close for contamination cleanup
Soil samples found elevated levels of contamination: NCC

CBC News
Posted: Oct 02, 2018 2:06 PM ET | Last Updated: October 2



A multi-year, multi-million-dollar project to clean up contaminated soil on Victoria Island is getting underway.

The island in the Ottawa River, considered a sacred site by Indigenous groups, will eventually be closed to visitors as part of the environmental remediation plan, according to a release from the National Capital Commission (NCC).

Progressive closures will be introduced each month:

• October: Fencing installed along Portage Bridge, no public access from the bridge.
• November: Fencing placed across Middle Street, east side of island closed.
• December: Fencing placed at Chaudières entrance, entire island closed.

The closure comes after soil samples taken from the island found elevated levels of contaminants including metal, ash, lead, zinc and gasoline. The NCC said those contaminants are similar to what are found at industrial sites from the late 1800s.

In recent history, Victoria Island has been occupied by foundries, metallurgical companies, factories and saw mills.

The discovery required immediate attention in order to "ensure the long-term safety of both human health and the environment," according to the NCC.

The project will take seven years and cost an estimated $13 million.

An NCC spokesperson told Radio-Canada officials have met with tenants and Indigenous groups to make them aware of the timeline, and will work with those groups to support them throughout the project.

The work is expected to be done in two phases and will continue until 2025.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/victoria-island-contamination-environment-1.4847215

[zzptichka]

2025? Based on how they were working on Voyageurs pathway I bet they'll fence it off and won't do anything until 2024...

[Buggys]

Could it be because they're using cutting edge technology, such as microorganisms to digest the contamination, which takes time?

[Mille Sabords]

Looks like the aging, former DND office building at Rideau & King Edward is being turned into a student residence: http://theoottawa.com/

The operator is Katasa Developments - anyone know them? The teaser rendering is playing interestingly with the ugly building - the use of large murals (or are those digital billboards?) will definitely liven up that corner. They must, must, must reactivate the retail at grade, though.