General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[LilZebra]

I normally don't lurk here nor do I read the Ottawa Citizen, but I saw on their electronic edition a proposed new building for Ottawa on Wellington Ave. W. Most beautiful.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

I normally don't lurk here nor do I read the Ottawa Citizen, but I saw on their electronic edition a proposed new building for Ottawa on Wellington Ave. W. Most beautiful.

Thanks for joining us! If you'd like to read more about this project, you can head over here:
https://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176387

[J.OT13]

For the parking lot where the gantry crane was situated, I would see half used for a new office tower, with the other half left as an urban park or plaza. The new tower, which will be Place de Ville III, would be connected to the existing underground concourse, giving transit users an extra block to avoid the increment weather.

Ideally, I'd like to see the entire block redeveloped, with the eastern 2/3 built-up and the west 1/3 as an urban park/plaza.

As for retail, Canada Computers opened on the corner of Bank and Laurier about a year ago. A hardware store in Centretown of the CBD is needed. IRC, the Canadian Tire was demolished for the newest Minto Place office tower.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

There is a new public plaza at the Bank of Canada.

Yep, and it’s pretty packed in good weather, despite being pretty barren and entirely without shade. It shows the pent up demand for that sort of thing.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by CityTech

Downtown actually has pretty good coverage for everyday retail.

It's actually Westboro that scores horribly on this front. I'm considering moving to Centretown as it's actually quite a pain being carfree in Westboro. Little things like hangars or duct tape are impossible to buy on the Richmond strip. If Superstore or a drug store doesn't carry it, you can't buy it, because literally everything else on Richmond is all fancy boutiques or restaurants.

I think you’re more likely to find hangers and duct tape at the superstore than in centretown. Almost all of the stores that sold regular things (zellers, Big Buds, Sears) left over the last decade.

[silvergate]

Originally Posted by phil235

Yep, and it’s pretty packed in good weather, despite being pretty barren and entirely without shade. It shows the pent up demand for that sort of thing.

It might be packed during the day, but walk by any time that isn't noon on a weekday and it is extremely desolate. They need some sort of programming at all times to make the space actually useful to people who live downtown, not just people who work there.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

This is the kind of thing that's needed downtown. Doesn't necessarily have to be a Canadian Tire but some of those downtown Home Hardwares are rather small.

Duct tape was just an example. Could also apply to television sets, a lawn mower or snow removal machine, garden equipment and probably other household items. Where can you buy these downtown? Suburbanites can go between Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, Costco, Best Buy among others. We don't have any of these stores downtown.

It's really amazing how retail is largely hollowing out of the core, even as new residences (if not total number of residents, which isn't quite the same thing) is increasing.

The Sobeys on Metcalfe is one of the few counter-indicators. But all those new condos in the sky, but nowhere nearby to buy a screwdriver.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

I've thought the same thing. The CBD could use a proper square and that site would be the perfect place. Even if they used part of it for a building, it could open up onto a square.

I'd concentrate more on improving and programming existing "square" spaces in the core before we create any more, which are likely to be, like "squares" tend to be in Ottawa, pretty dead zones.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by phil235

Yep, and it’s pretty packed in good weather, despite being pretty barren and entirely without shade. It shows the pent up demand for that sort of thing.

I'm still kinda puzzled that they didn't arrange those steppy-seaty structure thingies so as to create a performance space.

[CityTech]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I think you’re more likely to find hangers and duct tape at the superstore than in centretown. Almost all of the stores that sold regular things (zellers, Big Buds, Sears) left over the last decade.

I've lived in both areas. The Westboro Superstore does not sell things like clothing hangers or duct tape--they actually sell very few things that aren't food (unlike most other supermarkets of similar size). And Centretown has several dollar stores where you can buy these kinds of goods. Whereas outside of the Superstore and the Farmboy and the Shoppers, the Richmond strip in Westboro is almost exclusively high-end boutiques and speciality stores and such. Whereas Centretown has a much better mix of amenity types.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by CityTech

I've lived in both areas. The Westboro Superstore does not sell things like clothing hangers or duct tape--they actually sell very few things that aren't food (unlike most other supermarkets of similar size).

I haven’t been there for a few months, so maybe they have changed their layout. Certainly the last time I was there there were several rows of non-grocery household goods. Their website lists 13 types of hangers, so it is weird the store doesn’t stock them.

[SF Thomas]

As others have said, I've actually found that there is a fairly decent range of stores for regular everyday needs downtown. You just don't have any single store that sells everything in one place anymore, so you have to be willing to walk around more or make multiple trips.

The bigger issue in my opinion is the lack of variety and the range of quality. There isn't a lot of very good medium quality stores downtown anymore, most are either high end or very low end.

Examples:
- Giant Tiger: carries most cheap everyday items like kitchenware, cleaning supplies, light-bulbs, blankets, cheap clothing etc.
- Dollarama: Mostly the same as Giant Tiger, but less variety
- Shoppers and Pharma Plus for medicine, bath supplies and a few other basic needs
- Home Hardware: tools, painting, outdoor supplies etc.
- Winners: low to medium quality clothes
- Canada Computers and the Source for basic computer stuff and electronics.
- The Bay: higher end clothing, appliances, kitchenware etc. (but not 100% insane prices)
- Nordstrom: clothing for people making 6 figures.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by silvergate

It might be packed during the day, but walk by any time that isn't noon on a weekday and it is extremely desolate. They need some sort of programming at all times to make the space actually useful to people who live downtown, not just people who work there.

True, though I think shade and some seating would go a long way to making it more useful.

[McC]

6-storey mid-rise proposed for the corner of Byron (technically "Byron Pl) and Churchill:

https://kitchissippiward.ca/content/472-...1DjDhc_eQk0WvETtvCLnNdYAXTkE-91MMMsSC5wE

The design is very much in the new vernacular for the neighbourhood, to say the least.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Morguard and an unnamed partner have purchased the Jean Edmonds Towers from Brookfield (the real estate developer) at a price of $186M. They now own (or part owner) the entire city block of Slater/Bank/Laurier/Kent.

What I didn't know is that they also purchased 41 Rue Victoria in Hull, the headquarters of Brookfield (the energy company).

https://obj.ca/article/morguard-and-partner-purchase-ottawas-jean-edmonds-towers-186m-deal

Morguard's partner in this transaction is Québec based iA Fianancial Group. They will have a majority share at 50.1%. This is their first foray into the Ottawa market.

With Morguard taking control of the entire block, they want to create a masterplan for the site. Part of the plan is to link all buildings on the block using underground walkways or breezeways. Considering the two Jean Edmonds Towers are linked at ground level and so are the Standard Life Towers, I would assume they will do the same to link the two existing complexes along with the future tower on Bank.

Morguard being the developer who seemed most enthusiastic about the idea of direct links to O-Train Stations, I'm not surprised with these plans. I'm sure they are hoping to one day work with nearby landlords to build up the indoor network and connect. Their Heritage Place Tower is already plugged into Parliament Station and it wouldn't take much work the connect the old Delta Complex with Lyon.

https://obj.ca/article/highly-sought-aft...uebec-investor-ottawa-real-estate-market

[JHikka]

That's good to hear. Ottawa woefully lacks an underground pedestrian mall in its CBD, especially for the awful winters Ottawa gets. LRT provides a great opportunity to get started on one.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by McC

6-storey mid-rise proposed for the corner of Byron (technically "Byron Pl) and Churchill:

https://kitchissippiward.ca/content/472-...1DjDhc_eQk0WvETtvCLnNdYAXTkE-91MMMsSC5wE

The design is very much in the new vernacular for the neighbourhood, to say the least.

Do you have more info on this? Is it facing Byron Place and taking over the car seller and one of the houses?

This is surprising! I welcome development, but I kind of feel like buildings at this intersection should be better looking and around 3-4 storeys.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

Do you have more info on this? Is it facing Byron Place and taking over the car seller and one of the houses?

This is surprising! I welcome development, but I kind of feel like buildings at this intersection should be better looking and around 3-4 storeys.

This is fronting Churchill across the street from the Masonic Temple and the school. It would replace three buildings south of Byron up to the MilkFace store. I don't object to it being tall, I just wish it were articulated differently with visual weight on the first two storeys similar to some buildings on Richmond Road. I also think they should make the ground floor commercial to turn Richmond/Churchill into more of a true crossroads.

[lrt's friend]

I drove over Billings Bridge today. The bike trail that will run under the bridge is well under construction and most of the excavation is complete. Sometimes, I am surprised how quickly some projects move along.

I was also over at the new Fifth-Clegg pedestrian bridge to show my cousin where our great-grandparents lived. For some houses, the bridge will block their view of the canal. It is a pretty imposing structure. It is a little disappointing but I will await completion before deciding what I think of it.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I drove over Billings Bridge today. The bike trail that will run under the bridge is well under construction and most of the excavation is complete. Sometimes, I am surprised how quickly some projects move along.

I was also over at the new Fifth-Clegg pedestrian bridge to show my cousin where our great-grandparents lived. For some houses, the bridge will block their view of the canal. It is a pretty imposing structure. It is a little disappointing but I will await completion before deciding what I think of it.

They were pumping concrete and lifting precast retaining wall blocks into place in the rain on Friday, it seems that there is a desire to get this done before the snow settles in.