Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre Redevelopment | U/C

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by antresenect

From June 2019: https://www.baywardbulletin.ca/riocan-presents-possible-concepts-for-lincoln-fields-site-over-time/

“Wendy’s will be rebuilt at the same spot, but their lease will not be renewed. They have about 8 years left on the site.”

So the new Wendy’s will only be open six years total, I think it reopened in 2021. I assume this has to do with terms of the insurance money or lease or something. Unless this thing drags on even more and it gets extended.

I'm so glad we cant have plastic bags so we have save the environment. Green washing is such a sham.

I say that as someone who tries to do my part, but working in renovations means you will throw away several tons of waste to the landfill over cosmetic preferences. What ya gonna do eh?

[J.OT13]

Buildings were built to last 100+ years up until the 1960s (for the most part). A lot of what goes up today, suburban retail and big box in particular. That's one of the reasons I hate seeing any heritage structure, or even brick structure from the 60s and earlier come down.

I do my part for the environment, but it gets exhausting when I see the rest of society not give a damn.

[antresenect]

This was the Wendy’s that was burned down by a former employee “in a psychotic state” in 2018. So not exactly a renovation, it was a complete rebuild, and they got 2.5 million in their insurance payout.

[Harley613]

I'm still confused about the Metro and Rexall. Are those really buildings intended to be taken down within 10-15 years?

[Ottawacurious]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I'm still confused about the Metro and Rexall. Are those really buildings intended to be taken down within 10-15 years?

As I understand it: yes. They reference it in the video. The site they selected was allowing them to build over the next number of years and then transfer Metro & Rexall into a completed tower in the future once the tenant agreement expires. How many years? Don't know exactly but it sounds like a long project overall (~20 years).

Where Rexall/Metro stand now will be a future 'central park' in the future. You can see their footprints outlined in blue in a few images.

[rocketphish]

Lincoln Fields Secondary Plan Amendments

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D02-02-24-0011/details


The City of Ottawa has initiated an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application to add the Lincoln Fields Secondary Plan to Volume 2A of the Official Plan and to re-zone the lands at 2525 Carling Avenue (former Lincoln Fields shopping centre) to permit for a high-density, mixed-use, and transit-oriented district.

The policies of this secondary plan provide the following general policy direction:

• High-rise development in the Hub designation and on sites along Richmond Road, Carling Avenue;
• Building heights that transition to nearby low-rise neighbourhoods;
• New active transportation facilities on key sites to connect to the existing and planned pedestrian and cycling network;
• Locating mixed-use buildings along the street edge with parking to the rear of buildings;
• The replacement of the Kichi Zībī Mikan on-and-off ramps with a protected signalized intersection;
• Four new development areas on lands owned by the National Capital Commission; and
• New parks and public spaces at key locations, including parkland at 2525 Carling Avenue (the former Lincoln Fields shopping centre).

[J.OT13]

It's not great, but it's not terrible. Seeing RLA terrified me.

Now can we build something instead of shuffling the suburban style retail buildings around the site?

[Arcologist]

I haven't been following this redevelopment very closely, but it looks like there will be no more mall component at all on the site once it's done? That's a big change!

[OTSkyline]

There hasn't been a mall component for a while now, they bulldozed everything and built a Metro, a Rexall and a Wendy's on site a few years ago and then left the rest as parking/empty.

Overall I like the plan, mixed-use, dense, heights up to 40fl, a "central park" and allocating tall buildings in the bottom-right corner closest to the LRT station.

I wonder what the timeline or phasing will be. Also, surprised the plan seems to disregard all 3 buildings on site currently. Surely, bulldozing all of these buildings built in the last like 5 years isn't actually economical or recommended...?

[Uhuniau]

"WOONERF BOULIVARD"

I think that'll be my nom de porn when I start an OnlyFans.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

There hasn't been a mall component for a while now, they bulldozed everything and built a Metro, a Rexall and a Wendy's on site a few years ago and then left the rest as parking/empty.

It's actually kind of spooky going through those empty, gull-filled parking lots on the buses that do that stupid loop-de-loop.

[Ottawacurious]

I'm clarifying... that concept plan doesn't yet reflect the updated plan? It was made June 2023. Seems to reflect what they wanted though.

[Westbro]

Hot take, there too much "park" and too many roads.

[DTcrawler]

Originally Posted by Westbro

Hot take, there too much "park" and too many roads.

Agreed, unless they add some practical uses to that space like a painted soccer field with nets or a basketball court or a play structure, it'll be mostly wasted space. This doesn't feel like the type of neighbourhood where people lounge on the grass with friends for a picnic or to get a tan like they do at Major's Hill Park, Confederation Park, Strathcona Park, Commissioner's Park etc.

Though I do see neighbourhood kids often get a soccer game going on just about any green space they can find in the inner-Greenbelt suburbs, so in this case at least give them some nice amenities like nets.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by Westbro

Hot take, there too much "park" and too many roads.

Agreed, Ottawa has enough open grassfields & with how many entrances there are to site, the ramps & "roads" can literally be built sub-grade to one of the many exits..

Though after looking at the layout it looks like the site will have two above grade parking garages, 5 stories each, assuming for the commercial tenants.

[Westbro]

Especially here, it is not a far distance to the parks along the path and Britannia which is where the community goes to lounge in.

[kwoldtimer]

Odd comments, istm, when green space (well used or not) basically defines Ottawa.

[Jay31]

I'm all for more small parks like the one in this plan. I live not too far from there, and coming from downtown, the density of parks and recreational areas (places where you can take kids, throw a frisbee or dare I say have a picnic) is much less in this area. Sure, there's green space a long the river and the parkways and there are some parks within 10-15 minutes, but it's not the same as having many small parks ner where you live where you can just hang out. While we do want density, it should be desirable places to live - not high rise after high rise like you'd see in a Chinese suburb, and I think a big part of that is having more small parks like this.

[kwoldtimer]

They could improve the park by incorporating a three season kiosk that sells coffee, etc.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

They could improve the park by incorporating a three season kiosk that sells coffee, etc.

A Gazebo and splash pad in the center with a couple trees and a picnic table could go a long way to encourage use of the space.

Curious what a 'central plaza' entails.