Westgate Centre redevelopment [1309 Carling Ave] | 3x86m, 2x120m | 3x24f, 2x36f | U/C

[RideauRat]

i needs to be some sort of crime or fine to propose something and just sit on the land like this. riocan gobbles up all of ottawa's crititcal nodes then just eff's off and sleeps on it for decades.

[eltodesukane]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Portion of Westgate Shopping Centre could be torn down as soon as this fall, councillor says[/SIZE]

Well, it didn't happen.

[AuxTown]

I don't see how there can possibly be enough market for all these apartments? There must be units for 10000 people proposed or under construction along carling between Maitland and Island Park!

That said, this mall needs to go. It must be getting close to not being profitable as a mall, no? I agree that big corporations like Riocan don't do us any favours. They are large enough that they work on generational timescales whereas we want it NOW!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

I don't see how there can possibly be enough market for all these apartments? There must be units for 10000 people proposed or under construction along carling between Maitland and Island Park!

Demand is still there right now, but as soon as PP is elected, Ottawa's growth will come to a screeching halt. OCH will need to continue to build though thanks to Ford's policy that greatly reduced private sector reasonably affordable housing.

I'm worried about LeBreton and the Sens district.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Demand is still there right now, but as soon as PP is elected, Ottawa's growth will come to a screeching halt. OCH will need to continue to build though thanks to Ford's policy that greatly reduced private sector reasonably affordable housing.

I'm worried about LeBreton and the Sens district.

That "reasonably affordable" housing was just housing being subsidized by the high rents/sale price of other units. The city also has a massive dev charge specifically for social housing.

Both of which are bad policy that lead to less housing as all the research shows, and secondly Subsidized units should be paid for by society not just newcomers and immigrants, as you and other "progressives" support.

[J.OT13]

This is the end of the line for Ottawa's first indoor mall. Sounds like they'll eventually demo the mall, build a grocery store and sit around for a while, sort of like Lincoln Fields. At least they built one tower here.

Storied Westgate Barber Shop to close at end of July

By KT Staff
July 22, 2025

By Victor Vigas Alvarez

The buzz of hair clippers and the snip-snip of scissors giving new hairstyles fill the air at the Westgate Barber Shop, but come July 31, the shop will be closing its doors as part of a broader shut down of the Westgate Shopping Centre.

The local barbershop opened its doors in 1955. Owner Ramon Carballude, 85, has been with the shop since 1968. He and his wife took full ownership of the business in 2000.

While hair styles have come and gone, the need for a quick snip will always be there. What’s also changed: the cost of a haircut. Carballude said that when he became the owner, a fresh trim cost only $1.75.

In an interview with the Kitchissippi Times, Carballude, who moved to Canada from Spain in 1965, said he worked a few jobs before returning to the trade he first learned in his home country.

It’s hard to know exactly how many haircuts Carballude has given but it would be in the tens of thousands. On a Thursday afternoon when KT stopped by, there were many regulars and some new business in the crowded shop

“It’s not just people from around here who come. Some people drive an hour. They come from Carleton Place and other small towns,” he said. “We have some clients from Vancouver. They come at least three or four times a year. What do they come for? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we treat each other well.”

Carballude said that having a loyal clientele has been an “honour and a joy” for him.

Sian Clark, whose husband usually cuts her kids’ hair, said she brought her son in for a trim at the Westgate Barber where her brother, father, and grandfather all went.

When asked what the shop has meant for him, Carballude said it’s given him the good fortune of meeting good people and paying the bills. “What more could you want?” he joked.

Carballude doesn’t plan to turn off the light on his barber pole just yet. A new barbershop will open just down the road at 1572 Carling Ave. Hoang Vo, who has worked at the barbershop for 27 years, is taking over the business and said Carballude will stay on without the pressures of being the owner this time around.

When Carballude isn’t cutting hair, he will be spending his semi-retirement fishing, vegetable gardening, and wine making. He also intends to vacation in northern Spain where he owns a house.

Westgate Mall is finally being demolished

RioCan, which owns the Westgate Shopping Centre, is in the works of redeveloping the site of Ottawa’s first mall. Original plans called for six towers at the site. The first 24-storey building was built on the corner of Carling Avenue and Merivale Road where the Monkey Joe’s restaurant used to be located.

Phase 2 of the project was supposed to see the Shoppers Drug Mart come down with the mall remaining, but those plans changed when the pharmacy didn’t move as planned into the new apartment ground-floor retail space.

In an emailed statement, River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington said that all tenants of the Westgate Shopping Centre have been told to vacate by Oct. 31 2025.

He also confirmed the building will be demolished, but that its timeline remains unknown. Shoppers Drug Mart will remain standing.

It’s also believed the residential component of the site has been reduced, with a new grocery store being built once the aging mall comes down. It will serve the surge of new residents moving into the area, including at the Talisman Apartments across the street. City council has approved plans for 24 towers to be built between Merivale Road and Clyde Avenne, which will create housing for about 9,000 new residents.

Kitchissippi Times reached out to RioCan for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

It’s unclear where all existing tenants of the mall will go, but Trillium Dental has a sign on its door saying it will open a new office at the Rhythm Apartments located on the Westgate grounds Oct. 31. Both Carducci’s Shoes and Satchels Luggage have announced they are moving to 1337 Wellington Street West near Ross Avenue.

Capital City Dance has already moved to its new location at 74 Jamie Avenue in Nepean.

Brendon Banville, the owner of Superior Photo, has decided to retire after owning the business since 1986. With only one part-time employee, moving would mean 10 hour days, which the 65-year-old decided not to pursue. Across the almost vacant mall strip, Linda Wang from European Fine Tailoring said she also plans not to reopen after being in business for 18 years. Instead she intends to keep seeing some of her regular clients while operating out of her home.

https://kitchissippi.com/elgin-streets-g...er-johns-diner-space-in-wellington-west/

[AuxTown]

Shoppers can't be too happy about a grocery store coming in! They have probably the biggest grocery area of any SDM in the city and it's always busy. That said, I imagine it will be one of the 10 different Loblaws-owned brands so money going to the same pocket anyway.

I have regularly gone to Thai Go, the only restaurant remaining in the food court. The couple is closing at the end of this month and moving back to China while they figure out their next move. I would have loved to see them move into one of the retail spaces at Talisman but they tell me it is too expensive for them to make a go of it. I know change is inevitable, but I will be sad to see them go. Small business, fresh ingredients, always service with a smile. If you live in the area, stop by this week for a stir fry

I always thought the site plan was a bit ambitious, but I really hope they figure out a way to incorporate some greenspace into the site plan. The original plan had a decent sized park near what was supposed to be the second tower (SDM site):

[Tartarus]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

Shoppers can't be too happy about a grocery store coming in! They have probably the biggest grocery area of any SDM in the city and it's always busy. That said, I imagine it will be one of the 10 different Loblaws-owned brands so money going to the same pocket anyway.

I have regularly gone to Thai Go, the only restaurant remaining in the food court. The couple is closing at the end of this month and moving back to China while they figure out their next move. I would have loved to see them move into one of the retail spaces at Talisman but they tell me it is too expensive for them to make a go of it. I know change is inevitable, but I will be sad to see them go. Small business, fresh ingredients, always service with a smile. If you live in the area, stop by this week for a stir fry

I always thought the site plan was a bit ambitious, but I really hope they figure out a way to incorporate some greenspace into the site plan. The original plan had a decent sized park near what was supposed to be the second tower (SDM site):

Details for the next phase of the Westgate redevelopment have been posted to Dev Apps, and based on the renderings, the green space has been reduced to several planters bookmarking the aisles of expansive parking lots. I'm a lot less optimistic about this project now.

I'll try to post a picture, hopefully this works.

https://imgur.com/a/XUclmhU

[AuxTown]

Wow, looks like they went all out on this one . Nice bike lane I guess?

from devapps:





Looks like the spot for the future tower will be "greenspace" for now. The site plan says "slope to drain, hydroseed"

[Richard Eade]

Yellow Supermarket sign - I expect a No Frills.

[Kitchissippi]

Wow, what a downgrade. I wonder if all the proposals along Carling killed the housing component of this proposal.

In keeping with the no name brand, they should rebrand No Frills as "place to buy food"

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Wow, what a downgrade. I wonder if all the proposals along Carling killed the housing component of this proposal.

In keeping with the no name brand, they should rebrand No Frills as "place to buy food"

Yeah riocan is kind of a severe disappointment, there stock is basically only good for it's dividend of that.

I think most of there projects are stalled.

[rocketphish]

These are probably disposable buildings that will be torn down and re-redeveloped once the market picks up again.

[McDonald's Racoon]

Urban design concept visualization... of a parking lot? I'm honestly shocked that this type of development is even allowed nowadays.
How are disposable buildings ecological in any way?
Would it be possible to only build the podium of a building temporarily and keep retail open whilst the tower gets built in the future?

[RideauRat]

Riocan is sad.. this and Lincoln fields are a tragedy. Auction the lot and move tf out the way.

[Uhuniau]

Wtaf

[J.OT13]

I was lead to believe we were in a major housing crisis that required the demolition of all our heritage buildings and established neighbourhoods. How could this be!?

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I was lead to believe we were in a major housing crisis that required the demolition of all our heritage buildings and established neighbourhoods. How could this be!?

Clearly Leiper's fault.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Clearly Leiper's fault.

Clearly! Run him out of town Seymour Skinner style!


https://nerdist.com/article/the-simpsons-fake-seymour-skinner-worst-episode/

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Clearly Leiper's fault.

Leiper actively hurt and opposed the building of thousands of units, so while not solely his fault, he is not blameless.

Also, funny that the two of the more vocal nimbys are here again making fun of what is a bad situation.

Or did you fools forget that Leiper is the head of planning committee during a time in which the city had increased Dev fees astronomically, to such an extent that we put ourselves possibly out of having the feds give funding for housing.