1490-1500 Merivale Rd | 10 buildings | up to 34m | 9f-11f | Proposed

[rocketphish]

The Planning Rationale has now been posted as well.

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%...ning%20Rational%20-%20D07-12-21-0152.PDF

And here's a new image:

[J.OT13]

Love this project. Has a bit of a Scandinavian vibe.

[rocketphish]

Some new aerial views, from the Claridge public information session presentation (2021.04.26)








https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zL75jC3kTjm0YOTdAH8-3LT6FcEgKWIy/view

[rocketphish]

City poised to grant $665,000 to clean up former CTV Ottawa newsroom site

Michael Woods, CTV News Ottawa
@michaelrwoods
Published Tuesday, June 21, 2022 4:00AM EDT

The city of Ottawa is poised to pay a developer nearly $665,000 to clean up the site of the former CTV Ottawa/CJOH building in the west end.

The land at 1500 Merivale Road has sat empty since 2010, when a fire destroyed the newsroom. The cause was never determined.

Claridge Homes, which owns the land, is planning to build 10 residential buildings on the site ranging from nine to 13 storeys high. The proposal will feature nearly 2,000 residential units and more than 1,100 square metres of commercial space.

The site is now contaminated. The city’s brownfield program allows the city to issue grants covering up to 50 per cent of the cost of rehabilitating contaminated lands.

The city's finance and economic development committee will vote on the grant at its June 28 meeting.

The February 2010 fire ripped through the newsroom and caused more than $2.5 million in damage. The fire marshal’s office said at the time the extent of damage to the building made it difficult to track the origin of the fire.

Claridge bought the land for $12 million in February 2021, according to an industry newsletter.

The property is nearly 60,000 square metres and has frontage on Clyde Avenue, Merivale Road and Baseline Road.

An environmental assessment shows the land is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the groundwater has volatile organic compounds.

City staff estimate the overall economic impact of the development at $350 million in direct construction value, along with $7 million a year in increase municipal and education taxes by 2034 when the project is finished.

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/city-poised-to...ormer-ctv-ottawa-newsroom-site-1.5955229

[J.OT13]

Well worth it. This is a good project. Plenty of housing in a human scaled community.

[rocketphish]

It seems that Claridge has picked-up the Green Papaya restaurant site on Baseline and incorporated it into their updated scheme. It also looks like there are more internal roads and less open space overall. An additional building is now planned on Merivale in the previously touted Public Dedicated Parkland. Maybe we'll see some new renderings soon.



http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%...-17%20-%20Plans%20-%20D07-12-21-0152.PDF

[rocketphish]

Phase 1 plans (Dec 2023)

Ground floor plan:



Renderings:

[rocketphish]

Jul 12, 2024 (J.OT13)

New renderings. Back to white cladding.

[rocketphish]

Application reactivated (Dec 2024)

Siteplan:

[J.OT13]

Happy to see that! Not as nice as the initial designs, but still decent.

[McKellarDweller]

Please please, just build anything here and use this site for something. Even something as cheaply clad as Andaz would be an upgrade. It’s been frustrating having this windswept litter collecting weed patch inside the greenbelt sitting here while the city sprawls away endlessly.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by McKellarDweller

Please please, just build anything here and use this site for something. Even something as cheaply clad as Andaz would be an upgrade. It’s been frustrating having this windswept litter collecting weed patch inside the greenbelt sitting here while the city sprawls away endlessly.

Totally agree. This area has so many dead proposals...and it even has twin 15 story mid construction abandoned towers. It needs a catalyst more than any other area in the city.

[Landscape Lenny]

There was a pretty big homeless encampment back there in the woods behind Tim Horton's with an absolute mountain of trash and some pretty elaborate shelters. No idea if they're still there.

[Tariq20]

Looks like claridge might be cooking up with something on this site.

[OTSkyline]

I'm all for height but not sure this is the right place for it. Won't be anywhere near LRT, baseline BRT is a pipe dream and so we are either forcing people to drive (and Baseline / Merivale is already pretty busy) or take multiple buses to get anywhere (like schools, downtown, work, etc).

[rocketphish]

"The previously-approved development on the Phase 1 lands was for a 10-storey mixed-use building with 125 residential units and retail space at grade. At this point in the project, the layout for the remainer of the development has not yet been advanced beyond the initial Master Plan submission. It is understood that there will be changes to the initial Master Plan that was presented, as that plan was based on the former Official Plan and the current zoning. Further, the revised vision for the subject lands will consider the approved Urban Design Guidelines, including those related to High-rise building placement, floorplates, transition, and massing.

The proposed Zoning By-law Amendment is requesting a maximum building height of 40 storeys (130 metres) whereas the Zoning By-law currently permits a maximum building height of 34 metres. The amendment is supported by the policies of the Official Plan.

The lands subject to the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment do not include “Phase 1”."

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I'm all for height but not sure this is the right place for it. Won't be anywhere near LRT, baseline BRT is a pipe dream and so we are either forcing people to drive (and Baseline / Merivale is already pretty busy) or take multiple buses to get anywhere (like schools, downtown, work, etc).

I mean.. who cares about traffic? I get what your saying but perhaps we should have induced demand in the sense that its going to make the BRT that much more viable. I have no expectations when I go sit in my rectangle. I saw two accidents yesterday than can be attributed to nothing more than people not paying attention. I just sit there and grin and bear it.

Within reason, buildings up to 150m and 40 something floors within the greenbelt should be a near automatic given with some considerations in regards to stepping down to SFH neighbourhoods etc. The Travelodge buildings are a good example of height on the main st and then stepping down to 8 floors.

I don't see who would be inconvenienced by height at this location. Just build it man. Maybe if we get enough people whinging about the latey8 something might come of it.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I'm all for height but not sure this is the right place for it. Won't be anywhere near LRT, baseline BRT is a pipe dream and so we are either forcing people to drive (and Baseline / Merivale is already pretty busy) or take multiple buses to get anywhere (like schools, downtown, work, etc).

It's where the city chose to put a hub, so that decision was made years ago and now the housing that was planned needs to be allowed to be built.

[GeoNerd]

I remember Claridge/Fotenn/GOHBA scaring the villagers with this exact scenario during the urban boundary expansion debate. They showed towers of up to 40 stories on this exact site and said “Unless you want towers in locations like this, we need to expand the boundary and build lower density housing in the suburbs”. They got their boundary expansion and are now proposing the exact tower scenario that they warned about. Cold blooded. 💀

[RideauRat]

Lot's of activity here, machines and tree clearing. first time driving by in a while not sure if it's been there for a while.