Posted Sep 22, 2008, 12:41 PM
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Mooderator
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Aylmer, Québec
Posts: 21,456
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http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/09/21/6828006-sun.html
Quote:
Hull of a makeover
City officials across the river hope to revitalize its historic downtown with development plans that could double area's population by 2025
By AEDAN HELMER, SUN MEDIA
Sun. Sept. 21, 2008
Hull is getting a facelift, and city officials are turning to residents for ideas on how a new downtown urban village should look.
The city hopes to nearly double the area's population to 25,000 by 2025.
That ambitious target will require a broad vision, extensive planning and consultation, and aggressive marketing to draw residents back to Hull, says Coun. Denise Laferriere, who represents the area.
"We want to make sure the people will participate in the design of the core, and after that we hope there will be less opposition when the project goes up," she said.
Yesterday, city officials hosted a workshop where 40 residents tweaked their own proposals.
HIGHRISE CONCERNS
According to Laferriere, some local residents are "sensitive" about rapid growth in the area, particularly with the height of new condominium developments.
Growth in Hull has stunted since the 1970s, when hundreds of residents were forced to move because their homes were expropriated to make way for federal office buildings and the six-lane Maisonneuve Blvd.
The rate of growth in Hull has since slowed to only 30 dwellings per year.
To reach the population target by 2025, that rate will need to increase tenfold.
"It's an ambitious target, but it's doable," said Duncan Cass-Beggs, of the Residents' Association of L'Ile de Hull. "But you have to do it in a really smart way that doesn't involve just jumping on building big towers over open-air parking lots."
Claude Royer, chairman of the association's urban planning committee, said while there are some locations where highrise condominium towers are appropriate, "medium-density buildings carefully planned across the downtown area could bring a lot of additional dwellings."
There is also concern over the impact of such rapid development on delicate natural landmarks such as Brewery Creek and the Chaudiere Falls.
ATTRACT RESIDENTS
"We want to increase the density in a smart way while maintaining the quality of life," said Royer. "If you don't develop in a smart way, you're not going to attract people."
The group drew inspiration from other vibrant neighbourhoods in putting together its own design for the downtown village, including Montreal's chic Plateau district and Ottawa's own Byward Market.
"This is the historic heart of the area, and we want to make it a meeting place for the whole of Gatineau," said Royer. "It's about modernizing while preserving the historic character, and creating something exciting enough to attract people from elsewhere in the province and the country as well."
The city will hold a public hearing tomorrow, and staff hopes to table a final proposal before council in December. The next window for public consultation will open in spring 2009.
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