General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa] - Page 77

Harley613 · #**1521** Posted **Jan 12, 2011, 9:34 PM**

Does anyone have any idea when this monstrosity will be complete? It's taking them for freakin' ever!!!

AuxTown · #**1522** Posted **Jan 12, 2011, 10:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

Does anyone have any idea when this monstrosity will be complete? It's taking them for freakin' ever!!!

First off, it's disgusting. At least before it was kind of brown and inconspicuous. I believe it is taking this long as they are basically evicting the entire building 1-2 vertical rows at a time which is why it is taking so long. As far as timelines, who knows??

Harley613 · #**1523** Posted **Jan 12, 2011, 11:20 PM**

are they trying to make this place high-rent? that's like putting lipstick on a pig (a la '4 holes')

Cre47 · #**1524** Posted **Jan 12, 2011, 11:27 PM**

Might be this

http://www.emcottawaeast.ca/20100923/new...les+against+pancreatic+and+other+cancers

"The money will help build the new Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, at The Ottawa Hospital General Campus. Construction of the Centre will accelerate research into "biological" treatments that harness viruses, cells and genes to eradicate cancer."

Cre47 · #**1525** Posted **Jan 12, 2011, 11:28 PM**

double post

blackjagger · #**1526** Posted **Jan 12, 2011, 11:55 PM**

Could it be the Life Sciences Condos being built by Broccolini.

Source:http://www.broccolini.com/Broccolini_Project_Detail.aspx?ProjectID=177&All=No&Green=No&Current=No

Ottawan · #**1527** Posted **Jan 13, 2011, 2:41 PM**

Edit: deleted post because I was referring to the above project, without the pretty picture and link.

blackjagger · #**1528** Posted **Jan 16, 2011, 11:42 PM**

There was an article in the Citizen on Saturday which was describing the above project. Looks like it is an investor group which handed construction management to Phoenix Homes who owns the land and who than sub'd it out to Broccolini for actual construction. Better news is that another project similar to this is being planned near Rideau and King Edward. Without the need to sell units we could turn around one day soon and see a pit going down. Does anyone know of any properties that Phoenix owns in that area?

Cheers,
Josh

gjhall · #**1529** Posted **Jan 17, 2011, 12:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackjagger

There was an article in the Citizen on Saturday which was describing the above project. Looks like it is an investor group which handed construction management to Phoenix Homes who owns the land and who than sub'd it out to Broccolini for actual construction. Better news is that another project similar to this is being planned near Rideau and King Edward. Without the need to sell units we could turn around one day soon and see a pit going down. Does anyone know of any properties that Phoenix owns in that area?

Cheers,
Josh

Saw that, pretty sure they were referring to Daly Square (http://www.phoenixhomes.ca/condoLiving/condoLiving_overview.cfm?com=32)
which would explain how it sold as fast as it did.

reidjr · #**1530** Posted **Jan 17, 2011, 3:54 PM**

I have heard the u of ottawa will be comming out with a major plan this summer does anyone know is this true and if so whata re the rumors on possible devlopment plans.

Luker · #**1531** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 6:23 AM**

Probally the equivalrnt to this plan...

http://www2.carleton.ca/fmp/ccms/wp-content/ccms-files/2010-Final%20CMP.pdf

Davis137 · #**1532** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 2:29 PM**

Wow, that's a pretty elaborate design/plan...it'll make Carleton look like even more of a mini-city than it is already. Mind you, I wonder why they want Dunton tower to be the only building in location that is more than 8-10 floors tall...

ThaLoveDocta · #**1533** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 3:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luker

Probally the equivalrnt to this plan...

http://www2.carleton.ca/fmp/ccms/wp-content/ccms-files/2010-Final%20CMP.pdf

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davis137

Wow, that's a pretty elaborate design/plan...it'll make Carleton look like even more of a mini-city than it is already. Mind you, I wonder why they want Dunton tower to be the only building in location that is more than 8-10 floors tall...

No doubt...
Carleton's master plan is very impressive. Was put together by the folks who did UBC, and a few other major world campuses.

If my count is correct, they're talking about several dozen new buildings over the next ten years, all in the architectural style seen in the buildings built over the last 5-10 yrs. (athletics, arena, unicentre, human interface, river bldg, new res, canal bldg etc.)

It will be nice to see significant developpment in the P6/P7 parking areas (near bronson and the canal) slated for graduate campus.
Hopefully they remember that underground parking and tunels are a must if they're taking away all that land.

Also, the new design for the Quad opening up in a grand staircase to the river and the rapids will create a focal point for the campus unrivaled by arguably any urban layout in the city.

TLD

c_speed3108 · #**1534** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 3:32 PM**

Regarding the U of O plan...if in fact this comes out...I had not heard anything.

Looking a bit at the list of what U of O owns:

http://www.uottawa.ca/services/immeub/fra/repertoire.htm

What I would expect to see:

-Plans Regarding the 200 Lees Avenue Campus.
-Plans Regarding the area around King Edward and Laurier (perhaps extending right down to Templeton)
-Plans/Timelines Regarding the construction of the North Tower of the Desmarais Building
-Plans Regarding further expansion of the Health Sciences area on Smyth.

reidjr · #**1535** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 1:35 PM**

Carleton is aslo expected to upgrade keith harris stadium so it can host a cis football team as soon as 2012.

JackBauer24 · #**1536** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 7:50 PM**

Aside from their men's basketball team, Carleton has, andalways will be, against sports. In every "renovation" they've completed since the 70's, they always build it in such a way that they will never have to host a large national or international event - eg 1. - they're swimming pool in about a foot off from being official olympic length (so no national swim meet could be held), eg 2, they're indoor soccer/lacrosse feild - used old astroturf (which hasn't been used in almost a decade) and is nowhere near the size needed to host any offical soccer, football or lacrosse event.

So I wouldn't thold your breathe for a Keith Harris stadium renovation.

ThaLoveDocta · #**1537** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 1:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackBauer24

Aside from their men's basketball team, Carleton has, andalways will be, against sports. In every "renovation" they've completed since the 70's, they always build it in such a way that they will never have to host a large national or international event - eg 1. - they're swimming pool in about a foot off from being official olympic length (so no national swim meet could be held), eg 2, they're indoor soccer/lacrosse feild - used old astroturf (which hasn't been used in almost a decade) and is nowhere near the size needed to host any offical soccer, football or lacrosse event.

So I wouldn't thold your breathe for a Keith Harris stadium renovation.

As far as i'm aware, the field house is actually built with a removable floor so it can be upgraded at any time should the budget allow (this was a cost saving measure at time of construction) Secondly, the field house is currently 2/3 of potential full size. it can have the additional 3rd portion added at any time the budget allows. It is an internal pressure structure and adding the final third does not require interruption of services or significant renovation of any sort.

Touching on the subject of the pool. yes it may not seem a wise choice for the city as a whole... however international events committees have a nasty tendency to put forth cities as potential hosts, and then force local facilities to offer their space, with little regard for existing schedules or paying users.

Granted, I agree... it would have been nice if the pool were a foot longer and the 10m platform actually 10m (if I'm not mistaken it was kept at 9.9 for the same reason as the pool) to host pan-ams or the like.

*politics*

Incidentally, having one of the greatest CIS basketball clubs in the history of the CIS should pull some weight towards the "Carleton has, and always will be, against sports" bit... But hey, maybe I'm biased.

jcollins · #**1538** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 2:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaLoveDocta

As far as i'm aware, the field house is actually built with a removable floor so it can be upgraded at any time should the budget allow (this was a cost saving measure at time of construction) Secondly, the field house is currently 2/3 of potential full size. it can have the additional 3rd portion added at any time the budget allows. It is an internal pressure structure and adding the final third does not require interruption of services or significant renovation of any sort.

Incidentally, having one of the greatest CIS basketball clubs in the history of the CIS should pull some weight towards the "Carleton has, and always will be, against sports" bit... But hey, maybe I'm biased.

That was always my understanding. And I agree. But it'd be nice to see us be a bit more than a basketball school.

TransitZilla · #**1539** Posted **Jan 29, 2011, 3:16 PM**

I don't think this has ever been posted here, even though it is a couple of weeks old.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Ashcroft+Homes+lofty+plans+Central+Park/4114374/story.html

Quote:

Ashcroft Homes has lofty plans for Central Park

Feedback on 18-storey-plus condo towers has been positive, developer says

BY JOANNE CHIANELLO, OTTAWA CITIZEN JANUARY 15, 2011

Ashcroft Homes is planning a new 930,000 square-foot project on the Merivale Road side of its Central Park housing development by the Experimental Farm, complete with eight mixed-used buildings -- four of them 18-storey-plus condo towers.

That's well above the eight-storey height currently allowed in the area so, as in virtually every other intensification project in the city, Ashcroft will be asking for that section of Merivale to be rezoned when it files its preliminary plans with the city in a few weeks. But what makes this higher-than-called-for project different from others is that the community supports it -- at least so far, and with caveats.

"I think overall the feedback was really positive," said Liz Allan, president of the Central Park Community Association, of a meeting that Ashcroft held last month with about 75 members of the surrounding neighbourhood.

The early thumbs-up from the community, which is 1,300 households strong, is a surprise on two fronts: residents are rarely happy with developers who want more height than the current zoning allows; and Ashcroft in particular doesn't have a spotless record with homeowners in the Central Park housing development. Central Park was plagued with construction-quality and safety issues early in the decade. Indeed, the developer was compelled by the city to re-inspect many homes in the area. And Ashcroft is the developer behind the hugely controversial convent redevelopment in Westboro.

The community's collective change of heart seems to be coming from the actual design for the new development. Instead of putting up a row of squat, square buildings -- which Ashcroft is allowed to do under the city's current zoning -- the developer is working with well-known Ottawa architect Ritchard Brisbin for the first time to create something of a walkable main street for the residents of Central Park that would include small gardens, street-level shops and parking. On the way out is the drive-thru Tim Hortons on Merivale, which many residents have complained causes traffic backups during morning rush hour. (Ashcroft officials said a Tim Hortons could be part of the commercial mix of the new development, but a drive-thru will not be allowed.)

"The concept (Ashcroft) is putting forward is not something we're really used to seeing," said Allan. "I expected to see a straight line of squat buildings, that would have really been a barrier to our community. Instead, the design seems innovative. There's even what you might call an organic flow to it."

Creating a main street feel for that part of Merivale, just north of Baseline Road, wasn't easy, accord to Brisbin, who is also one of the architects working on the designs for the commercial redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.

While the Central Park housing community sits on the west side of Merivale, the Experimental Farm is on the east side. "Frankly, it's hard to create a main street when you don't have both sides of the road in play," said Brisbane.

Instead of using Merivale as the main road in the new development, Brisbin has treated it as the back of the community. He's proposing a serpentine new "main street" running alongside Merivale, with parking and buildings on both sides. There would be greenery and some commercial uses between the new main street and Merivale, but mostly the gap would serve as a barrier between the housing development and the heavily used artery.

Currently, Ashcroft's proposed development calls for eight buildings, with the two highest on the extreme north and south ends with structures getting smaller towards the middle of the development. The building plans so far include two 25-storey towers on five-storey podiums, two 18-storey condos on two-storey podiums, a five-storey building in the centre of the development, and about three two-storey retail-and-office buildings.

Ashcroft aims to start building the middle of the development first, expanding outward over the next five to 10 years. But Ashcroft isn't exactly off the hook with residents -- at least not yet.

As Allan put it, "Our question was, 'How long will this be the actual design?' Quite frankly, our concern is whether this was a sleight of hand. The concept drawings from a forward-looking architect look great, but would there be a bait and switch?"

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

TransitZilla · #**1540** Posted **Jan 29, 2011, 3:27 PM**

And let us hope that this is NOT approved as proposed:

http://www.brentcomrealty.com/flyers/1500Merivale.pdf