General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa] - Page 124

Luker · #**2461** Posted **Oct 9, 2012, 2:00 PM**

Wow, thats a big parcel of land! It'll be quite the opportunity and project if and when someone develops it. What do you all suppose the chances are of a mixed use center? Or will we see another 'Smartcenter' style development? Who owns the property? Woudln't be suprised.. Ottawa still does have one of lowest amounts of retail sq/ft in the country per capita...

Similarly, and yet to be discussed here, there is also a large plot of land for sale at 975 Gladstone the location of the former BA Banknote co. The lot which is bound by Gladstone, Breezehill, Loretta, and Laurel is currently owned by Quebcor whom is yet to confirm any details on the lot.

See: http://hintonburg.com/devwatch.html

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=BA+ba...34979068829210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

c_speed3108 · #**2462** Posted **Oct 9, 2012, 2:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

The church I go to is in that plaza on the south side and we're trying to move too. ASAP.

Are they making the church move? Or does the church just want to?

blacktrojan3921 · #**2463** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 12:11 AM**

Saw this interesting article about a new compound being contructed for CSEC.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/08/...s-talent-with-880m-intelligence-complex/

http://www.plenarygroup.com/assets/media/plenary-csec-factsheet.pdf

Quote:

OTTAWA — Canada’s electronic spy organization says that the state-of-the-art headquarters now being built in an Ottawa suburb will make it a leader among its allies and attract the best and brightest of spies, according to newly released government documents.

When finished in 2015-16, Communications Security Establishment Canada’s new $880-million spy campus in Gloucester is expected to be home to more than 1,800 employees.

CSEC management objected last year when officials with the Union of National Defence Employees dubbed the 72,000-square-metre complex the “Taj Mahal” because of its numerous amenities.

Federal government looks to build ‘cyber perimeter’ over ‘hostile threats’ to national security

CSIS warns of dangers of foreign acquisitions as Nexen shareholders approve Chinese takeover

But the documents, obtained by The Ottawa Citizen, show the government has its own moniker for the new facility: Camelot, named for the mythical castle and court of King Arthur.

kevinbottawa · #**2464** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 1:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

Are they making the church move? Or does the church just want to?

I'm not privy to any info, but once the gas station was torn down I think they got the message that their time could be running out.

Capital Shaun · #**2465** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

I'm not privy to any info, but once the gas station was torn down I think they got the message that their time could be running out.

I live in the area. The rumour is that all the buildings will be torn down and the land redeveloped. But no one really knows what will be built there. Some neighbours are saying it'll be new retail similar to Trainyards.

kevinbottawa · #**2466** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 3:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

I live in the area. The rumour is that all the buildings will be torn down and the land redeveloped. But no one really knows what will be built there. Some neighbours are saying it'll be new retail similar to Trainyards.

Hopefully council learns from that mistake and never allows another trainyards inside the Greenbelt again. Shoot, even outside the greenbelt. What a waste of good space that would be, especially since it'll be near the end of the LRT line.

S-Man · #**2467** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 3:34 AM**

How close would it be to LRT? Hopefully there will never be another Trainyards.

c_speed3108 · #**2468** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 11:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

I live in the area. The rumour is that all the buildings will be torn down and the land redeveloped. But no one really knows what will be built there. Some neighbours are saying it'll be new retail similar to Trainyards.

Since College Square used to be Shoppers City West, I sorta picture that it will take perhaps a similar College Square, Train Yards type form.

There is certainly some types of stores that tend to settle in those places which that area of the city lacks so I can picture there being a market.

c_speed3108 · #**2469** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 12:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-Man

How close would it be to LRT? Hopefully there will never be another Trainyards.

I have walked from Blair Station to Staples there before. It would fall short of anything you could remotely call TOD. The walk also takes you across private property (that being the office park behind Canadian Tire). There is a walkway under Blair Rd, but then you need to cross the highway off ramp at the traffic light.

The walk is do-able-ish but could certainly use some refinement. Many do walk from Blair station to the office park.

It is along the 12 and a few local routes which serve Beacon Hill.

waterloowarrior · #**2470** Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 10:01 PM**

removed from the property managers site
http://web.archive.org/web/20110719160422/http://www.20vic.com/retail.html

vs http://www.20vic.com/retail.html

profile of site
http://www.20vic.com/propertyPDFs/0909/shoppersCityEast.pdf

J.OT13 · #**2471** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 11:49 PM**

Also on OBJ;

Quote:

Bank of Canada lease signed: Colliers

A major Crown corporation has signed a long-awaited lease to occupy approximately 350,000 square feet inside the Plaza 234 office tower at the corner of Laurier Avenue and O'Connor Street, according to brokerage firm Colliers International.

The Bank of Canada is vacating its Wellington Street headquarters for renovations and will use Plaza 234 - the former home of Export Development Canada - as swing space while work is underway.

Bank of Canada officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Department of Justice, which leased space inside the Bank of Canada building, is also being displaced and recently signed a lease for approximately 78,000 square feet inside the Sun Life Financial Centre.

The two moves mean there are no longer any pockets of contiguous space of 35,000 square feet or more available for direct lease in the downtown core, according to Colliers.

That will change in the next 12 to 18 months as Morguard completes its Performance Court tower at the corner of Elgin and Gloucester streets and the Canada Council for the Arts vacates its space at 350 Albert St. in the Constitution Square complex.

Additionally, two full floors inside the World Exchange Tower at 45 O’Connor St. will be vacated in the coming months as the Canadian Institute for Health Information consolidates its operations at its 495 Richmond Rd. location and Allstream relocates to 150 Laurier Ave.

Citywide, the office vacancy rate declined 110 basis points to 7.5 per cent at the end of the third quarter, according to Colliers statistics. The downtown core was slightly lower, at 5.6 per cent.

For a closer look at why the Department of Justice is moving into the Sun Life Financial Centre - rather than the office tower that submitted the lowest bid - pick up Monday’s print edition of OBJ.

What’s good for Cadillac Fairview (Plaza 234 co-owner) is good for the Rideau Centre, what’s good for Gillin (Plaza 234 co-owner) might be good for an NAC connection to the subway and Bentall's (Sun Life Centre and World Exchange Plaza) is pretty much a break even, so I still expect a subway connection to the two complexes.

Kitchissippi · #**2472** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 3:59 AM**

I thought the Bank of Canada building was just renovated a couple of years ago. The plaza was certainly boarded up for a long time. Sheesh, I guess if you're printing money you've got lots to spend!

J.OT13 · #**2473** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 9:08 PM**

Quote:

Nature museum ponders P3 underground parking garage

The Canadian Museum of Nature is seeking expressions of interest concerning a new underground parking garage that would be operated through a public-private partnership.

In documents posted on Merx, a procurement site, the museum states it is looking for a qualified company interested in “a position to construct, fund, maintain and operate a new underground parking facility through a ‘long-term lease to own’ private-public partnership.”

The museum seeks to house 200 cars in the facility and says the parking structure can be located on the east or west side of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, which is the museum’s main site.

After the museum completed a $216 million renovation and fully re-opened to the public in 2010, officials found that the museum’s annual average attendance of 450,000 visitors cannot be accommodated with its 96 permanent parking places. It is currently providing additional parking in a temporary parking lot on the west side of the grounds, which adds 110 spaces.

Annual parking revenues are estimated at $650,000, with operations costs of $50,000.

To grant use of the land, the museum plans to charge $600,000 minimum for an annual lease, indexed at 1.5 per cent a year, for use of the land for no more than 35 years.

The proponent would be responsible for such items such as construction costs, land taxes, maintenance and utilities payments and capital repairs, while the museum will take care of landscaping over the structure as well as lawn care and snow removal.

The winning proponent can pay its costs out of parking revenues after taking care of its lease financial responsibility for the museum, the solicitation documents stated.

There is an optional site visit Thursday. Submissions are due Nov. 15, and there is no firm date yet set for a request for proposals nor construction.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Constructi...-ponders-P3-underground-parking-garage/1

J.OT13 · #**2474** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 10:25 PM**

McGuinty's resigning!? I would say good riddance, but the next guy in line is likely just as Toronto centric and all around incompetent.

Update; yup, he's resigning but first, he'll take a page from the Harper book of dictatorship and proroguing parliament. Well, I guess you’re better off quitting while your ahead-ish.

umbria27 · #**2475** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Constructi...-ponders-P3-underground-parking-garage/1

This needs to happen. The new surface parking lot on the west side of the museum is an eyesore and takes up valuable event space.

J.OT13 · #**2476** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 11:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by umbria27

This needs to happen. The new surface parking lot on the west side of the museum is an eyesore and takes up valuable event space.

It's nice to see the museum showing initiative on this instead of waiting for Federal cash that may never come. It shows that they really do care about their image and their role as an important institution in Centertown and determined to keep their promise of restoring the hundred year old park.

But I wonder, if the garage ends up being 200 spaces, would they repurpose the east lawn into a park? It would only remove 6 parking spots from the site (96+110-200). That would allow the city to take out the Metcalfe stump of a road to create two full sized parks on each side of the museum.