Lansdowne Park Redevelopment Phase 1 | Completed

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

Where would one go on the way home if the grocery shopping list is:

Aero cookies, floor wax, margarine, milk, bananas and a couple frozen dinners?

and very little time to waste finding a parking spot?

Oddly, probably Shopper's Drug Mart.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

Where would one go on the way home if the grocery shopping list is:

Aero cookies, floor wax, margarine, milk, bananas and a couple frozen dinners?

and very little time to waste finding a parking spot?

Is parking that easy to come by at the existing grocery stores on Bank?

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is parking that easy to come by at the existing grocery stores on Bank?

The Shoppers (which has milk & frozen pizzas as their loss leaders) has 10 free parking spots.

There's a municipal parking lot directly behind the Metro (between 2nd and 3rd). One of the first knock-on effects of the retail competition at Lansdowne is the proposal to turn this into a multi storey parking lot to allow the existing retail to compete. Enhancing the traditional main street was supposedly one of the objectives of the Lansdowne development. It seems initially at least that it will do the opposite, as parking now becomes a competitive differentiator for Lansdowne retailers.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by umbria27

The Shoppers (which has milk & frozen pizzas as their loss leaders) has 10 free parking spots.

There's a municipal parking lot directly behind the Metro (between 2nd and 3rd). One of the first knock-on effects of the retail competition at Lansdowne is the proposal to turn this into a multi storey parking lot to allow the existing retail to compete. Enhancing the traditional main street was supposedly one of the objectives of the Lansdowne development. It seems initially at least that it will do the opposite, as parking now becomes a competitive differentiator for Lansdowne retailers.

I'm involved in the consultations on that parking lot (which, by the way, was planned long before Lansdowne), and I'm not sure I follow your logic. Assuming that the garage is completed as planned, there will be paid parking at Lansdowne and paid parking behind the Metro. Where is the differentiation?

Also as I've mentioned before, based on comparable studies that I've seen, I expect that more than half of the shoppers on Bank St. in the Glebe travel by foot/bike/transit. Even if Lansdowne has more parking, which is by no means clear, that modal split further lessens the importance of parking in the equation.

[JackBauer24]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

quote: "Whole Foods blows both of them out of the water" (JackBauer24)#2354

Really? Is Whole Foods a grocery store or a fancy "healthy food" store?

How do you compare between Metro, Loblaws and Whole Foods?

Maybe a better comparison would be between Whole Foods and Farm Boy?

Whole Foods sells groceries which includes health food, produce, unhealthy food, soda, juice, water, and I'm sure laundry detergents and other cleaning supplies. I'd categorize it as a grocery store, mainly due to the fact I'm not sure how a "fancy health food store" would be different than a grocery store.

But like someone else quoted, Farm Boy and Whole Foods are in the "high-end" grocery store category and Metro, Loblaws, etc... are one tier down.

Either way, I'm excited for Whole Foods. I was lucky enough to stay at a hotel above one when I was in Seattle - best location to stay in an unfamiliar city.

[JackBauer24]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is parking that easy to come by at the existing grocery stores on Bank?

Depends on the time of day and which day you go. If you're hoping to stop into the Metro on the weekend between 9-5 - like any other grocery store in the city, it's a zoo. And without a dedicated parking lot and many other shops around, parking is a hassle. But if you are lucky enough, you can sometimes find free street parking on the side streets (Frist-Fifth Ave).

During the week, it's hit or miss. During the evening rush hour you can't park on the west side of bank from 3:30-5:30, after that finding street parking shouldn't be too much of an issue, whether on Bank or a side street.

but with the addition of Lansdowne and the subsequent increased traffic to the Glebe, they could do with building another parking structure in the area, or making the single level parking lots to be 3-4 levels.

[KHOOLE]

Originally Posted by phil235

I'm involved in the consultations on that parking lot (which, by the way, was planned long before Lansdowne), and I'm not sure I follow your logic. Assuming that the garage is completed as planned, there will be paid parking at Lansdowne and paid parking behind the Metro. Where is the differentiation?

Also as I've mentioned before, based on comparable studies that I've seen, I expect that more than half of the shoppers on Bank St. in the Glebe travel by foot/bike/transit. Even if Lansdowne has more parking, which is by no means clear, that modal split further lessens the importance of parking in the equation.

McKeen's Metro is the only "standard" grocery store on Bank between the 417and Billings Bridge. There is also Cedars near Riverdale, on a smaller scale.
Many of Metro's daytime customers park on the side streets, between Fifth and First and walk over.

On Isabella, close to the off and on 417 ramps, there is a 60ish strip mall with a Loblaws, LCBO, Beer Store and Canada Trust and surface free parking.
Much of that parking space is usurped by people going to events like Winterlude, downtown concerts, cycling and Lansdowne Park.

At the Billings Bridge shopping centre, there is also a Loblaws, an LCBO and all the many others, including Target, which will be opening later this year. That parking lot is also usurped by people going to Lansdowne events like the 67's (until this year, of course). When that shopping centre was opened (the first in the city, just before Westgate), a small Loblaws that was in Old Ottawa South was transferred to it and a convenant was agreed upon to prevent any major grocery store to open up on Bank St. in Old Ottawa South (between the two bridges).

Whole Foods' (a U.S. firm) competition will be the well-established Farm Boy on Bank St, between Billings Bridge and Heron Rd. Farm Boy (a local firm) specializes in produce, organics, meats, bakery, cheese, prepared dishes, hot and cold take-outs and has a "folksy"atmosphere. This firm that was started by the Bellemare brothers in Cornwall 30 years ago has about a dozen stores in Ottawa, in about each and every neighbourhood, from Orléans to Kanata and Barrhaven. The latest store is at the Trainyards (where Whole Foods should have gone first, in my opinion).

I'm surprised that Sobeys, who owns Empire Theatres, did not seem to have considered Lansdowne as a site for a grocery store, as a combo to the movie theatre.

[JackBauer24]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

McKeen's Metro is the only "standard" grocery store on Bank between the 417and Billings Bridge. There is also Cedars near Riverdale, on a smaller scale.
Many of Metro's daytime customers park on the side streets, between Fifth and First and walk over.

On Isabella, close to the off and on 417 ramps, there is a 60ish strip mall with a Loblaws, LCBO, Beer Store and Canada Trust and surface free parking.
Much of that parking space is usurped by people going to events like Winterlude, downtown concerts, cycling and Lansdowne Park.

At the Billings Bridge shopping centre, there is also a Loblaws, an LCBO and all the many others, including Target, which will be opening later this year. That parking lot is also usurped by people going to Lansdowne events like the 67's (until this year, of course). When that shopping centre was opened (the first in the city, just before Westgate), a small Loblaws that was in Old Ottawa South was transferred to it and a convenant was agreed upon to prevent any major grocery store to open up on Bank St. in Old Ottawa South (between the two bridges).

Whole Foods' (a U.S. firm) competition will be the well-established Farm Boy on Bank St, between Billings Bridge and Heron Rd. Farm Boy (a local firm) specializes in produce, organics, meats, bakery, cheese and has a "folksy"atmosphere. This firm that was started by the Bellemare brothers in Cornwall 30 years ago has about a dozen stores in Ottawa, in about each and every neighbourhood, from Orléans, Kanata and Barrhaven. The latest store is at the Trainyards (where Whole Foods should have gone first, in my opinion).

I'm surprised that Sobeys, who owns Empire Theatres, did not seem to have considered Lansdowne as a site for a grocery store, as a combo to the movie theatre.

Sobey's is going into Tribeca - Claridge's project at Metcalfe and Nepean/Lisgar. I'm assuming that's why they weren't in the Lansdowne running.

[KHOOLE]

Originally Posted by JackBauer24

Sobey's is going into Tribeca - Claridge's project at Metcalfe and Nepean/Lisgar. I'm assuming that's why they weren't in the Lansdowne running.

The wheeling and dealing on Lansdowne started early in 2007 when John Ruddy and friend from Toronto met with Jeff Hunt and then Ruddy flew ro Monaco to talk to Bill Shenkman.

Sobey's could have been involved very early in the game, as an anchor.

I think (I may be wrong) that Sobey's commitment to Tribeca came after that.

Even at that, Sobey's could have been at both places. It's not as if the two stores would have competed with each other.

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by phil235

I'm involved in the consultations on that parking lot (which, by the way, was planned long before Lansdowne), and I'm not sure I follow your logic. Assuming that the garage is completed as planned, there will be paid parking at Lansdowne and paid parking behind the Metro. Where is the differentiation?

Also as I've mentioned before, based on comparable studies that I've seen, I expect that more than half of the shoppers on Bank St. in the Glebe travel by foot/bike/transit. Even if Lansdowne has more parking, which is by no means clear, that modal split further lessens the importance of parking in the equation.

Thanks for the additional info Phil. My understanding was that the multi-storey lot was planned, in the way many things are, as something we might do one day (like extend the LRT to Kanata or build a new central library). The parking at Lansdowne will be a differentiator unless this other parking structure is built, which is why it has gained new impetus and you hear the BIA and councillor lobbying for it.
My only point is that on the wish list of development to strengthen the traditional main street a parkade is very low down the list. Regardless, I think the competition from Lansdowne makes it a necessary evil to allow Bank Street retailers to compete with the new entrants. Hopefully we'll see some real mixed use main street development as well, but it's not the best first sign.

Do you have more info on the parkade? Is there any chance of air rights being auctioned or some other scheme to include residential or commercial in the development?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Thanks for the additional info Phil. My understanding was that the multi-storey lot was planned, in the way many things are, as something we might do one day (like extend the LRT to Kanata or build a new central library). The parking at Lansdowne will be a differentiator unless this other parking structure is built, which is why it has gained new impetus and you hear the BIA and councillor lobbying for it.
My only point is that on the wish list of development to strengthen the traditional main street a parkade is very low down the list. Regardless, I think the competition from Lansdowne makes it a necessary evil to allow Bank Street retailers to compete with the new entrants. Hopefully we'll see some real mixed use main street development as well, but it's not the best first sign.

Do you have more info on the parkade? Is there any chance of air rights being auctioned or some other scheme to include residential or commercial in the development?

What you say is right - the priority placed on the parkade was certainly elevated as a result of Lansdowne. It also got the local councillor's support for that reason. However, the Bank street merchants have been lobbying for it for years, so they see it as a key element of a healthy mainstreet (as merchants often do with parking ).

The information I have is that the process to date has been based on the parkade alone, but as community consultations are ongoing, nothing has been ruled out, including some sort of mixed-use development. In my view, it would definitely be preferrable to see the lot go underground, and the surface be put to a better use.

Given the time pressure involved, I suspect that the consultations will focus on the design of the structure and the types of rules that will apply (e.g. will there be permit parking for residents, etc.), so I'm not optimistic that the mixed-use option will be given serious consideration.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Bernie Ashe chosen to run OSEG,

Bernie Ashe appointed CEO of OSEG

By Neco Cockburn, Ottawa Citizen January 17, 2013 1:35 PM


Bernie Ashe has been appointed chief executive of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.


OTTAWA — A former Ottawa Senators executive has been appointed to head operations of the private group working with the city to redevelop Lansdowne Park.

Bernie Ashe is to oversee the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group’s sports franchises, entertainment business and operations at the landmark site in the Glebe, the group announced on Thursday.

Part of Ashe’s job as the group’s chief executive will be to ensure the partnership with the city goes ahead as approved by city council, “and the new Lansdowne stands as a model of modern-day innovation in an urban form,” OSEG stated in a press release.

Ashe is former chief executive of KOTT Group, a private company involved in the supply and installation of lumber and related homebuilding products, the release stated. Before that, he was president and chief executive of AiT, now 3M-AiT Ltd, a company that provides technology for traveller identity and border control.

Ashe was executive vice-president and chief operating officer of the Ottawa Senators from 1991 to 1997, and is also the former chairman of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. He serves on the board of the Ottawa Convention Centre, the announcement stated.

OSEG planned to hire a chief executive “with a track record of success in diverse industries, including sports and entertainment,” partner Roger Greenberg said in the announcement.

Ashe “has deep roots in our community and a history of community service, which speaks to his integrity and our core values,” Greenberg stated, adding that Ashe “will be a great asset to our organization and our city.”

Ashe lives in Ottawa with his wife Nancy and their three children.

OSEG is a partnership between five developers and sports businessmen working with the city to renovate Frank Clair Stadium and the Civic Centre hockey arena beneath it, and build retail, office and residential space along with a big new park.

[email protected]

twitter.com/NecoCockburn

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

[phil235]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Do you have more info on the parkade? Is there any chance of air rights being auctioned or some other scheme to include residential or commercial in the development?

Just got an update from the City. It would seem that unfortunately mixed-use is now off the table. The reasons given are timeline and budgets, for what that's worth.

[rocketphish]

January 26, 2013:



from southfacing

[gjhall]

You can really start to see the shape of things to come now. Great shot, thanks!

[waterloowarrior]

Rexall added to the list http://t.co/cRYeRCk8

[McC]

the excitement builds!

XD

[J.OT13]

Also TD and BMO.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2013-02-0...BMO-Rexall-listed-as-Lansdowne-tenants/1

[kevinbottawa]

Not very excited so far (except for Whole Foods). They need some clothing stores or at least something not food or banking related. I can't get excited over two banks. I'm not a retail expert, but is there a even a need for two banks in this kind of development?

[Radster]

H&M or better yet, SIMONS! Come on!