Lansdowne Park Redevelopment Phase 1 | Completed

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by JFFournier

I think he was being specific to Lansdowne Park.

That would have been a reasonable statement, but he was responding to alecz_dad who said: "Gee, I didn't realize the Glebe needed revitalizing."

There's already enough hyperbole on both sides of this old debate. If adamant OSEG opponents look foolish when they threaten nuisance objections to Lansdowne liquor licenses, supporters look equally foolish when they try to paint the Glebe as a neighbourhood that desperately needed intervention to revitalize it.

[S-Man]

As I've said before, if the residents of the leafy green paradise of the Glebe (who apparently never venture beyond a 1-km radius of their home) want to go to a place with old housing stock, no economy, no people visiting and no nightlife or entertainment (but lots of whining and bitching), the 401 can briskly take then to their new heaven: London, Ontario.

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by S-Man

As I've said before, if the residents of the leafy green paradise of the Glebe (who apparently never venture beyond a 1-km radius of their home) want to go to a place with old housing stock, no economy, no people visiting and no nightlife or entertainment (but lots of whining and bitching), the 401 can briskly take then to their new heaven: London, Ontario.

That's certainly the stereotype, and you are welcome cling to it in the face of reality.

[JFFournier]

Originally Posted by Radster

Well, I enjoyed visiting the stadium I must say.

-Bike parking was a breeze, similar to the way it works at Bluesfest.

Did it seem to be used by a lot of people? When I left, it was only about a third or a quarter full, but maybe a number of people left before me.

The shuttle system could have worked great. As it was, the drivers didn't know precisely where they were going so both of mine took wrong turns. That'll come in time though. If that had not been the case, I would have been in and out of there in no time.

Also, some people weren't sure which busses to get on because their destination wasn't always obviously clear. Again, those are wrinkles you have an even tlike this for.

I enjoyed the stadium experience just fine, and love my seat. I did not appreciate, from pictures, how huge the scoreboard is going to be. I can't wait to see that thing in action.

[S-Man]

No offence meant towards your life style choice but I'm actually totally okay with this. It's a trend in more and more cities and in my opinion for the majority of visitors the pros definitely outweigh the cons (sorry).

Personally I don't like exiting buildings only to have a gigantic cloud of cigarette smoke blast me in the face.

You hear about how hard life can get for an individual, but I never thought things could get this bad...

[Radster]

Originally Posted by EdFromOttawa

No offence meant towards your life style choice but I'm actually totally okay with this. It's a trend in more and more cities and in my opinion for the majority of visitors the pros definitely outweigh the cons (sorry).

Personally I don't like exiting buildings only to have a gigantic cloud of cigarette smoke blast me in the face.

Point taken, and I agree, hence why many buildings dont allow smoking within x metres of the entrance, but I wasn't close to any doors or any building for that matter, was practically middle of the street!

[Radster]

Originally Posted by JFFournier

Did it seem to be used by a lot of people? When I left, it was only about a third or a quarter full, but maybe a number of people left before me.

I arrived at about 7:15, and the bike lot was about half full, when I left at 8:15, it was almost empty. So if this was a test event, with an attendance of about 10K max, then I gather that on sell out game day, that bike lot will be full.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by S-Man

You hear about how hard life can get for an individual, but I never thought things could get this bad...

Reminds me a bit of last Saturday, at the Lady Gaga show at Bluesfest. Yes the rules say no smoking, but people smoke anyway, its an outdoor festival, and the security just cares about the weed smoke. So there I was, in the thick of the crowd near the front, no kids or babies around, I decide to light up a smoke during the show, only to get tapped on my shoulder by a buzzkill 30yr old lady - you can't smoke here, its a non smoking event, so I replied - look at the smoke, it goes up and away in the other direction with the wind, and look at this person, that one, and the other one, why dont you go arrest them too Then when I looked back a minute later, she was covering her face with her hand grimacing like a lunatic.

[harls]

Originally Posted by JFFournier

Did it seem to be used by a lot of people? When I left, it was only about a third or a quarter full, but maybe a number of people left before me.

CTV reported that there were 10,000 people that came. It might be a bit different on July 18 when the Argos are in town.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Ok, this is just silly. We don't need the lame hyperbole that has marked this debate. The Glebe didn't need "revitalizing". It was for decades one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city. It has and had a very strong community and social scene and a vibrant main street. Whether people want to travel to it is not a measure of a neighborhood's vitality. 99% of Ottawa's neighborhoods would fail this measure. Even so, Bank street through the Glebe is filled with suburban weekend walkers.

Don't devalue terms like this. There are neighborhoods that do need revitalization - Vanier, LeBreton Flats, Bank Street North of the Queensway or South of Riverside, etc.

Lansdowne < The Glebe.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Don't devalue terms like this. There are neighborhoods that do need revitalization - Vanier, LeBreton Flats, Bank Street North of the Queensway or South of Riverside, etc.

What's wrong with Bank Street north of the Queensway?

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Lansdowne < The Glebe.

Indeed. Go back and read the posts. The OP was trying to argue that the Glebe itself needed revitalization. Which I think you and I are agreeing is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

What's wrong with Bank Street north of the Queensway?

For a long time Bank Street from the Queensway to Wellington was stuck in a cycle of a deteriorating retail base and a stagnant population. That has changed significantly recently with the addition of new condos and the work of the BIA, but still needs more commercial investment. It still needs more people with more money living there. Fodder for another thread.

[alecz_dad]

Hmmm... that's what I thought too.

Originally Posted by phil235

Unless they manage to stop Milestone's from getting a liquor license (for no discernible reason). Then the whole thing is sunk.

[alecz_dad]

Ahhh, umbria27, ever the voice of even-handed reason.

Originally Posted by umbria27

Indeed. Go back and read the posts. The OP was trying to argue that the Glebe itself needed revitalization. Which I think you and I are agreeing is ridiculous.

[alecz_dad]

I guess although Southsiders can now satisfy themselves with having architecturally-unusual stands, they'll also have to accept that when it's rainy, South-side really does still suck.

Also, they'll be immediately identifiable by the horizontal lines sunburned onto the backs of their necks. So, Northsiders, it will be really easy for you to know who to pick on!

Originally Posted by Radster

The veil up close is nice to look at, makes for interesting pictures from various angles. But the prior comment remains, it offers ZERO protection from the elements, and to me, thats a fail. I prefer protection from elements (stadium roof) over something nice to look at. Here's hoping that they can incorporate some kind of light fabric/mesh into this veil down the road to make it more functional.

[alecz_dad]

The thing to remember is that most of the site is now under private, corporate control by an entity with no accountability to the public.

OSMUG has leased the lands from the City, and it appears their private security force will be enforcing OSMUG's rules, above and beyond the City's.

Although the City maintains the fiction of the stadium, shopping centre and the rest of the mixed-use area being "public" -- in that they didn't actually sell the land to OSMUG -- they are for all intents and purposes now private.

I am very curious what the status of the internal roads is -- they've previously been described as private roads, but they are on public lands -- and whether the City will ensure the public's right of access to the genuinely public areas, when it involves transiting through the privatized areas leased to OSMUG.

And despite the lease agreement that says after 30 years, the City has the right of first refusal to take back the land if OSMUG decides they want out of Lansdowne, they have quite cleverly cemented the permanent privatization of much of the site by including private residences, whose land tenure must presumably be more durable than that of the commercial buildings.

So, in effect, the City HAS sold some of the land. In that case, they might as well have sold the rest of it, and at least gotten some real money for it, instead of the increasingly dubious waterfally-thingie.

Originally Posted by Radster

Only negative, was being told to butt out my smoke while I was walking towards the stadium, near the cinema building, this of course was way BEFORE entering the stadium. Will all of Lansdowne be smoke free? wtf?

[harls]

Originally Posted by alecz_dad

OSMUG

You should trademark this..

[alecz_dad]

But just imagine how "pleasantly surprised" people in the Glebe might have been if, instead of LabbyOB announcing a backdoor deal with OSMUG, he had instead announced the launching of a public dialogue about "what is the best use for Lansdowne"?

If they have been "concerned," it's because they know that developers have coveted the site for ages, and they mistrusted the City's willingness to undertake a process to really understand what the true potential of the site could be, and what people thought would be the best use for it.

Frankly, no one is "shocked," because we see the City and corporations pulling this kind of stuff all the time.

And people say "concerned" because they know that if they say what they really feel -- angry, appalled, pissed, etc. -- they know it can be twisted even more by the OSMUG-huggers.

Originally Posted by JFFournier

Specifically, it's either "concerned" or "shocked".

The Glebe Community Association is concerned that cars driven by stadium patrons attending football games and other events will spill into the residential areas and parking for Glebe businesses will also be limited. To alleviate this concern, the association's transportation committee chairman Brian Mitchell has reached out for support from the Glebe business improvement area to define commercial parking in the Glebe.

=====

http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/4613510-glebe-residents-reject-fire-station-pathway/

A proposed multi-use pathway alongside the Glebe fire station drew criticism at a meeting where residents got a look at plans for a cycling network for the neighbourhood.

...

Megan Dewar, a parent who lives on that block of O'Connor, was also concerned. She said she'd prefer to see a bi-directional bike lane on the street, which would turn the corner and continue to a bidirectional lane proposed for Holmwood Avenue, which is also a one-way street. Parking would have to be moved to the opposite side of the street, Dewar said.

=====

The city is getting a trio of new patios, including one in the Glebe that concerned residents spoke out against to the transportation committee, saying they were afraid of traffic, noise and a possible rise in drinking and driving.

=====

Capital Coun. David Chernushenko said he was “shocked” by the news (of Winners coming to Lansdowne).

And so on and so forth.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by alecz_dad

The thing to remember is that most of the site is now under private, corporate control by an entity with no accountability to the public.

OSMUG has leased the lands from the City, and it appears their private security force will be enforcing OSMUG's rules, above and beyond the City's.

Although the City maintains the fiction of the stadium, shopping centre and the rest of the mixed-use area being "public" -- in that they didn't actually sell the land to OSMUG -- they are for all intents and purposes now private.

I am very curious what the status of the internal roads is -- they've previously been described as private roads, but they are on public lands -- and whether the City will ensure the public's right of access to the genuinely public areas, when it involves transiting through the privatized areas leased to OSMUG.

And despite the lease agreement that says after 30 years, the City has the right of first refusal to take back the land if OSMUG decides they want out of Lansdowne, they have quite cleverly cemented the permanent privatization of much of the site by including private residences, whose land tenure must presumably be more durable than that of the commercial buildings.

So, in effect, the City HAS sold some of the land. In that case, they might as well have sold the rest of it, and at least gotten some real money for it, instead of the increasingly dubious waterfally-thingie.

It will no doubt be run like a mini-police state, with OSMUGtroopers knocking heads of those who don't toe the line. Unruly children will be "disappeared". The atmosphere will be oppressive since OSMEG wants people to stay away to generate a colossal commercial failure. The plan has always been to create a peaceful oasis just for themselves in a desirable part of town. They have hoped this would remain secret, but you have seen the truth. I've even heard rumours that they are planning to install a banner in the farmers' market that reads "Eat our fruit and veg. We dare ya."

[alecz_dad]

You're welcome to. But it's kind of a costly and convoluted process.

Although, because they were not included in the laundry list of products that OSMUG had gotten trademark protection for, I did briefly think of making up myLansdowne.com condoms to hand out to Glebe residents to protect them when they were being screwed by OSMUG.

Originally Posted by harls

You should trademark this..