Claridge Icon [505 Preston St] | 143m | 45 fl | Completed

[Stevenson]

Originally Posted by JackBauer24

A rule of thumb is that for every 10 floors, you can expect roughly 1 year of construction. There are exceptions, but that's a pretty close estimate for concrete built buildings.

I haven't seen the Icons contract but I would suspect their first tentative occupancy date is 2018 (based on when they initially launched their project for sale), their outside date is probably 2020-2021. If anyone on this thread is a purchaser, please look at the first page of the Tarion portion of your contract and you'll see those dates.

Until the condo is actually under construction (or if the condo is under 100 units), the anticipated date means very little. So if you have bought or are planning to buy new construction, don't make too many plans depending on possession until you see shovels in the ground.

I'm curious why these smaller, 6 ish floor buildings say that they need roughly 18 months to build then?

[Harley613]

The hotel in the market rose from a hole to fourteen floors of concrete in one summer.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by Harley613

The hotel in the market rose from a hole to fourteen floors of concrete in one summer.

Cathedral Hill went up very fast last winter, and I think the Slater is going up really quickly right now. It will be interesting to see next summer how many of these under-construction projects turn out.

[ThaLoveDocta]

Originally Posted by canabiz

They are offering $3,000 design centre bonus...not sure how long that goes for condo upgrades but every little bit helps I suppose.

10 feet of extra baseboard, and a single slate tile to use as a bathmat.


If you negotiate.

[ThaLoveDocta]

Originally Posted by Stevenson

I'm curious why these smaller, 6 ish floor buildings say that they need roughly 18 months to build then?

Services (water, sewer, electrical, gas), permitting, excavation, landscaping, roofing, paving & curbs.

Just to name a few, all have nearly the same schedule duration for a big (tall) job as they do for a small one (similar scope too).

Remember, the trades can chase each other in the tall jobs. You can't paint, floor, millwork, hang doors, install sinks and install lights at the same time & place, they'd kill each other. Not to mention they might ruin the electricians hair - they can be really touchy about that.

[1overcosc]

So, the mystery of who bought that 6000 square foot penthouse is now solved. Malhotra bought it himself.

http://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/cond...ak-ground-on-ottawas-tallest-condo-tower

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

So, the mystery of who bought that 6000 square foot penthouse is now solved. Malhotra bought it himself.

http://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/cond...ak-ground-on-ottawas-tallest-condo-tower

Not Neil Malhotra, but Bill did. And I'm surprised to learn they approached and had interest from Frank Gehry to design this building! :O Could you believe it?

So 4 years until it's done, apparently.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by defishel

Not Neil Malhotra, but Bill did. And I'm surprised to learn they approached and had interest from Frank Gehry to design this building! :O Could you believe it?

So 4 years until it's done, apparently.

Interest from Frank Gehry? Wow! I can just imagine how this conversation went:

Malhotra: Frank, would you be interested in designing Ottawa's tallest building?
Gehry: Yes, definitely!
Malhotra: Would you be interested in working with Claridge to do it on the cheap... we do have a reputation to uphold here you know?
Gehry: Ah, no. Say, Bill, I'm driving through a tunnel... think I'm losing you. Click.


A Gehry building would quite likely have been awesome. Who's Pontarini anyway?

[Rob64]

Look at Soho Champagne. Imagine a building twice the size. Proceed with drooling phase.

[Urbanarchit]

*duplicate*

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Interest from Frank Gehry? Wow! I can just imagine how this conversation went:

Malhotra: Frank, would you be interested in designing Ottawa's tallest building?
Gehry: Yes, definitely!
Malhotra: Would you be interested in working with Claridge to do it on the cheap... we do have a reputation to uphold here you know?
Gehry: Ah, no. Say, Bill, I'm driving through a tunnel... think I'm losing you. Click.


A Gehry building would quite likely have been awesome. Who's Pontarini anyway?

He does some pretty interesting buildings in Toronto. You may recognize these few. I'll look more through his site for other stuff, but I like what I see. Here's his website: Hariri Pontarini Architects.

One Bloor East


These series of towers


Shangri-La

Shangri-La by Shel DeF on Flickr

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by defishel

He does some pretty interesting buildings in Toronto. You may recognize these few. I'll look more through his site for other stuff, but I like what I see. Here's his website: Hariri Pontarini Architects.

Sadly, none of those is what we're going to get here in Ottawa. Judging by the Icon renderings, we're going to get Pontarini-lite... which amounts to some curvy balconies stuck onto the face of a bland rectangular tower. Looks like a budget job to me.

[OTSkyline]

About to break ground? A week? A month? A year?

[1overcosc]

Probably in the spring. A little late in the year to break ground now.

The article said December 2018 as the projected completion. That gives 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 to construct--in line with the 4 years expected.

[jitterbug]

Thanks for the pics Defishel.

OK, so we're not getting a Toronto calibre design in the Icon, but it's still a big deal for Ottawa in terms of height. It'll stand out from any direction, at least until the other planned towers in the neighbourhood are added.

Good news Claridge is going ahead.

[Urbanarchit]

Thank you! I decided to continue looking at Pontarini's projects, and I must say I'm thoroughly impressed! Claridge Icon reminds me a bit (the balconies swaying when looking up) of One Bloor East.

Baha'i Temple


Podium for One Yonge


Massey Tower


7 St. Thomas




Wood Wharf Residential


The PJ Condos

[Arcologist]

From an architectural perspective, this will be the most exciting thing to happen in Ottawa in some time.

[jitterbug]

There seems to be some activity on the exterior of the Icon sales office today. Possibly the start of moving it away? Let's hope for a crane on that site SOON!

[Marcus CLS]

Originally Posted by jitterbug

There seems to be some activity on the exterior of the Icon sales office today. Possibly the start of moving it away? Let's hope for a crane on that site SOON!

There was an article in the Ottawa Citizen last weekend profiling Nick Malhotra on an award from Ottawa Indo Canadian Chamber (of commerce?) at a gala to be attended by 300 at the Brookfield hotel in Kanata. In the article it confirmed he purchased the top penthouse suite and half the penthouse suites were sold but only 71 of 320 units sold.

It seems he does not want to wait for his penthouse so construction is to start December 2014.

In regards to the sales office, it looks like it will be moved to the vacant lot just north at Preston and Adeline streets as there is activity on that site as well.

[OTSkyline]

Cannot wait for this to start construction and to see it going up! FINALLY a new tallest for the nation's capital!!

According to this wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Ottawa-Gatineau It seems like there are a total of 5 towers proposed in Ottawa-Gatineau that could become new tallests... In order of height:

Richcraft - Dow Honda Site Tower I
? ; 55 floors; - ; Proposed

Richcraft - Dow Honda Site Tower II
166 m (545 ft) ; 48 floors ; - ; Proposed

Claridge Icon
143 m (469 ft) ; 45 floors ; 2017 ; Approved

LeBreton Mews Tower A
133.2 m (437 ft) ; 32 floors ; 2017 ; Approved

LeBreton Mews Tower B
124.8 m (409 ft) ; 29 floors ; 2017 ; Approved

Does anyone know what these "Lebreton Mews Towers" are? Are these the "tetris" office towers at Bayview? If so, what's the last we heard from them? Are they moving forward?