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Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce
^^Never seen that photo of the Flats before - awesome!
Development of this area seems about as slow as one could imagine. Can I assume this is yet another NCC issue?
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Yes, that is the NCC's doing. The whole place was expropriated and razed in the 1960s. A few plans came and went over the years such as a new National Defense Headquarters (ended up taking the purposely built Transport Canada building when it opened in 71'. Not sure why. In 72' Transport Canada consolidated in Place de Ville C instead).
Nothing happened at the Flats until the early 2000s when Chrétien approved the new War Museum, completed in 2005.
In the mid 2000s, the NCC held a "competition" for redevelopment east of Booth Street. The proponents had no say in the massing or materials. Of three finalists, the winner and runner up bailed because they could not work with the NCCs impossible demands giving the 3d place proposal rights to the land. A few if the most bland, uninspiring condo buildings are complete or under construction.
Anyway, since the Feds took away some of the NCCs mandates (capital events such as Canada Day and Winterlude) and the new CEO Mark Kristmanson came in, the NCC seems to be moving to a more open, transparent agency with a little less of the traditional "rule with an iron fist" type attitude. We also see a much better relationship between the Federal Agency and the City of Ottawa (though some disagreements persist such as the western extension of the Confederation Line).
That said, I'm hopeful that the current competition for the west of Booth will result in more visionary proposals, maybe even something we can all be proud of.
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