Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed - Page 113

Kitchissippi · #**2241** Posted **Dec 10, 2017, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by acottawa

From the escalator you can see a set of stairs to a lower level over the construction barrier. Not sure if this is related to farm boy or the actual LRT entrance.

Yes, that is the LRT entrance. Basically you go down those new stairs/escalator and merge with the people coming from the exterior street corner entrance, past a set of doors and turn right down the long stairwell they were excavating beneath the sidewalk into the tunnel.

In the future when they redevelop the Chapters building, I really hope they dig a passageway that essentially extends that landing right across beneath the street, with access to the HBC basement and ideally another entry point on George Street

kevinbottawa · #**2242** Posted **Dec 10, 2017, 10:56 PM**

The new Farm Boy looks great. Reminds me of the higher end Whole Foods stores, like the Yorkville one I used to shop at.

The new store along with the escalator down to the LRT completely change the mall experience. Has a lot more of a "big city" feel.

J.OT13 · #**2243** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 12:14 AM**

Thanks for the pics. That is awesome!

Looks like they pretty much stuck with the plan from March 2012 (but with double escalators instead of a set of stairs and a set of escalators). Haven't seen any sign of the elevator near the crossing between the Rideau Centre and HBC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Possibly, but it would be worth the money. Practically all the stations in downtown Montreal have full-length or centralized concourses. Track level platforms don't make for good decision points, there are people waiting or madly dashing to catch a train, and sudden rush of an exiting crowd when a train arrives. A poor hesitant clueless soul trying to figure out the right exit in the middle of this is either a nuisance or a hazard. It's best to keep it simple so that every stair/escalator from the platforms goes up to the same concourse where the choices for exits can then be made.

Looking at what's proposed, it doesn't seem like an unreasonable effort to unite the two concourses:

rocketphish · #**2244** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 4:27 AM**

https://twitter.com/FarmBoy

J.OT13 · #**2245** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Thanks for the pics. That is awesome!

Looks like they pretty much stuck with the plan from March 2012 (but with double escalators instead of a set of stairs and a set of escalators). Haven't seen any sign of the elevator near the crossing between the Rideau Centre and HBC.

Answered my own question; when looking at the Mall Map on the Rideau Centre website, we can see a notch in Score Pizza (as coming soon) right where the elevator is supposed to go. Farm Boy however, is no where to be seen.

Kitchissippi · #**2246** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 6:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Thanks for the pics. That is awesome!

Looks like they pretty much stuck with the plan from March 2012 (but with double escalators instead of a set of stairs and a set of escalators). Haven't seen any sign of the elevator near the crossing between the Rideau Centre and HBC.

It's actually double escalators and a stairway:

As for the elevator, they've inset it into the Score Pizza space instead of it jutting out into the hallway as depicted in the drawing.

J.OT13 · #**2247** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 7:11 PM**

Ah! Nice!!

Strange that this wasn't done for the CBD stations that will see much heavier volumes.

roger1818 · #**2248** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 7:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ah! Nice!!

Strange that this wasn't done for the CBD stations that will see much heavier volumes.

They aren't as deep. Regardless I agree they should though.

J.OT13 · #**2249** Posted **Dec 11, 2017, 9:06 PM**

Theory being people will be more willing to use the stairs? Lyon and Parliament are still 6 floors underground (compared to 8 floors at Rideau). As a young guy, I don't mind walking down, but I'll be taking the escalators to go back up.

mykl · #**2250** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 5:48 AM**

I definitely thought Farm Boy was supposed to be 2 floors. Maybe they used an entire floor for storage and a break room? Seems a bit odd. The store is definitely quite small, and was very annoying to navigate tonight around 5pm. And my cashier wasn't friendly AT ALL which is disappointing for a store's 3rd day. We'll see.

mykl · #**2251** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 5:58 AM**

The Rideau Centre map mentioned by J.OT13 also shows Paramount Fine Foods on the ground floor in the empty space beside H&M. It looks to be street access only which is a new concept for Rideau Centre (in the mall its surrounded by H&M, Vans and a service hallway). http://www.paramountfinefoods.com/home

kevinbottawa · #**2252** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 8:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykl

The Rideau Centre map mentioned by J.OT13 also shows Paramount Fine Foods on the ground floor in the empty space beside H&M. It looks to be street access only which is a new concept for Rideau Centre (in the mall its surrounded by H&M, Vans and a service hallway). http://www.paramountfinefoods.com/home

There's already a "Coming Soon" page notice on the Rideau Centre website. https://www.cfshops.com/rideau-centre/stores/store.paramount-fine-foodscoming-soon.E111.html

I don't like the idea of another food establishment along Rideau Street. There's already Chipotle, Bridgehead, Joey, and soon Score. I understand that malls need to diversify but that's a lot.

In the renderings of the expansion it looked like there would be a fashion retailer in that spot and all along that part of Rideau.

Ottawa already has a few restaurant streets (Clarence, Elgin, Sparks, Lansdowne), but we don't have any streets dedicated to fashion. I thought Rideau was going to be that.

Kitchissippi · #**2253** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 5:13 PM**

The restaurants will do more to liven up Rideau Street than fashion stores. I look forward to them setting up patios in the warm months.

I hope they bring back the tradition of great dynamic window displays on Rideau Street though, especially during the holidays. HBC used to do some interesting ones that people would take their kids to see.

kevinbottawa · #**2254** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 6:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The restaurants will do more to liven up Rideau Street than fashion stores. I look forward to them setting up patios in the warm months.

I hope they bring back the tradition of great dynamic window displays on Rideau Street though, especially during the holidays. HBC used to do some interesting ones that people would take their kids to see.

I guess in theory, but I passed by Joey everyday to take the bus and the immediate area didn't seem very live, even with the patios. There wasn't any buzz or energy.

It would be nice to have something different. A street with a row of restaurants isn't a new experience in Ottawa. Not impressed.

ars · #**2255** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 7:30 PM**

I love Paramount, so I'm pretty happy about this. I've always wondered why they didn't have a location in Ottawa.

Now all I need is a Cheesecake Factory

jchamoun79 · #**2256** Posted **Dec 12, 2017, 11:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ars

I love Paramount, so I'm pretty happy about this. I've always wondered why they didn't have a location in Ottawa.

Now all I need is a Cheesecake Factory

I've never tried Paramount, but based on their online menu, it definitely looks promising.

I love shawarma, but it'll be nice to have a wider variety of fast-ish Lebanese food nearby.

kevinbottawa · #**2257** Posted **Dec 19, 2017, 9:19 PM**

Here's a link to an article about the growing trend of malls building residential units on their property. http://ottawacitizen.com/real-estate/pro...wcm/67f5e0d4-a121-4884-a647-a7715500d5b1

It says Cadillac Fairview is planning residential projects for four of their malls. I wonder if Rideau Centre is one of them. This strategy is already underway here.

Quote:

CF plans to spend about $2 billion to add residential units at four of its malls, in addition to one under construction in Toronto, said Finley McEwen, its senior vice president for development.

Many of the redevelopments include “turning the malls inside out,” putting specialty stores, sit-down restaurants and other non-traditional mall occupants facing outward, which, combined with the residential units, create a space that’s more alive, McEwen said.

A while back CF was considering a condo where the parking garage is on Nicholas and a hotel for the registry site.

On another note, Canada's first co-working space located in a mall opened at Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga. This could be a good use for the old theatre upstairs. https://www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2017/12/co-working-space

J.OT13 · #**2258** Posted **Dec 19, 2017, 9:29 PM**

They definitely need to build a full service 500-600 room hotel behind the registrar's office to make the Convention Centre more viable. Adding an office and/or residential component where the surface garage is now would be a bonus. Of course, the garage is only about 10 years old, so are they willing to tear it down?

OTSkyline · #**2259** Posted **Dec 20, 2017, 8:20 PM**

I feel like they could have space for both a hotel tower and a condo tower on each side of that Registry Office building... If both towers are not too wide but 25-30 stories high (think Tribeca sized towers).

It's all about utilizing the space you have - I don't see the need to tear down that relatively new parking garage.

J.OT13 · #**2260** Posted **Dec 20, 2017, 9:47 PM**

Ya, you're right. It does look like they could fit two towers on the Registrar's Office (RO) site.

It would be nice if they ended up encasing the RO within a glass atrium (like Grant House at Performance Court) instead of moving it. The atrium could connect the podiums of both the hotel and condo tower.

And for the love of God CF, please try to push the height limits just a bit. If at least one tower reaches 30 floors, I'd be happy.