Ottawa's Byward Market

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

I liked the changes the Ottawa School of Art did to it, though.

AWATTO will live on in Instagram for YEARS to come.

[JHikka]

Tourists seem to really like the OTTAWA sign on Sparks street....even if the background is a grey government building.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Tourists seem to really like the OTTAWA sign on Sparks street....even if the background is a grey government building.

There's another one on Sparks St?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

There's another one on Sparks St?

Yes. Plain white with a missing "T", so you can stand in AS the missing "T". Exciting time to be in OTAWA, with such originality.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Yes. Plain white with a missing "T", so you can stand in AS the missing "T". Exciting time to be in OTAWA, with such originality.

Like I said, tourists seem to like it so I can't exactly say it's unsuccessful.

It's not world-shattering or anything but it's a thing to do on Sparks at least.

[J.OT13]

Why Ottawa’s ByWard Market needs an upgrade

ADAM STANLEY
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2, 2019

Deek Labelle is happy to hear that changes are coming to the ByWard Market in Ottawa, especially since her family has been involved with one of the city’s oldest businesses for nearly half a century.

Modernization of the area will have a positive impact on the city, according to Ms. Labelle, general manager of Chateau Lafayette.

“It would change everything with how business is done in the ByWard Market,” says Ms. Labelle, a board member of the ByWard Market BIA.

‘The Laff’ as it’s better known, is Ottawa’s oldest tavern. It was established not long after the ByWard Market itself – one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets – was first established in 1826. Ms. Labelle’s family has been involved with the property since the 1960s.

The preferred design concept for the area, to be presented to stakeholders this month, is set to be an unprecedented revitalization project combining European market influence, pedestrian-friendly access and a modernized shopping experience for the city’s busiest attraction.

With more than 600 businesses, the iconic ByWard Market is the epicentre for tourism and a key economic driver for Ottawa.

From a bakery visited by former U.S. president Barack Obama to a hand-made-hat boutique, there is no more eclectic a collection of shops and businesses.

But Ms. Labelle says the area has been neglected over the years in terms of improvements. The reason, she says, is a combination of over-governance and living by the mantra of, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

Despite the area showing its age, the ByWard Market still gets upwards of 50,000 visitors a weekend in the summer months, according to the BIA.

“The ByWard Market is the No.1 tourism destination in the city,” says Ms. Labelle, “and the city needs to pay it that respect.”

Constructing new buildings has never been a priority for the ByWard Market, Ms. Labelle says, because of the heritage look and feel of many of them. But a $360-million investment into modernizing the Rideau Centre, a 148-store shopping mall, is having a residual effect.

Although the Rideau Centre is not technically in the ByWard Market, it’s directly adjacent to the area and the two destinations share foot traffic.

The renovation began in earnest six years ago, as a plan was in motion for Nordstrom to replace a Sears store. The new Rideau Centre has been part of a rejuvenation of Ottawa’s central tourist area as Parliament Hill, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, and Canada’s Senate are all getting upgrades, along with the mall. The ByWard Market is next.

The impact of Ottawa’s new light-rail transit system – although it’s currently in a state of disarray operationally – will also play a significant role, says Brian O’Hoski, the Rideau Centre’s general manager. There is a stop right underneath the mall, across from the ByWard Market.

While Mr. O’Hoski was mum on whether or not there would be office towers added to the Rideau Centre – which would give the ByWard Market area some much-needed Class A vacancy – he did confirm there is an opportunity.

“We do have future plans for density at this site,” he says. “There are chances to go up in a couple spots. It’s early days but we’re investigating.”

The ByWard Market is instead chock-full of cost-effective B-class office space, says Jessica Whiting, a senior sales representative at Colliers in Ottawa.

Ms. Whiting says most of the office tenants in the area can fit into three buckets: trendsetters, incubators or boutique firms. As soon as a company needs more than 10,000 square feet, she says, they’ll start to look to expand to Ottawa’s central business district instead.

Ottawa’s new infrastructure projects, combined with an updated central tourism district, and the proposed changes to the ByWard Market, are something everyone can agree on, according to Ms. Labelle.

“The excitement is there,” she says, “and the need and the desire for it to happen is huge.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/featured...K3Qsa59hM8AOUdQMXcww-nsRGC03rpThB7HBJEnI

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Tourists seem to really like the OTTAWA sign on Sparks street....even if the background is a grey government building.

At peak times, people have to wait their turn to be the missing T.

[J.OT13]

New Ottawa sign compared to the old one.

New OTTAWA sign lights up ByWard Market

The new sign is made of a more durable material that is expected to weather all four seasons in the nation's capital.

A popular tourist attraction in the ByWard Market is back and better than before.

The new OTTAWA sign was unveiled on Friday evening.

The city bought the new large letter sign with support from Ottawa Tourism.

It is made out of more durable materials that are expected to hold up in all four of Ottawa's seasons, including the harsh winters.

The sign also includes programmable LED lighting that will allow the letters to be lit up in different colours to help bring recognition to meaningful local causes and events.

Right now, the OTTAWA sign is lit up green and red for the holiday season

https://www.ottawamatters.com/local-news/new-ottawa-sign-lights-up-byward-market-1979055

Originally Posted by J.OT13

https://twitter.com/jpeltzer/status/9287...feed.com%2Flaurenstrapagiel%2Fawatto-lol

[JHikka]

T-Minus however many days until the lights go off on the new sign and people moan about it on social media.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Am I supposed to interpret 'at' from the 'TA' part of the sign? That just... doesn't work as well as I AMsterdam.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

Am I supposed to interpret 'at' from the 'TA' part of the sign? That just... doesn't work as well as I AMsterdam.

I think it was just part of the Christmas theme. The green and red constantly switched when I saw it on the news. I assume they will have a single colour most of the time.

Anyone know if the other side (AWATTO) lights-up? If not, we've lost something that made our letters special (king of like I AMsterdam).

[UrbOttawa]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I think it was just part of the Christmas theme. The green and red constantly switched when I saw it on the news. I assume they will have a single colour most of the time.

Anyone know if the other side (AWATTO) lights-up? If not, we've lost something that made our letters special (king of like I AMsterdam).

It would appear not:



source

[J.OT13]

Well that's disappointing.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

This — city.

[JHikka]

That area would be so much better if they removed all of the parking immediately in front of that sign and made it into more of a square or plaza.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by JHikka

That area would be so much better if they removed all of the parking immediately in front of that sign and made it into more of a square or plaza.

They kinda did. There's ample space on that side of the sign, probably about 5 rows of parking were removed a few years ago.

[rocketphish]

Heritage staff support fix-up plan for ByWard Market buildings damaged by fire

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: February 2, 2020



City heritage staff approve of a plan to fix up the ByWard Market buildings damaged by fire in April 2019.

The development applications to alter the buildings at 35-37 and 41-41½ William St. will be considered by the built-heritage subcommittee on Feb. 11.

Changes to the buildings are regulated because they’re in a heritage conservation district.

The fire on April 12, 2019 filled the sky above the market with smoke. Flames ripped through the two-storey commercial buildings, which included Vittoria Trattoria.

Fire officials said roofers accidentally started the blaze.

The redevelopment will incorporate the historic façades, a staff report says.

There is, however, one significant alteration proposed in the applications.

The back of building at 35-37 William St. would be expanded with a four-storey addition for apartments, which would be set back five metres from the facade. The third and fourth storeys would step back an additional 1.5 metres.

Staff made sure the extra two storeys would have little visual impact on the historic market district.

“The collective efforts of the property owners and their consultant team resulted in an imaginative project which retains the qualities of the streetscape, while adding new residential units and improving the functionality of the commercial spaces at grade,” the staff report says.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...-byward-market-buildings-damaged-by-fire

[J.OT13]

Community update: ByWard Market Public Spaces
June 12, 2020



As one of the most well-known destinations in Ottawa, the Byward Market, is Ottawa’s gem for locals and tourists alike. We are planning for exciting initiatives that are coming to the Market in the next few years.

The City released its Byward Market Public Realm Plan – which outlines several projects for proposed investments of 150M$ for the area.

The Plan establishes a vision, guiding principles, a functional plan and conceptual design concepts that guide investment and change in the Market for many years to come. It is fair to say the Heritage Public Market building is the Byward Market’s symbolic core. It accommodates a diverse collection of original shops, boutiques, retailers, restaurants and public spaces. The Plan will guide how best to utilize the existing amenities, streets and public spaces in the ByWard Market.

As the area’s councillor, this investment is long overdue, and with the City, the Plan is to ensure the Market continues to remain a popular and successful destination.

This Plan is critical to the renewal of the Market and will be presented to City Council this fall. The City has put the Public Realm Plan on its shortlist for stimulus funding requests from senior levels of government as investment programs help relaunch the economy following the COVID19 impacts.

The fundamental goal of the Public Realm Plan is to shift the perception of the Market and provide objectives and designs to beautify, organize and connect the Byward Market’s public spaces to make them inviting, accessible, inclusive, and safe. The City of Ottawa developed this Public Realm Plan in partnership with all stakeholders, including local businesses (landlords and owners), residents from Lowertown, National Capital Commission, the City of Ottawa departments and the general public passionate about the ByWard Market.

If you want to learn more about this public realm plan, we have some good news. A draft of the ByWard Market Public Realm Plan has been prepared and is now available at https://mathieufleury.ca/byward-market-public-realm-plan-2/

https://mathieufleury.ca/community-update-2/

[J.OT13]

Two part video on plans for the Market.

• Video Link

• Video Link

[J.OT13]

PDF presentation on the plan.

https://mathieufleury.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ByWard-MasterPlan-v3e-PUBLIC-14MAY20.pdf