Building LeBreton Flats - Master Planning

[J.OT13]

I just noticed that the updated concept plan includes development in Pindigen Park (bordered by Booth, Wellington, Lett and Fleet). Huge help in hiding Claridge Land.

November concept plan:


https://globalnews.ca/news/6198620/ncc-board-lebreton-flats-draft-master-plan/

January concept plan:


https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/projects/lebreton-flats-master-concept-plan

[AR-OTT]

I've somehow only just noticed that they are changing the alignment of Slater as it merges with Albert. That's great, the current alignment wastes a lot of space and there will now be room for more development near the library.

[danishh]

has the city announced anything about the building next to the library?

It seems like it would be a good idea to get some space for the good companions centre in that building and then their lot on empress could also be redeveloped.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by danishh

has the city announced anything about the building next to the library?

It seems like it would be a good idea to get some space for the good companions centre in that building and then their lot on empress could also be redeveloped.

Not yet, but it would have been a good way to raise money for the new library facility, similar to what they did with the OAG (but with the tower next door instead of on top).

I agree that it would be beneficial for the Good Companions to move across the street, making it more accessible to Pimisi Station.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by AR-OTT

I've somehow only just noticed that they are changing the alignment of Slater as it merges with Albert. That's great, the current alignment wastes a lot of space and there will now be room for more development near the library.

Yeah that's part of the city's Albert/Slater reconstruction: https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/albert_slater_recplan_en.pdf

[Jayday23]

Originally Posted by danishh

has the city announced anything about the building next to the library?

It seems like it would be a good idea to get some space for the good companions centre in that building and then their lot on empress could also be redeveloped.

i've heard rumblings that it'll be some variation of affordable housing

[lrt's friend]

Sigh! Parkland next to Bayview station and next to the adjacent waterfront, which means a dead zone. Again no possibility of a bustling waterfront.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sigh! Parkland next to Bayview station and next to the adjacent waterfront, which means a dead zone. Again no possibility of a bustling waterfront.

Are we the least waterfront waterfront city on Earth? The Greber Plan really messed this city up and nobody in power has ever worked on a fix. We have three big rivers and a massive lake in the middle of our urban area yet our city is 99.9% separated from them by mini divided highways.

[eltodesukane]

https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/albert_slater_recplan_en.pdf

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sigh! Parkland next to Bayview station and next to the adjacent waterfront, which means a dead zone. Again no possibility of a bustling waterfront.

Originally Posted by Harley613

Are we the least waterfront waterfront city on Earth? The Greber Plan really messed this city up and nobody in power has ever worked on a fix. We have three big rivers and a massive lake in the middle of our urban area yet our city is 99.9% separated from them by mini divided highways.

You guys know this, but the argument is that since the land is infill, it would be very complicated to build on. That would be any developer's problem but, would the infill also make decontamination more complicated and expensive? If we make it a park, I don't think we need to decontaminate (or at least not at the same level).

This park at Bayview provides a compromise between those who wanted the entire Flats to become a park and those who want complete development. If we're going to leave one parcel as a park, that's the one to do it with.

As for Bayview Station, it still serves as the transfer point between Lines and 2. Still serves Bayview Yards, Trinity at Bayview, the (plausible) arena and surrounding towers. It will get plenty of usage even without towers in that area to the north-east.

Let's just hope that the Park can be a true destination like Millennium Park, and not a half-ass space like Lansdowne's park.

Gréber royally screwed our waterfront potential with his parkways, but we're seeing some progress with the NCC Taverns and Bistros, the Sir John A. Macdonald linear park (if done well) and the proposed Aquduct District. Zibi will have by far the biggest positive impact on our ability to sell ourselves as a waterfront city (thank goodness the Feds never did buy/expropriate the land).

[danishh]

Originally Posted by Jayday23

i've heard rumblings that it'll be some variation of affordable housing

that's probably a given in a sea of luxury condos and rentals. I'm hoping for something senior-focused and moving the good companions programming to the first few floors. Combine that traffic with the library traffic and the building should be able to support some ground floor retail too.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sigh! Parkland next to Bayview station and next to the adjacent waterfront, which means a dead zone. Again no possibility of a bustling waterfront.

Well, a waterfront park surrounded by density can be active (a la Millenium/Grant Park in Chicago). You need to have some scaled commercial development (restaurants, theatres, etc.) in the park, and I think that the arena is a critical piece, but the scheme isn't the problem in and of itself. It's more a question of execution.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by danishh

that's probably a given in a sea of luxury condos and rentals. I'm hoping for something senior-focused and moving the good companions programming to the first few floors. Combine that traffic with the library traffic and the building should be able to support some ground floor retail too.

Does the City own the land that Good Companions currently occupies?

[Richard Eade]

That new layout for Slater pretty much guarantees that the big “FUTURE LAND PARCEL” will remain unused. There isn’t an easy way into it that isn’t too close to an intersection.

I would have preferred a layout like this:


This puts a signalized intersection beside the Library and bundles the most land into the “FUTURE DEVELOPMENT” area along the re-aligned Slater.

Unfortunately, City Staff thought that making the north leg of Bronson ‘right-in-right-out’ was not going to be acceptable to the people who live there. Even a prediction of NIMBYism is enough to spook staff.

[Richard Eade]

Just a quick comment about water-front parks in Ottawa: Britannia and Andrew Haydon parks are well attended during the spring through fall time frame. Money's Bay is pretty busy for the summer and they have even laid a short X-country ski trail there for the winter.

I don't find that Lansdowne has much any connection to the water - but the big climbing structure and the skate-board/scooter/bike park are quite popular. (Unfortunately, I didn't find the much-hyped play structures at Mooney's Bay to be as engrossing for kids - the ones in Half Moon Bay seem more interesting. Some day, I should venture out to the far east-end and check out Millennium.)

I do not have a good feeling about how the new SirJAM water-front linear park is going to turn out. Not with the NCC configuring the roads to have big swooping curves through the area that should have been consolidated park-land – just so that they could keep traffic speeds down. There should have used other methods instead of taking space from the park for the road.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

That new layout for Slater pretty much guarantees that the big “FUTURE LAND PARCEL” will remain unused. There isn’t an easy way into it that isn’t too close to an intersection.

It seems like it would be pretty easy to have an access driveway for it off Albert directly across from Commissioners St (e.g. where Commissioners Street is now).

[Richard Eade]

You could add a right-in-right-out access across from Commissioner, but is it wise to exit into the auxiliary lane of the left-turn ramp?

Everything about the Staff design of that new Slater alignment emphasizes unrestricted car movements.

[danishh]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Does the City own the land that Good Companions currently occupies?

good companions owns it but they work closely with the city. The land was donated by an ottawa businessman (Harold G Vail) when the centre was founded in the late 50's. The current building was mostly built in 1992.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

That new layout for Slater pretty much guarantees that the big “FUTURE LAND PARCEL” will remain unused. There isn’t an easy way into it that isn’t too close to an intersection.

Have you seen the Holiday Inn on King Edward?

[OTSkyline]

Are there any big swaths of land in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto that go undeveloped because of "contamination costs"? This is a missed opportunity for densification right across from Bayview.

Given the city's track record I'm also preparing to be majorly disappointed by the "park space" across from it. I find this city does a HORRIBLE job at providing amenities or anything to make these areas lively! The first "November" concept looks like it could've done the job, there seems to be pavers, landscaping, playground/tennis courts, that would be amazing! But looking at the newer "January" concept, everything is gone and it's it's a large empty field... Guess we should just expect another large empty grass patch, yay Ottawa!