1330-1346 Bank St | 90+95m | 27+29f | Proposed

[jitterbug]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

As someone who tries to bike to work as much as I can I can assure you that our Ottawa River waterfront land is being used daily by thousands of people who are cycling, running, walking, rolling, etc. Not to mention the fact that we have developed high-quality ski trails in recent years along the same corridor. Just because there aren't highrises doesn't mean the area is not used.

Thank you for stating this. While there COULD be more waterfront development, I would not welcome a Toronto-style waterfront no matter how many millions it could make for developers.

Anyone who actually uses Ottawa's waterfront pathways for cycling, skiing, or just romantic walks with your SO (or your dog!) appreciates these as gifts we can ALL use at no direct expense to the users! And, I can confirm many Ottawans do use them, though obviously not everyone gets out much.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by RogueNacho

Demolition of the existing buildings has now started.

Thanks. I went down there and took a few pics and video and had a nice conversation with another guy.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by jitterbug

Thank you for stating this. While there COULD be more waterfront development, I would not welcome a Toronto-style waterfront no matter how many millions it could make for developers.

Anyone who actually uses Ottawa's waterfront pathways for cycling, skiing, or just romantic walks with your SO (or your dog!) appreciates these as gifts we can ALL use at no direct expense to the users! And, I can confirm many Ottawans do use them, though obviously not everyone gets out much.

I would kill for a Toronto-Style waterfront in just one area, Lebreton Flats. The other few hundred kilometers of waterway in the region can stay as is, although I'd like to see road traffic removed from either Colonel By or QEP.

[McKellarDweller]

My parents are boomers who will be downsizing in a few years, and this project has piqued my Mom’s interest, which I think is great.
It ticks a lot of their boxes: Decent hospital proximity, greenspace and paths nearby, walkable, and they don’t want to be in the downtown core.

[stolenottawa]

Originally Posted by McKellarDweller

My parents are boomers who will be downsizing in a few years, and this project has piqued my Mom’s interest, which I think is great.
It ticks a lot of their boxes: Decent hospital proximity, greenspace and paths nearby, walkable, and they don’t want to be in the downtown core.

The hospital proximity is really only if you're driving though. Forget transit.

I have a cousin who lives in one of the apartment buildings right there and just started as a PSW at the General Campus. Getting there by bus is just a complete waste of time.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by stolenottawa

The hospital proximity is really only if you're driving though. Forget transit.

I have a cousin who lives in one of the apartment buildings right there and just started as a PSW at the General Campus. Getting there by bus is just a complete waste of time.

This speaks of how bad we have allowed bus service to become.

[GeoNerd]

Originally Posted by stolenottawa

The hospital proximity is really only if you're driving though. Forget transit.

I have a cousin who lives in one of the apartment buildings right there and just started as a PSW at the General Campus. Getting there by bus is just a complete waste of time.

It’s like a 15-20 bus ride to the General Hospital from Billing’s Bridge. The Transitway to Lycée Claudel, then a local bus right to the door of the hospital. Yeah transfers aren’t the greatest, but that’s a pretty simple transit trip. If you’re going the the Riverside Hospital it’s honestly a 2-3 minute bus ride from Billings Bridge.

[GeoNerd]

Originally Posted by jitterbug

Thank you for stating this. While there COULD be more waterfront development, I would not welcome a Toronto-style waterfront no matter how many millions it could make for developers.

Anyone who actually uses Ottawa's waterfront pathways for cycling, skiing, or just romantic walks with your SO (or your dog!) appreciates these as gifts we can ALL use at no direct expense to the users! And, I can confirm many Ottawans do use them, though obviously not everyone gets out much.

I don’t see the correlation between a “Toronto Style” waterfront and using the waterfront paths. Why can’t there be both? A densely developed waterfront with some natural areas and cycling/walking paths. It doesn’t need to be one or the other. We wouldn’t build on top of the path system. What am I missing?

[stolenottawa]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

It’s like a 15-20 bus ride to the General Hospital from Billing’s Bridge. The Transitway to Lycée Claudel, then a local bus right to the door of the hospital. Yeah transfers aren’t the greatest, but that’s a pretty simple transit trip. If you’re going the the Riverside Hospital it’s honestly a 2-3 minute bus ride from Billings Bridge.

Shift time probably has an impact on her experience.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by stolenottawa

Shift time probably has an impact on her experience.

Fair. Frequency on the 45 isn't as good as it could be between 6:30pm and 8pm- the period before and after the evening shift change at the General and CHEO.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

I don’t see the correlation between a “Toronto Style” waterfront and using the waterfront paths. Why can’t there be both? A densely developed waterfront with some natural areas and cycling/walking paths. It doesn’t need to be one or the other. We wouldn’t build on top of the path system. What am I missing?

Never seen the Toronto waterfront, but Vancouver strikes an excellent balance, with development and retail/restaurants at grade facing the waterfront with a public paths (segregated cycling/walking) in between. Yu get the best of both worlds.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Never seen the Toronto waterfront, but Vancouver strikes an excellent balance, with development and retail/restaurants at grade facing the waterfront with a public paths (segregated cycling/walking) in between. Yu get the best of both worlds.

The Toronto waterfront is wicked. It's just packed with action. Shopping, bars, restaurants, a bunch of fantastic parks and gardens and paths all along the piers. Some days in summer it's just waves of people strolling along the water. The pirate boats all ripping out from the marinas heading towards the islands at sunset is epic. There are many places to rent motorized and non motorized watercraft, and there are thousands of people out playing in the harbour all summer long.

[originalmuffins]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

I don’t see the correlation between a “Toronto Style” waterfront and using the waterfront paths. Why can’t there be both? A densely developed waterfront with some natural areas and cycling/walking paths. It doesn’t need to be one or the other. We wouldn’t build on top of the path system. What am I missing?

Originally Posted by Harley613

The Toronto waterfront is wicked. It's just packed with action. Shopping, bars, restaurants, a bunch of fantastic parks and gardens and paths all along the piers. Some days in summer it's just waves of people strolling along the water. The pirate boats all ripping out from the marinas heading towards the islands at sunset is epic. There are many places to rent motorized and non motorized watercraft, and there are thousands of people out playing in the harbour all summer long.

Exactly.

[lrt's friend]

There are significant challenges when dealing with rivers subject to spring flooding and rivers with rapids and waterfalls. Ocean and lake waterfronts are a little more predictable. Nevertheless, we don't take advantage of the beauty of these locations nearly enough, and Ottawa does have the rapids and waterfalls that Toronto does not have. Hopefully the Zibi site meets all our expectations. I can't imagine a more beautiful location to see the river, the falls, Parliament and downtown.

Regarding this particular location, the cycle track under Billings Bridge is closed until after the spring runoff. Even now, water levels have almost reached the level of the cycle track.

[jitterbug]

Originally Posted by Harley613

The Toronto waterfront is wicked. It's just packed with action. Shopping, bars, restaurants, a bunch of fantastic parks and gardens and paths all along the piers. Some days in summer it's just waves of people strolling along the water. The pirate boats all ripping out from the marinas heading towards the islands at sunset is epic. There are many places to rent motorized and non motorized watercraft, and there are thousands of people out playing in the harbour all summer long.

I haven't spent much time in Toronto, not among my favourite places to visit. That said, I do like the relative tranquility of Ottawa's recreational pathways, especially along the Rideau River and the eastern pathway of the Ottawa River. Quite unique to "get away from it all" while only steps away from the bustle of the city.

[rocketphish]

The demolition crew is still on site today, and the existing buildings are now gone.

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

The demolition crew is still on site today, and the existing buildings are now gone.

Are they planning on breaking ground soon? The other project across the street, has still not started.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by jitterbug

I haven't spent much time in Toronto, not among my favourite places to visit. That said, I do like the relative tranquility of Ottawa's recreational pathways, especially along the Rideau River and the eastern pathway of the Ottawa River. Quite unique to "get away from it all" while only steps away from the bustle of the city.

I think that there is a happy medium. I worked at Harbourfront in Toronto for a bunch of years, and I have a slightly different view of how great a development it is. I found it to be primarily a bunch of tourist traps in the summer, and a desolate windswept wasteland in the winter, cut off from the city by the highway and a wall of condos. Now granted there have been some cool developments on the east side of Yonge, but I wouldn't want to see that style of development here. I prefer the Chicago approach, with parks along the water and dense development further behind. With the length of waterfront here, there has to be an opportunity to get some restaurants etc. close to the water in spots like Lebreton.

[Davis137]

I was surprised to see yesterday the buildings were gone. The demolition took maybe a day (of the main structures anyways). Wonder how long it will be until the site prep for the foundation pits begins...

[Arcologist]

Does anybody know why Riverside is split like that, and if it really needs to be? I know it's not possible to change things around now, but I wonder what the reasoning is as it just seems it would have been much easier to have two side-by-side lanes crossing Bank, rather than a split road creating two separate intersections.