General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa] - Page 190

J.OT13 · #**3781** Posted **May 8, 2014, 11:56 PM**

Don't remember if this was on CTV or CBC today. Can't find a link, but the NCC Capital Info Centre is moving out of the WEP and back in its Wellington building.

phil235 · #**3782** Posted **May 9, 2014, 12:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Don't remember if this was on CTV or CC today. Can't find a link, but the NCC Capital Info Centre is moving out of the WEP and back in its Wellington building.

What, they realized that the kiosk beside Sunglasses Hut wasn't the best location for a tourist centre?

kevinbottawa · #**3783** Posted **May 9, 2014, 2:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Don't remember if this was on CTV or CC today. Can't find a link, but the NCC Capital Info Centre is moving out of the WEP and back in its Wellington building.

Perhaps Mark Kristmanson slapped some sense into them.

Urbanarchit · #**3784** Posted **May 9, 2014, 2:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Perhaps Mark Kristmanson slapped some sense into them.

Just as long as he doesn't declare the parkways heritage properties.

phil235 · #**3785** Posted **May 9, 2014, 4:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

As for the NCC moving back to Wellington; the 2011 move to WEP was only temporary during renovations of the other building.

Don't think so. The move was due to the implementation of a new strategy for dealing with the public (read budget cuts) according to the press at the time. This is a reversal of a terrible decision.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Tourism/2011...l-Infocentre/1

teej1984 · #**3786** Posted **May 9, 2014, 7:39 PM**

Has anyone heard of Gabba Hey? It seems to be a mysterious club that exists at City Centre Park but I can't find any info about it online!

J.OT13 · #**3787** Posted **May 9, 2014, 9:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil235

Don't think so. The move was due to the implementation of a new strategy for dealing with the public (read budget cuts) according to the press at the time. This is a reversal of a terrible decision.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Tourism/2011...l-Infocentre/1

Oops, sorry. Miss read the headlines on this article:

Quote:

Ottawa's only tourist centre to close

Budget considerations partly responsible

CBC News Posted: Oct 31, 2011 8:02 AM ET| Last Updated: Oct 30, 2011 6:05 PM ET

Ottawa's only tourist information centre will be closing this week, with tablet-toting information officers and a more modest kiosk set to take its place.

Staff at the Capital InfoCentre across from Parliament Hill have helped more than 325,000 people a year find their way and book hotel rooms.

Andy Rajagopalan is one tourist who found the info centre useful.

"We saw the info centre and thought it would be a good place to find our bearings," said Rajagopalan, who was visiting with his wife from North Carolina.

"It was awesome, there's a very nice map. You have a button you can push, and it shows you where the building you want to go is."

But the National Capital Commission says finances and a need to modernize visitor services are forcing the closure of the information centre, effective Tuesday.

Renovations would cost $5 million

The building is in need of renovations that would have cost $5 million, according to the NCC.

Guy Laflamme, senior vice-president of NCC, said it was a tough decision to close, but now the agency will deploy information officers equipped with electronic tablets at notable landmarks.

"Rather than being behind a counter, waiting for visitors to come to us, we're going to where visitors are located," he said.

The NCC will also staff a much smaller kiosk in the far less prominent corridor of the World Exchange Plaza.

An unfortunate downsizing, according to Jantine Van Kregten of Ottawa Tourism.

But Van Kregten said a new special committee of major tourism players, including hotels and the airport, will monitor the impact of the changes.

"They're going to look at what's happening once the centre closes, and the new kiosk in the World Exchange Plaza opens, then go from there," she said.

The kiosk will open Tuesday, but the map that Rajagopalan and his wife liked won't be there.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...close-1.981076

When I saw the "renovation part", I assumed it was a swing space situation.

waterloowarrior · #**3788** Posted **May 9, 2014, 10:23 PM**

hey guys... things were getting a bit off-topic so I moved about 50 housing market posts to a new Ottawa Housing Market sticky in the business/politics/economy forum
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=211267

also moved the rooftop photo discussion here, maybe Kevin can add his photos to the thread

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=193074
-WW

Harley613 · #**3789** Posted **May 10, 2014, 1:38 AM**

Is anyone else REALLY FUCKING BORED of seeing this project never getting finished????!

Oh yeah, it's 'Bell Terrace' now, you know, to class it up a bit.

Harley613 · #**3790** Posted **May 10, 2014, 1:55 AM**

Hull has really filled out with the two new office towers.

Harley613 · #**3791** Posted **May 10, 2014, 2:10 AM**

West Block refurbishment progress. That scaffolding is intense! So is the Chinook on the front lawn!

gjhall · #**3792** Posted **May 10, 2014, 6:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teej1984

Has anyone heard of Gabba Hey? It seems to be a mysterious club that exists at City Centre Park but I can't find any info about it online!

It's on facebook. Store and recording studio by day, club by night.

J.OT13 · #**3793** Posted **May 10, 2014, 7:27 PM**

Bell Street Tower: you bet I'm sick of seeing the ever ending renos;

Hull: too bad the new towers are all very bland;

Wellington: hope we'll get a break from all that construction in 2017.

TMA-1 · #**3794** Posted **May 10, 2014, 9:33 PM**

Is the Lees bridge being replaced?

8054678 by southfacing, on Flickr

rocketphish · #**3795** Posted **May 10, 2014, 10:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMA-1

Is the Lees bridge being replaced?

Yes, exactly:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1088

1overcosc · #**3796** Posted **May 10, 2014, 10:24 PM**

Yep. The Lees, Vanier Parkway, and Belfast bridges are all being rapid replaced. Lees is happening in September, Vanier & Belfast both early next year.

St. Laurent, as well as the two Transitway overpasses, will not be rapid-replaced; rather they will be replaced gradually bit-by-bit like the Cyrville overpass was.