340 Parkdale Ave | 127m | 38f | Proposed

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Ottawan

Complete website appears to be up, including floor plans and pricing. Looks pretty good, and from the 1st floor plan, it would seem that there is some Armstrong-facing retail.

http://www.ottawaartisan.com

Floor plans seem fairly good. Interesting to see amenities including bicycles and a shared car for residents - has that been done in other any other new projects in Ottawa? It seems like a nice little "perk".

[AuxTown]

Article from yesterday's Ottawa Citizen:

Putting down artistic roots

Eco-friendly condo planned for the heart of Hintonburg
By Paula McCooey, The Ottawa Citizen April 24, 2010


A new eco-friendly highrise condo planned for Ottawa's burgeoning Hintonburg community will be a tribute to the area's artistic roots.

Aptly named The Artisan, the building will be located at 233 Armstrong St., the former location of the popular Cube Gallery, which recently moved to Wellington Street.

The 1941 industrial building -- located across from the Parkdale Farmer's Market -- will be levelled and replaced by a 54-suite development with balconies, stainless-steel appliances, hardwood, and kitchens with thick granite countertops.

Conscious of the balance between infill condos and overcrowding a neighbourhood with cars, the developers, Markton Properties, will supply 10 handcrafted Pashley bicycles with wicker baskets and leather saddle bags for residents to run local errands or bike along the Ottawa River.

A fuel-efficient Nissan "Cube" car will also be available to residents for $3 an hour to cover the cost of gas and insurance.

Prices start at $169,000 for a 573-square-foot one-bedroom condo, and run up to $1 million for a 3,207-square-foot luxury penthouse suite with its own 1,500-square-foot private terrace. There will also be a green rooftop garden where residents can relax and barbecue outdoors; and a rooftop glassed-in gym with a view of the Gatineau Hills.

Three lower levels of indoor parking will be constructed, at $27,500 per spot, with 10 floors of suites above. The main-floor commercial space will be home to a new art gallery.

The condo fees, which will be 26.5 cents per square foot per month, will cover insurance and maintenance of the building, but will not include utilities. "When you are controlling your own heat, your own water, your own hydro, you are much less likely to go off to the cottage for the weekend and leave your air conditioning on high," says Joanne Edwards of Markton Properties, who with her husband Doug and business partner Gerry Lalonde, are developing the Artisan. "People want to conserve and they don't want high bills. So it's up to them to conserve their usage."

The Edwards have been bowled over by calls since marketing the building to empty-nesters, working couples and singles. In a matter of a few days, 17 condos were reserved. Actual sales will commence next Sunday.

The group has been working closely with local builders Lundy Construction and the Hintonburg-based architectural firm of Erskine Dredge & Associates to design the podium-style LEEDs building.

The architectural style is what the City of Ottawa desires, says Doug Edwards, adding the articulated building will create the illusion of a smaller scale.

"If you are standing on the street looking up, the building doesn't appear to be as tall as it is," says the entrepreneur who has developed residential and commercial projects in the past. "If you are standing very near, it looks like a two-storey building, move back and you catch the second podium. A monolith gives us more square feet and more to sell, but a podium unit gives us a lot more character in the building."

Hintonburg has been considered one of the grittier, working-class neighbourhoods in Ottawa, and he admits to wondering who would win, the "bikers or gentrification." Over the past decade, the community has taken its neighbourhood back, with infill projects and great shops and restaurants, to create a village feel.

The Parkdale Park, located across the street, is undergoing a $1.2-million makeover, with a band shell to accommodate live music in the area that is now dubbed the Arts Quad, or Quartier des artistes or Arts District.

"The area has been long under-serviced and hasn't been getting the credit it's due," he says. "It's undergoing a transformation and we want to be part of the leading edge of that transformation."

In fact, in 2007 enRoute magazine named Hintonburg one of the top 10 emerging neighbourhoods in Canada.

In keeping with the Arts Quad theme, each suite will be named after a world-class gallery. These will include The Tate, Guggenheim,

Louvre, and Prado.

The smaller units will be called The Cube, dedicated to Don Monet, owner of the Cube Gallery.

The Hamilton Street sales centre will include samples of the Deslauriers kitchens, including granite, flooring and tiles.

"It's more a presentation centre (showing) how the units are going to be built, and what they are going to look like."

Construction starts in spring 2011 and is expected to be finished in spring 2012.

- - -

Getting There

What: The Artisan

Where: Presentation centre, 7A Hamilton Ave.

Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday to Thursday. Closed Fridays.

Price: $169,000 to $1 million

Condo fees: 26.5 cents per square foot in the first year. Year two, it will increase to 29 cents. This includes the cost of building management, insurance and utilities.

Information: 613-729-5000 and www.OttawaArtisan.com

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

This looks like a really great project for the area and I like how the developers seem truly interesting in Hintonburg's history and character. Well, maybe they're not interested, but at least they are respecting it somewhat.

[HintonburgCA]

Hi. I'm with the Hintonburg Community Association. We try very hard not to oppose big developments in our community because we believe in the philosophy behind intensification. The Windmill building that houses the GCTC, for instance, was a big win for us, and the credit has to go to the Westeindes who took seriously their responsibility to offer the community something in return for height. It was a long discussion with them, but I think everyone won in the end. It was a huge boost to what was then our strategy of branding Hintonburg as the QUAD. The QUAD branding really took off once the GCTC moved in, and gave credibility to an effort on our part that was still, admittedly, as much bravado as fact.

Unfortunately, this development is proceeding along very different lines

We've posted a page at http://www.hintonburg.com/artisan.html to outline our initial concerns. A Community Design Plan that's been developed over a couple of years - and hundreds of hours of volunteer time - is already threatened by the very first proposal made for the area. Our challenge at this point is to try to get the developer and the City committed to meeting community concerns before re-zoning - for which no publicly available application has even been made available yet - becomes a rubber-stamp and we're forced into a long and costly OMB process. If this forum's participants are interested, I'd be happy to pass along developments (no pun intended).

Jeff Leiper

[Davis137]

I can appreciate the concerns that you mentioned in your link, and it's interesting to hear what people in the area have to say about the proposed project. I also think, IMO, that the Artisan building is an improvement over the buildings that are currently at that address, which have no interraction with the streetscape anymore either. I know this, because I lived only a block or two away from there (On Bullman, near One Hamilton) for the better part of 2 years until I moved to the Gloucester/Southgate area, and I walked my dog around that neighbourhood year round, at least 2x per day.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with this proposal and/or project in it's entirety...

[HintonburgCA]

Originally Posted by Davis137

I can appreciate the concerns that you mentioned in your link, and it's interesting to hear what people in the area have to say about the proposed project. I also think, IMO, that the Artisan building is an improvement over the buildings that are currently at that address, which have no interraction with the streetscape anymore either. I know this, because I lived only a block or two away from there (On Bullman, near One Hamilton) for the better part of 2 years until I moved to the Gloucester/Southgate area, and I walked my dog around that neighbourhood year round, at least 2x per day.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with this proposal and/or project in it's entirety...

Absolutely! The site is also desperately in need of environmental remediation - that whole area is chock-a-block with nasty stuff which is being contained and monitored. Whoever develops it is going to need some height and density to offset that cost since brownfill funding is still inadequate. I don't think we and the developer are far apart. We're soliciting feedback, but right now my guess is that only a very few would push back at 6 storeys. 8 is going to be tougher, but might be appropriate if there's something in it for the community, and they respect the new CDP guidelines respecting setbacks. That would probably mean space the community could use, likely geared towards the arts, or some kind of affordable housing to help mitigate some of the effects of continued gentrification in the 'Burg. There'll have to be very significant engagement with the park/Market, as well, which doesn't seem to be contemplated in their drawings.

We'll be doing everything we can, though, to make sure that Council and the OMB don't accept 10 just because it's the first proposal to come along. It's a very valuable piece of real estate, and somebody out there is capable of doing a lot better than making a quick buck on it.

The way the Offical Plan is worded - after something like three years of work between we, the development community and the City - additional height in Mixed Use Zones is supposed to begin at the edges fairly low, and get higher as you move to the centre. That would seem to speak to respecting both the CDP and OP by building lower in phase I, and then going for additional height in phase II at the Hamilton/Spencer intersection. I don't think anyone's vision is for 14 storeys there given that it's bounded by three-storey townhomes, but it is designated a Mixed Use area and targeted for intensification. At the end of the day, with the Parkdale Market right there, Tunney's Pasture, rapid transit, and within a couple of blocks of a linear main street, it's difficult to see holding the line at even 8 in phase II, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

For the time being, given that there's no "give" to the community, I'm pretty sure we'll be holding the line at 6 on this phase unless the developer figures out some way of turning a higher building into a plus. What they're proposing now is just the addition of more infrastructure strain and continued gentrification without any positives to net out as a benefit.

[citizen j]

6? Good luck. I'll guess you get 8 with setbacks.

[blackjagger]

Yeah 6 will trigger an OMB appeal from the developer no doubt about it. The cost of concrete construction and the requirement of an elevator make 5-6 storey buildings a real art to breakeven with. Asking for 8 with some community benefit will be a good compromise if you ask me (I know nobody does). I believe that community associations that are willing to work with developers and gracefully force compromise will help to develop both a strong urban neighbourhoods and developments that reflect and add to the neighbourhood in which it is being built.

Cheers,
Josh

[Luker]

Agreed^

On the one hand its a useful tool to have the long list of anti-development agencyies and groups like we do here in Ottawa; with often extremly strict and narrow views, they often can suffocate developments or at times just trip them up. But in this case as many, these groups offer great risk, if this comes down to less than 6 stories, it will be a monothlic box, end of story, with even more profit maxing...It often intrigues me what they find so unfit, houses and yes CONDOS/Intensifcation are needed in all cities, and yes sometimes near your house too, its how cities grow and become vibrant dense patchs of urban networks and communities... Nonetheless it does AT TIMES keep developers in line, but the sense of HEIGHT NEVER WORKS in this city is attrocious.

[Davis137]

I think that the developers might try to build higher than 8 stories in that location, if they have to be more heavily invested in it's relation to the park. If they were smart, they would put in places like Quizno's, or maybe even a bookstore or some other form of restaurant to replace the Carleton in the podium/base of the building. That area severely lacks commercial retail (that ISN'T a boutique-style shop that only people from Westboro and Civic Campus districts can afford on a daily basis).

I look forward to following whatever happens in this area, as I think it's the next neighbourhood to hit the bigtime, in terms of redevelopment...

[HintonburgCA]

Originally Posted by citizen j

6? Good luck. I'll guess you get 8 with setbacks.

Hehehe - not that these things progress with any kind of predictability, of course.

[Ottawan]

I think that the quasi-industrial look of the building fits the surroundings, that the height is not excessive (similar to GCTC and to the Parkdale Market Lofts, but with less massing), and makes a contribution to the neighbourhood fabric that the HCA is trying to promote (the retail space on the ground floor has been reserved for a gallery). If this type of height was proposed to the south of Parkdale Park that might be a problem (shadows cast over the Park and Market), but where it is, I think this is perfect - any effects of the development in terms of both shadowing and immediate increase in traffic (which the development, being near transit and actively promoting car-sharing and bike programs will be minimal) will be felt by the primarily industrial areas along Armstrong and Spencer.

That said, I understand your concerns about setting a precedent that encourages future development that is truly not in character with the neighbourhood. However, opposing something that is better than what could have been proposed (TRULY no ground level interaction, TRULY no setback, and greater height) does not to me seem the right way to go about this. Especially since inappropriate developments will surely be proposed in Hintonburg at some time, (imagine another building like the one accross the street from Saint-Francois-d'Assise) and your credibility will be greater if you save your fight for then.

[HintonburgCA]

Originally Posted by Ottawan

I think that the quasi-industrial look of the building fits the surroundings, that the height is not excessive (similar to GCTC and to the Parkdale Market Lofts, but with less massing), and makes a contribution to the neighbourhood fabric that the HCA is trying to promote (the retail space on the ground floor has been reserved for a gallery). If this type of height was proposed to the south of Parkdale Park that might be a problem (shadows cast over the Park and Market), but where it is, I think this is perfect - any effects of the development in terms of both shadowing and immediate increase in traffic (which the development, being near transit and actively promoting car-sharing and bike programs will be minimal) will be felt by the primarily industrial areas along Armstrong and Spencer.

That said, I understand your concerns about setting a precedent that encourages future development that is truly not in character with the neighbourhood. However, opposing something that is better than what could have been proposed (TRULY no ground level interaction, TRULY no setback, and greater height) does not to me seem the right way to go about this. Especially since inappropriate developments will surely be proposed in Hintonburg at some time, (imagine another building like the one accross the street from Saint-Francois-d'Assise) and your credibility will be greater if you save your fight for then.

Thanks. Again, we're hoping not to oppose it. We've kept our powder dry for over a decade doing the grunt work of working with some great developers who have been keen to ensure their buildings are in character with the neighbourhood and add to the community. The KRP building, GCTC building and School House lofts all went to Council unopposed after we spent months with each ensuring community concerns were largely satisfied. It's hard work, obviously, for a volunteer group, and the developers we've worked with have largely demonstrated the patience of Job! We never get everything we're looking for, but that's life. It's also not sexy and doesn't make headlines, so people continue to hold the idea that all community associations oppose all development all the time. We're absolutely hoping that by the time the re-zoning gets to Council, they'll be looking at yet another unopposed development. Development in Hintonburg, in fact, seems to be a case study in how to do it right - pre-consultation and compromise. We haven't gotten to the point, yet, of mounting a campaign of opposition - right now we just need to understand what the community thinks about the proposal, and to make sure the developer is listening to the community and incorporating its feedback into the plans. We spend a lot of time building our war-chest and are prepared for a lengthy OMB battle, but clearly hope the process works the way it should - and has - and that we can continue to work collaboratively rather than in conflict.

[McC]

@Davis137: you would rather a cheezy fast food chain like quizno's than an original neighbourhood institution like the Carleton? Sir, I most forcefully disagree! (especially when there's a Subway and KFC 6 blocks southeast of here, and lots more choices for "real" food in all directions)

[McC]

the best thing about Hintonburg / Wellington West is that most of the stores and restaurants aren't the same as all of the stores and restaurants you find everywhere else. I for one want to keep it that way. But then again, I can make a better sandwich than any chain, for less money, in about the same amount of time, so maybe I'm just a snob about sandwiches: boo to Quizno's and Subway and their tasteless ilk!

[HintonburgCA]

Actually, I should have added a fourth major project in which we've seen a very high level of cooperation from the developer - the Holland Avenue condos. We worked with Tartan, and then with Domicile, to accomplish some design changes to their proposal, and this one went unopposed by us, as well (an immediately adjacent neighbour filed, then dropped, an OMB appeal). We did, however, expend hundreds of hours collectively in the grind of pre-consultation.

Again, though - these guys, like the Westeindes, are pros. They didn't come out guns blazing with a proposal they knew would provoke the community. They finally applied for and got an 8 storey building - which strikes most as a very appropriate height for the location.

http://www.emcottawawest.ca/20100205...Holland+Avenue
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=163487

[Ottawan]

OK HCA, you've convinced me that both you personally, and the community association more widely, are fairly reasonable. I wish you success in your endeavours to make this work for the neighbourhood (I actually live just west of Hintonburg, so this affects me quite directly).

I would simply urge you to consider the points I mentioned above with regards to this development: there actually are a number of positive aspects to it already.

[HintonburgCA]

Thanks, Ottawan. We circulate and submit comments for every single CoA, liquor licence, and zoning change - almost always "do not oppose". It just lends more weight when we do have good reason for concern. And, your points are valid. We figured from the start that shadowing would not be an issue. Traffic is tricky and we don't focus on it - I love traffic. Parkdale is choked with cars driving to and from the 'burbs. The more choked it gets, the better OC Transpo starts to look. We put in collectively thousands of hours on the road reconstruction, and drivers are already learning to slow down on the new, narrower Wellington: great for bikes. But, that's just me. A large portion of our membership hates traffic, and road pressure as a result of this building will certainly come up if and when we need to oppose it. When we say "infrastructure" pressure, that's things like the community centre and programming, the Plant Bath. The demo that will be looking at this condo will certainly take advantage of those. Community meeting spaces are already critically low, and the Plant Bath is choked with users in this demo's age group. When we're looking for amenities, a private gallery catering to the upper middle class doesn't help us with the decline of affordable houses and increased pressure on services used by everyone - our hope would be that the developer is thinking along more creative lines.

[c_speed3108]

from the Ottawa Business Journal

'Highly speculative' Hintonburg condo proposal draws criticism


Published on May 31st, 2010
Peter Kovessy
Ottawa Business Journal

Others, however, say nothing amiss with early presales

Critics are questioning a developer’s decision to begin pre-selling units in a proposed 10-storey Hintonburg condominium before it formally applies to significantly rezone the property.

Although developers can begin conditionally selling units without proper zoning in place, some say it is unfair to take deposits from would-be homeowners when the height, size and scope of the project may significantly change during the rezoning and site plan approval process.

Late last month, Markton Properties Ltd. began marketing The Artisan, located at the corner of Armstrong Street and Hamilton Avenue, across from the Parkdale Market.

Originally slated to contain 54 units, the developer says it sold approximately 30 in the first few weeks and is now planning to build 63 condominiums.

The site is presently zoned for light industrial uses, according to city records, with a maximum height of 13.5 metres – four or five storeys – and currently features a 1940s-era low-rise building that used to house the Cube Gallery.

The developer says he has filed a rezoning application, but a city spokesperson says planning staff are still waiting for several required reports before the file is activated.

When the application is officially opened, the developer could be in for a fight over the building’s height and design. The area community association is already expressing “major concerns” with the proposal and is dismayed the developer is already pre-selling units.

The head of Ottawa’s homebuilding association says homebuyers who put down a deposit could be caught in limbo for years, given the developer has yet to secure “the most basic approvals from the city.”

“This kind of practice is not what we like to see and not something we would describe as a legitimate practice, in the sense that it is highly speculative,” says John Herbert, executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association.

“For us, it is a concern that consumers could be hurt on this. Their deposit could be tied up for a long, long time.”

Markton Properties principal Doug Edwards bristles at the “speculative” suggestion.

“That’s complete and utter rubbish. We’ve moved 30 of these units in three weeks. What is speculative about that?” he asks.

“The overwhelming response we’ve had both from people who have expressed interest in our units and the community at large validated this project.”

When asked what would happen if someone purchased a ninth-floor unit if the building height is ultimately capped at, for example, eight storeys, Mr. Edwards began criticizing the community opponents of the project as out to “grind personal axes.”

Mr. Edwards says Markton Properties is not a builder, but rather specializes in sales and marketing as well as “having the vision.” He says Markton has not been involved in any other projects, but purchased “hundreds” of condominiums several years ago in large blocks and resold them individually.

Records show Mr. Edwards is also involved in another development venture, Spencedale Properties Ltd. In 2008, that company asked the city to amend its official plan so it could build a new subdivision within the airport’s operational zone at 2911 Prince of Wales Dr., on the Rideau River south of Fallowfield Road.

For us, it is a concern that consumers could be hurt on this. - John Herbert, executive director, Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association

The Ottawa Airport Authority fought the proposal because it feared residential development would result in complaints from new homeowners about planes landing and taking off that would ultimately lead to restrictions on the airport’s operations.

City council rejected the proposal, but the decision was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. While OMB records suggest a settlement was reached, a city spokesperson says the matter still rests with the board.

Mr. Edwards says final studies are being completed in preparation for a plan of subdivision application.

Another Spencedale project, in Renfrew, proposed turning a former school into luxury condominiums. According to a local media report, Mr. Edwards presented his plans to the Renfrew and Area Chamber of Commerce just over a year ago and said work would begin around Labour Day.

As of last week the project had yet to break ground, according to an area resident. Mr. Edwards says sales have been slower than anticipated.

Back in Ottawa, while Markton Properties opted to begin sales prior to securing municipal permits, a more well-known Ottawa developer chose to go a different route for another Hintonburg project.

Domicile Developments started marketing its eight-storey, 67-unit condominium project on Holland Avenue, just south of Wellington Street West, earlier this year. It successfully rezoned its property months earlier and averted an OMB hearing by reaching an agreement with a neighbouring landowner in February.

Pierre Crichton, a lawyer at Ogilvy Renault specializing in commercial real estate, says it is not uncommon for developers to begin pre-selling units before securing all the necessary municipal approvals.

The deposits are held in trust by a third party and most presales are contingent on a number of conditions, such as successfully rezoning the property and the developer selling a sufficient number of units to obtain financing, he says.

“A developer would likely not be committing, and should not be committing, to sell something if they are not sure they can build the development,” says Mr. Crichton.

Mr. Edwards says he is “very confident we are going to get (the rezoning) we are after.”

But the home builders’ Mr. Herbert notes his members have faced challenges securing their desired height and density allowances in recent years.

“The odds of this council, given their record, approving something a developer asks for is infinitesimally small,” he says.

[Davis137]

I can agree with the concerns of the people in the neighbourhood where this building is supposed to go up in. I wasn't aware that there were already pre-sales of the building, even without actual approvals from the right oranizations/governing bodies yet. So, I side with the HCA and other concerned parties about the operations of the developers and/or those involved with them.

After reading that article above, where it talks about the developments within the flight paths of the airport...that I find unbeleiveable. Unbeleiveable in terms of them building homes in the areas right near the airport and the homeowners thinking it's their right to complain about the noise pollution, and perhaps eventually affect the operations of the airport.

In a situation like that, I say that those home owners can pound salt. YOU chose to buy your McMansion there, knowing full well what's nearby. Nobody held a gun to your head and ordered you to buy there. YOU bought there, YOU can live there. Should have bought someplace else.

Anyways, Hopefully things won't turn out for the worst with this development, as it would be a positive impact on the neighbourhood, in terms of bringing more residents in.

[HintonburgCA]

Thanks for posting - I was ready to post it, as well.

You guys probably saw the stories on the Domicile development over the weekend in the Cit and Sun. What a difference. While we were obviously a little uncomfortable with 8 stories, we didn't oppose it, and in the end we'll get a nice piece of art. The right building, at the right height, in the right place, by experienced and sensitive developers...

http://bit.ly/bUaY1k
http://bit.ly/abyGFk