Dream LeBreton [665 Albert St] | 105+120m | 31+36f | U/C

[postingaboutottawa]

I don't mind the effort to maximize greenspace, despite its name the parcel isn't even adjacent to the library. The new mup if it has a wall on one side and a landscaped escarpment on the other can do the job of minimizing the wind which is the real killer.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Well that's a hugely disappointing proposal. It's just a couple of apartment buildings. No station connection,

A direct connection to the station would be challenging. The current entrances are onto Booth Street, and the elevator shaft pretty much prevents them from providing a direct connection to station entrance. They could build a new entrance at the back of the concourse, but that would mean more fare gates and most likely more ticket machines, which my not be worth the expense.

no building over the tracks,

While that would be nice, given that the aqueduct is on the other side of the tracks (and they probably don't want to cover that), I am not sure how much is to be gained by doing that, especially when you consider that the land on the other side of the aqueduct (or even this section of the aqueduct itself) is not part of the any of the LeBreton development package.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by roger1818

A direct connection to the station would be challenging. The current entrances are onto Booth Street, and the elevator shaft pretty much prevents them from providing a direct connection to station entrance. They could build a new entrance at the back of the concourse, but that would mean more fare gates and most likely more ticket machines, which my not be worth the expense.



While that would be nice, given that the aqueduct is on the other side of the tracks (and they probably don't want to cover that), I am not sure how much is to be gained by doing that, especially when you consider that the land on the other side of the aqueduct (or even this section of the aqueduct itself) is not part of the any of the LeBreton development package.

I guess I dream too big for Ottawa

I want to see something built over the station completely, which has been discussed by all parties involved as a possibility. If you build over the station you might as well build over the tracks. The aquaduct has no bearing on that possibility. Here's the parcel on offer:
Capture by harley613, on Flickr

[Dzingle Bells]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I guess I dream too big for Ottawa

I want to see something built over the station completely, which has been discussed by all parties involved as a possibility. If you build over the station you might as well build over the tracks. The aquaduct has no bearing on that possibility. Here's the parcel on offer:
Capture by harley613, on Flickr

Just an FYI this wasn't actually the boundaries of this parcel. It was the piece on Albert and air rights were only an option RIGHT over the station. Over the guideway, as it heads to the tunnel wasn't included.

It wasn't feasible to build over the station for many reasons, not to mention, Pimisi has been open for what? 2 years? Would be a pretty big waste to scrap all of that.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I guess I dream too big for Ottawa

I want to see something built over the station completely, which has been discussed by all parties involved as a possibility. If you build over the station you might as well build over the tracks. The aquaduct has no bearing on that possibility. Here's the parcel on offer:

Capture by harley613, on Flickr

Umm, according to pg. 3 of the presentation, this is the "Library Parcel:"

[bartlebooth]

I'm mostly disappointed that this proposal doesn't provide a continuous built edge along Booth and Albert. The site plan shows two buildings that sort of swim in middle the parcel (for the most part). I personally don't mind that there's a short, outdoor walk from Pimisi to the library but I was hoping that walk would be enhanced with an active string of retail spaces, etc.... I need to wait to see how the design develops, there are some positive aspects to what I saw in the presentation but I'm really hoping for better street level interaction.

[Harley613]

I was going by this image for the parcel when I drew it on the aerial.

[DTcrawler]

Apparently my expectations were totally out of touch for what was actually being planned for this parcel. Those walks to the library on winter days like today are going to be brutal...

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by SL123

Curious about the dashed white lines crossing the tracks just north of the gathering circle... is that a future underpass/overpass of the LRT tracks?

I'm mostly disappointed that this proposal doesn't provide a continuous built edge along Booth and Albert. The site plan shows two buildings that sort of swim in middle the parcel (for the most part). I personally don't mind that there's a short, outdoor walk from Pimisi to the library but I was hoping that walk would be enhanced with an active string of retail spaces, etc....

I thought there was ground floor retail/services... and the building design allows you to cut the corner from Pimisi by cutting through the site between the buildings.

[Dzingle Bells]

Originally Posted by bartlebooth

I'm mostly disappointed that this proposal doesn't provide a continuous built edge along Booth and Albert. The site plan shows two buildings that sort of swim in middle the parcel (for the most part). I personally don't mind that there's a short, outdoor walk from Pimisi to the library but I was hoping that walk would be enhanced with an active string of retail spaces, etc.... I need to wait to see how the design develops, there are some positive aspects to what I saw in the presentation but I'm really hoping for better street level interaction.

These diagrams from Appendix C of the submission to the board explains how the massing was generated.

[ponyboycurtis]

Tough to see how their could be a continuous connection between the LRT and Library, short of a continuous mezzanine through the (two)? parcels and (three)? buildings that separate the sites.

As a half measure having both buildings with a direct connection to the station and an exit to the east side would have allowed you to get halfway there. Depending on what the podium uses were it could have been publicly accessible with a second floor skybridge between the two podiums. Could also have made provisions to carry the connection onto the next building as well.

Even if the building wasn't over the station I cant see a skybridge connecting to the backside of the station costing that much in the grand scheme of things.

It's a shame that when Stage 2 is complete we will still only have 1 development with a direct connection to the LRT.

Side question.. can you access the Weston from the interior of Rideau? I think I recall there being access in times past.

Also.. will Claridge Moon have a direct station connection or will you have to walk outside?

[bartlebooth]

Originally Posted by TransitZilla

I thought there was ground floor retail/services... and the building design allows you to cut the corner from Pimisi by cutting through the site between the buildings.

There will be but the large gaps in frontage on Booth and Albert are problems for me. I think the ability to cut through the buildings to get to the library faster could have still been achieved while also having more defined street edges. Just my two cents. Like I said, there are many positive things about this proposal (emphasis on affordability and sustainability efforts to name a few). Need to see where it goes from here before passing final judgement. The NCC spokesperson mentioned that there will be a phase of design and development over the next bunch of months so hopefully we see more detail soon.

[UrbOttawa]

another illustration from twitter:


https://twitter.com/NCC_CCN/status/1...753737/photo/2

The gradient could be very nice..

[DTcrawler]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

Side question.. can you access the Weston from the interior of Rideau? I think I recall there being access in times past.

Also.. will Claridge Moon have a direct station connection or will you have to walk outside?

Yes, you can access the Westin from inside the Rideau Centre. There is also a link between the Westin and the Shaw Centre, so both venues have indoor connections to Line 1.

As for Claridge Moon, I don't actually recall if they are planning to build a new indoor entrance to the Lyon station head house, but it seems like an obvious thing to do.

[J.OT13]

Quite disappointed. Two towers in a windswept plaza.

I was hoping to Pimisi station integrated within the podium, an indoor link to the City's library parcel and active street frontage along Booth and Albert, and maybe even the pathway along the tracks. We have none of that.

I understand the challenge with the spaghetti factory of sewer lines near the station, but they could at least have built a skywalk to the station, along with an indoor corridor towards the library.

That said, there are some positives, like the significant affordable housing component (which might explain the lack of extra bells and whistles like a link to Pimisi). The retail mix will be positive for the area. Another daycare (Claridge will have one as well across the tracks). Good spacing between the towers. Sustainability. The podiums look like they will be quite dynamic.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by DTcrawler

Yes, you can access the Westin from inside the Rideau Centre. There is also a link between the Westin and the Shaw Centre, so both venues have indoor connections to Line 1.

As for Claridge Moon, I don't actually recall if they are planning to build a new indoor entrance to the Lyon station head house, but it seems like an obvious thing to do.

Shaw also has a direct link to the Rideau Centre.

Still unclear for Moon as they have multiple ground floor plans showing different things. Seems unlikely though. If there is a link, it will be in the grocery store only, not the residential/hotel lobbies.

[SL123]

I'm really glad Dream was chosen wether or not there's a direct link with Pimisi. Their projects including Zibi always seem to but a lot of focus on the public realms. I feel like Dream builds communities and lifestyle compared to other developers who only want to maximize every square meter of a piece of land

[passwordisnt123]

This is a huge letdown. It's like they've gone out of their way to be as far and inaccessible as possible from transit.

Given that RendezVous Lebreton had a total decking over of the Confederation Line, we've fallen so far past mediocrity and into the truly terrible under Nussbaum's NCC.

[rocketphish]

NCC selects Dream team to set the tone for LeBreton Flats redevelopment

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Jan 20, 2022 • 56 minutes ago • 4 minute read



A team led by Dream has been selected as the preferred developer of the National Capital Commission’s “library parcel” at Albert and Booth streets, with 601 rental units planned over two towers and a major contribution to affordable housing in what’s described as Canada’s largest zero-carbon development.

Many directors on the NCC’s board, which unanimously endorsed staff’s recommendation during a Thursday meeting, said the mixed-use project was exactly what LeBreton Flats needs to start advancing the larger redevelopment scheme.

Tobi Nussbaum, the chief executive officer of the NCC, said the Dream project “really sets the tone for how we think we can achieve all of the principles articulated in the master concept plan.”

The development site is beside Pimisi Station and the future Ādisōke library and archives building.

The units will range from studios to three bedrooms and 41 per cent will be considered “affordable.”

In the east 30-storey building, Multifaith Housing Initiative will have 130 units over 15 floors as Dream’s affordable housing partner in the development. The other 140 units in the tower will be market rents.

Dream, a Toronto-based real-estate firm, approached Ottawa’s Multifaith Housing Initiative last June about a partnership that could be considered in the NCC development competition.

“I think it’s going to be the heartbeat of this city,” said Suzanne Le, executive director of Multifaith Housing Initiative.

“The kind of community we’re building, I would like to see a model for the country.”

Multifaith Housing Initiative, which will have the units in perpetuity, will offer rents that are on average no more than 59 per cent of the median market rate.

The west 35-storey building will have 117 affordable units and 214 market-rental units.

Dream’s affordable units, which have a duration of 55 years, will be on average no more than 79 per cent of the median market rate.

Thirty-one per cent of all the units will be accessible.

Katie Paris, the NCC director of the LeBreton Flats project, said all units in the towers would be designed the same, no matter if they had market rents or affordable rents.

Design team members for the project are from KPMB Architects, Perkins&Will and Two Row Architect. Other organizations involved in the project are Purpose Building, PFS Studio, EllisDon and Innovation Seven.

The amenities will include a daycare, community bike shop and other community spaces in addition to retail offerings like a food or convenience store, restaurant or cafe and health services.

For the NCC, the real-estate transaction will bring in $30 million, which will be reinvested in the property to cover infrastructure work and public-realm projects. Dream is paying $2.5 million and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. is covering the rest through a forgivable loan.

Dream is also a partner in the nearby Zibi development spanning the Ottawa River.

The NCC shortlisted three development groups for the initiative. The other groups were led by Windmill Developments and Trinity Development Group.

Board member Michael Foderick called it “capital planning at its finest” and board colleague Larry Beasley predicted LeBreton Flats would be an “exemplar for the world.”

Nussbaum said there was “further momentum” coming in 2022 when it comes to other parcels at LeBreton Flats. The NCC is also collecting expressions of interest for a destination facility.


<snip>


jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...-redevelopment

[waterloowarrior]

Would love to see One Planet Living LeBreton (Windmill/CCOC) have an opportunity for one of the other parcels. Looking forward to the next RFP process. I trust that dream, KPMB and Perkins + Will will deliver a great final product for this parcel based on how Zibi is turning out.