Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[trhgr]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I haven't been inside Rideau for a few months, but based on the pictures and what I've been hearing, they've been doing a poor job at working around people.

I visited Bayshore a few times during the renos and although the work being done is obvious, the place was still clean and the work did not seem to obstruct customers' experience.

I think Oxford is doing a great job with Les Promenades; there plan of action seems to be concentrating on parts of the mall by shutting down sections at a time (as suggested by c speed).

Agree, I went last Saturday and the entrance facing the Freiman Mall turned into a 2m wide 15cm deep puddle of water. People were are trying to (without success) jump over. It was pathetic and dangerous.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

While I generally like to give half-done things a fighting chance to move far enough along, I so far have been very unimpressed by the Rideau Centre improvements.

I find the new floors look and feel cheap. Certainly not as nice as the past renovation's tile work.

Aside from maybe Simons most of the new stores really don't impress me either. The lions share seem to either be very expensive or just places I wouldn't really shop at.

I also find the way they have gone about the change over is also terrible. The mall has been turned into the land of drywall instead of doing different areas at different times (for instance the old sears had been empty for some time before much was done to it)

I noticed the other day they just closed the Mackenzie King entrance again (presumably for renos). They just did a bunch of work on that one a year or two ago. Would it not have made more sense to do everything in one go?

Agree on the renos so far, but I think the real work is being done inside the new stores. As for the new retail. Simons. Nordstrom, Victoria Secret and H &M are all huge additions to the Rideau Centre.

[bartlebooth]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I haven't been inside Rideau for a few months, but based on the pictures and what I've been hearing, they've been doing a poor job at working around people.

I visited Bayshore a few times during the renos and although the work being done is obvious, the place was still clean and the work did not seem to obstruct customers' experience.

I think Oxford is doing a great job with Les Promenades; there plan of action seems to be concentrating on parts of the mall by shutting down sections at a time (as suggested by c speed).

I walk through Rideau often and for the most part, I find they are doing a good job of working around people. Most of the work is done over night and in phases and things are cleaned up by the morning. Rideau is unique in that it is a major hub (transit, tourists, convention centre, etc...) so redevelopment is much more of a challenge when you compare it to say Bayshore. I am not big on 'mall shopping' but I am interested in this redevelopment because its impact on the centre of the city will be huge. When you add in the Arts Court Redevelopment and LRT, this area is going to be so much more congested (which I like) and active (I hope).

[mac_junkie1]

I noticed that also. Those new tiles are really ugly and CRAZY slippery. I've almost fallen a few times and with the work on the new ugly glass guardrails, there's nothing really to catch my fall. Also, all the store have a slop going into them now. Its really weird. I like the older floors from the mid-2000s renos of what the mall was "going" to look like. These new tiles are bad and yes the mall has this very "sterile" look. Its pretty bad... I don't plan on shopping there much either.

The bigger ped skywalk for The Bay is closing very very soon for work to begging on that. Its already empty, though as of today shoes had been put into it temporarily. The skywalks are getting HUGE refurbs. Bigger one first and smaller one after. You'll also see the Rideau facade of the mall is being ripped off... GOOD... Strip away that "concrete box" feel. What a dumb design it was back in the day. The whole plan wasn't really thought out properly. WAYYY to many hands in the pot.

I'm sure the mall will look nice when its done, but right now its a miserable waste land. Just look at the security guards... They think they're so tough lol

Bottom line, the only thing for me that is important is the Ogilvy's facade re-build. I could care less about the mall itself. What stores are there that I would shop in that I can't find anywhere else. Ogilvy's is what made that part of downtown "cool" for me... Now its just a concrete jungle.

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Just curious whether anyone else has noticed this - I was at the Rideau Centre last week and nearly broke my neck while walking on those new tiles. Is it just me or are they dangerously slippery?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by mac_junkie1

I noticed that also. Those new tiles are really ugly and CRAZY slippery. I've almost fallen a few times and with the work on the new ugly glass guardrails, there's nothing really to catch my fall. Also, all the store have a slop going into them now. Its really weird. I like the older floors from the mid-2000s renos of what the mall was "going" to look like. These new tiles are bad and yes the mall has this very "sterile" look. Its pretty bad... I don't plan on shopping there much either.

The bigger ped skywalk for The Bay is closing very very soon for work to begging on that. Its already empty, though as of today shoes had been put into it temporarily. The skywalks are getting HUGE refurbs. Bigger one first and smaller one after. You'll also see the Rideau facade of the mall is being ripped off... GOOD... Strip away that "concrete box" feel. What a dumb design it was back in the day. The whole plan wasn't really thought out properly. WAYYY to many hands in the pot.

I'm sure the mall will look nice when its done, but right now its a miserable waste land. Just look at the security guards... They think they're so tough lol

Bottom line, the only thing for me that is important is the Ogilvy's facade re-build. I could care less about the mall itself. What stores are there that I would shop in that I can't find anywhere else. Ogilvy's is what made that part of downtown "cool" for me... Now its just a concrete jungle.

Same, they can continue with the "Ottawa Special" (cheap and half assed) for everything else as long as they get they do good on the Ogilvy façade.

[kevinbottawa]

I guess I'm on my own, but I don't mind the new floors. I think they actually look nice.

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

So there was an entrance to Ogilvy's from the Rideau Centre!? Why did they tear down the annexe (for an eventual expansion) if it was already connected to the Rideau Centre!?

I found an image on Urbsite's latest post on the Rideau Centre that shows how this once was:


http://urbsite.blogspot.ca/2014/03/rideau-centre-history-part-6-transit.html

[drawarc]

Re: Rideau centre, here's a news article, including mall map at time it opened, I think it does show link to Ogilvy's.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ML4...pg=5878,751762&dq=dalhousie+street&hl=en

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by drawarc

Re: Rideau centre, here's a news article, including mall map at time it opened, I think it does show link to Ogilvy's.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ML4...pg=5878,751762&dq=dalhousie+street&hl=en

Awesome find!

Who knew the Apple store was once a Shopper's Drug Mart

[eternallyme]

Ottawa should also be REALLY happy that the Rideau Centre succeeded big time and didn't turn into a colossal failure like Portage Place in Winnipeg, built around the same time...it puzzles me the difference between the two situations.

[mac_junkie1]

Its an old OC Transpo postcard. I've got it in my collection.

Ogilvy's had the annex built in the 1950s which attached to the main store past Trudel Hardware. It went all the way back to Besserer. The original one was across a few buildings, then the 2nd was a coverup possibly, then it burned in Dec 1969. It was rebuilt and re-opened in Feb 1970. I've got old slides of the 1969 fire also in my Ogilvy's collection and those will be published in my book. The main store was gutted and modernized due to severe smoke and water damage. All the merchandise was written off. The annex was demolished probably after Robinson's closed. It was of no more use and it was all piece meal in that area. Even I would've knocked it. Its easier to rebuild something properly then having access thru multiple buildings. It was built to be temporary to an extent. I've got multiple photos of the annex throughout the years. Ogilvy's had buildings all over the city back in its heyday. They owned and operated out of about 15 store fronts. The old store on Richmond is still there. Its a Miss Tiggy Winkles now and its building next door is the old Westboro Woodworkers building which was also an Ogilvy's building for unfinished furniture.

Originally Posted by gjhall

I found an image on Urbsite's latest post on the Rideau Centre that shows how this once was:


http://urbsite.blogspot.ca/2014/03/rideau-centre-history-part-6-transit.html

[J.OT13]

RIDEAU CENTRE HISTORY - Part 6

Galleria, subway replaced with buses and atrocious skywalks.



I love this "The design guidelines for the pedestrian bridges promised that they would be light, airy, transparent, and interactive with Rideau Street."

Of all the Rideau Centre area plans over 80 years, we ended up with the absolute worse. The only saving grace is the preservation of a few historic buildings (Union Station and the Transportation Building). Of course, a few others were lost anyway over time (Cory block, Postal Terminal, Daly Building, Ogilvy).

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Ottawa should also be REALLY happy that the Rideau Centre succeeded big time and didn't turn into a colossal failure like Portage Place in Winnipeg, built around the same time...it puzzles me the difference between the two situations.

Portage Place, yep that was conceived of the same zeitgeist as the Eaton Rideau Centre.

The problem with Portage Place is that you're constantly walking one ramp to another zig-zagging across Portage Avenue and wherever.

When Eaton Place opened up in the old mail order building it was a success because it was anchored to the second largest Eaton's store in the world. But that was only two buildings connected across narrow Graham Avenue. Portage Place is countless buildings connected with diagonal bridges across the very wide Portage Avenue. I'm grateful for the warmth in winter, but it's still a hike from the offices in the Post Office or Cargill buildings.

[c_speed3108]

From twitter:

John Ruttle ‏@JohnRuttlectv 13m
The #Richtree restaurant inside @RideauCentre to close at the end of March. May return when expansion is done. #ottnews @ctvottawa #ottawa

Sounds like drywall mall is adding more drywall.

[teej1984]

Wow, that's crazy! There really is SO MUCH DRYWALL right now!! Walking in off the MacKenzie King Bridge it's like you're entering into a dark abandoned cave. Let's hope they speed this up a little!

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

From twitter:




Sounds like drywall mall is adding more drywall.

Very informative tweet "may" return after renovations. ??

[Harley613]

Damn. I love that place, I go every Saturday for lunch after Salsa lessons

[Shalaby]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Damn. I love that place, I go every Saturday for lunch after Salsa lessons

I like to place too, but it could definitely use a refresh. It looks pretty nasty from above when you're on the escalators.

[kevinbottawa]

One thing I hate is how Richtree stores their stuff right behind the elevator. When you get into the elevator you can see their warmers and other stuff pressed right up against the elevator window. It looks horrible.

[Boxster]

The reviews are not too good either. Perhaps you can add your comment.



https://plus.google.com/1173116771008301...#117311677100830119236/about?gl=ca&hl=en

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

One thing I hate is how Richtree stores their stuff right behind the elevator. When you get into the elevator you can see their warmers and other stuff pressed right up against the elevator window. It looks horrible.