Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

My nephew will also be working in that same department.

Cool. Who's your nephew? (maybe send me a private message)

[loga0082]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

My nephew will also be working in that same department.

Are you referring to the men's furnishings in the new Nordstrom which is suppose to open on the 6th of March?

Loga0082

[J.OT13]

Rideau Centre pushes council for street beautifying

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun

First posted: Sunday, February 15, 2015 07:03 PM EST | Updated: Sunday, February 15, 2015 09:04 PM EST

The city is under pressure to satisfy the Rideau Centre.

The mall, which is owned by Cadillac Fairview, is undergoing a $360-million renovation that includes a major expansion at Rideau and Nicholas streets.

Meanwhile, the city wants to improve the sidewalks and streetscapes around the mall, part of what it calls the Rideau/Arts Court precinct.

Cadillac Fairview VP Ivan Boulva appeared at a council committee last week and suggested the city has a responsibility to do the street work before the Rideau Centre unveils the new and improved mall.

"We are opening the expansion of Rideau Centre on Aug. 1, 2016. There is not that much time left between now and then to improve the immediate environment," Boulva said.

The city is armed with a proposed public realm plan for the area between Rideau St. and Arts Court, which will also undergo a major expansion.

The goal is to brighten the dour streetscape and make it more pedestrian friendly.

Included in the proposal is the closure of Nicholas St. between Besserer and Rideau streets to create a pedestrian mall.

Cadillac Fairview likes what the city has cooked up and it's making sure the Rideau Centre expansion has a strong, animated street presence when it opens.

"I think we did our part," Boulva told councillors.

"This is part of your part that the city has to delver -- this pedestrian friendly, this amicable environment -- which will bring together many city-defining projects."

Boulva stressed: "Time is of the essence."

He acknowledged the mall is responsible for the construction zone created on Rideau St., and "we would like to be responsible for changing it also."

The pedestrian mall would cost about $1.3 million and the Rideau St. modifications are estimated at $6 million.

All other lower-priority street improvements could cost as much as $19 million, according to the public realm plan.

The estimates are considered very preliminary.

Council on Feb. 25 will be asked to give city management, Mayor Jim Watson and Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury the authority to approve a functional design, which should shed more light on the costs.

The design must be completed this year if the city has any hope of getting the streetscape improvements done before 2017 and the lead-up to Canada's 150th birthday.

There could be ways to share some of the costs with the mall during the expansion work and the LRT construction, which is happening under Rideau St.

The draft 2015 transportation budget is setting aside $1 million for the studies.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/02/15/rideau-centre-pushes-council-for-street-beautifying

[loga0082]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/02/15/rideau-centre-pushes-council-for-street-beautifying

I think that Rideau Street should be done again because it is looking rather scruffy. It should be made beautiful again for the new Rideau Centre expansion. This picture of the newly renovated Rideau Street looks quite nice.

Loga0082

[mac_junkie1]

I'm all in favour of the small pedestrian bridge to be removed, but the larger one should be kept... In the winter, its much easier to cross over rather going in the cold and snow. It also has great space for retail and gives the Bay a chance to attract customers... Once the renovations on the larger one are done, it won't look like a big ugly eyesore. Look at the Rideau Centre itself... It was a huge eyesore, now with its exterior renovations, it actually looks pretty decent now. They've come a long way with just a little more to go on the outside...

Originally Posted by J.OT13

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/02/15/rideau-centre-pushes-council-for-street-beautifying

[loga0082]

Exterior of Rideau Centre
Silvia Logan
February 17, 2015

I agree with you the exterior glass of the Rideau Centre will look nice, once it is completed. The newly renovated shops inside the rideau Centre look much better now than before.

Loga0082

[Boxster]

Now if only the OPS could do a decent job of keeping the Rideau St. and Market area free of crime and other undesirables.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Boxster

Now if only the OPS could do a decent job of keeping the Rideau St. and Market area free of crime and other undesirables.

It's pretty crime free, actually. Never any shootings there unlike the Bayshore or South Keys areas. Yes, there are homeless people there, but homelessness is a social/economic problem not a criminal/legal one.

The solution is to put an end to homelessness through a housing-first policy, where money is invested directly into the construction of public housing instead of being invested in bandaid solutions like shelters. The province has committed funding to housing-first, and so has most cities. Kingston for example has established an official goal of eliminating homelessness by 2023. I know Watson has earmarked more money for initiatives for the homeless, don't know details. Hope it's housing-first.

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

It's pretty crime free, actually. Never any shootings there unlike the Bayshore or South Keys areas. Yes, there are homeless people there, but homelessness is a social/economic problem not a criminal/legal one.

The solution is to put an end to homelessness through a housing-first policy, where money is invested directly into the construction of public housing instead of being invested in bandaid solutions like shelters. The province has committed funding to housing-first, and so has most cities. Kingston for example has established an official goal of eliminating homelessness by 2023. I know Watson has earmarked more money for initiatives for the homeless, don't know details. Hope it's housing-first.

Have a look at the OPS crime map. Way too many assaults for a tourist area like the Market.

http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime/crime-mapping-tool.asp

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Boxster

Have a look at the OPS crime map. Way too many assaults for a tourist area like the Market.

http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime/crime-mapping-tool.asp

I think if you look at that map a little closer, you'll see that almost all of the assaults are late at night and in the bar areas. While still not good, there isn't really a comparable area in the city in terms of the concentration of bars, which inevitably gives rise to that type of incident.

It doesn't suggest that there is a lot of petty crime going on, or a lot of crime generally compared to other areas. In fact, I wonder if it is less on a per capita basis, given the numbers of people who pass through that area every day.

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by phil235

I think if you look at that map a little closer, you'll see that almost all of the assaults are late at night and in the bar areas. While still not good, there isn't really a comparable area in the city in terms of the concentration of bars, which inevitably gives rise to that type of incident.

It doesn't suggest that there is a lot of petty crime going on, or a lot of crime generally compared to other areas. In fact, I wonder if it is less on a per capita basis, given the numbers of people who pass through that area every day.

I agree with you that there are not too many problems during the day time. However, nearby residents do not feel safe walking around the market in the late evening which is not uncommon given the density of condos close by.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Boxster

I agree with you that there are not too many problems during the day time. However, nearby residents do not feel safe walking around the market in the late evening which is not uncommon given the density of condos close by.

Density of condos as a factor contributing to pedestrian insecurity? That's a new concept for me - tell us more. Surely the largest part of violent crime in the Market area relates to abuse of alcohol and the purchase/sale of illicit drugs. Or, in the case of the corner of Rideau and Dalhousie, a particular group that seems to have a penchant for stabbing each other. As far as I know, the homeless community is seldom involved, unless as victims. Am I missing something?

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Density of condos as a factor contributing to pedestrian insecurity? That's a new concept for me - tell us more. Surely the largest part of violent crime in the Market area relates to abuse of alcohol and the purchase/sale of illicit drugs. Or, in the case of the corner of Rideau and Dalhousie, a particular group that seems to have a penchant for stabbing each other. As far as I know, the homeless community is seldom involved, unless as victims. Am I missing something?

You are twisting things around. That is not what I mean.

"I agree with you that there are not too many problems during the day time. However, nearby residents do not feel safe walking around the market in the late evening which is not uncommon given the density of condos close by".

What I mean by the above is that given the density/number of condos nearby, the number of residents that will tend to walk around the market at night will be on the rise which makes it more important to keep the area safe from other undesirables.

There is no need for you be be on the offensive, arrogant and condescending!!!

[Radster]

I am in the Market regularly, have a few friends with condos there, and I never ever feel unsafe or threatened walking around, be it daytime, or late at night as we do go out quite a bit to enjoy the nightlife. I think its very safe, and the homeless people are in general harmless.

[Luker]

I've lived at 90 George for over a year and have a number of friends and colleagues in both Claridge Plaza as well as East Market and can say without a doubt that none of us feel unsafe outside nor have any of us ever encountered any criminal or violent activity.

On the other hand, I have seen more individual & gang mentality assaults on patrons of bars in the last 10 years then I can count on my fingers. As always, the vast majority of the problems and violence can be attributed to over consumption of alcohol by the 18-25 y.o. demographic.

[loga0082]

Originally Posted by Radster

I am in the Market regularly, have a few friends with condos there, and I never ever feel unsafe or threatened walking around, be it daytime, or late at night as we do go out quite a bit to enjoy the nightlife. I think its very safe, and the homeless people are in general harmless.

I walked to the market area many times during the day and there was not much of a problem. There are also many people around. Sometimes, I do see people on the streets near the market begging for money. I do not like to walk alone at night. I tend to take the taxi or bus, when it is very dark. It is fine during the day.

Loga0082

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by Radster

I am in the Market regularly, have a few friends with condos there, and I never ever feel unsafe or threatened walking around, be it daytime, or late at night as we do go out quite a bit to enjoy the nightlife. I think its very safe, and the homeless people are in general harmless.

Based on OPS data, there were 9 assaults in the Market area between Feb. 02 and Feb. 18.

So I have trouble understanding how one can feel VERY SAFE.
Perhaps safety in numbers?

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Boxster

Based on OPS data, there were 9 assaults in the Market area between Feb. 02 and Feb. 18.

So I have trouble understanding how one can feel VERY SAFE.
Perhaps safety in numbers?

Think of how many people pass through there. 9 is infinitesimal.

I'd roughly estimate there's an average of 50,000 people a day passing through the Market area (including multiple counts of people passing through multiple times). That comes out to 800,000 people between Feb 2 and Feb 18. And 9 assaults? That means 9/800000 people got assaulted. That's a 0.001125% chance of getting assaulted, or about 1 in 90,000.

That's hardly a high enough chance for anyone to feel threatened.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Think of how many people pass through there. 9 is infinitesimal.

I'd roughly estimate there's an average of 50,000 people a day passing through the Market area (including multiple counts of people passing through multiple times). That comes out to 800,000 people between Feb 2 and Feb 18. And 9 assaults? That means 9/800000 people got assaulted. That's a 0.001125% chance of getting assaulted, or about 1 in 90,000.

And how many of those 9 were "random stranger assaults"... and how many were "you owe me drug money" kind of assaults?

[wingman]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

And how many of those 9 were "random stranger assaults"... and how many were "you owe me drug money" kind of assaults?

And that to me is what makes Ottawa feel like a safe city. If you are not involved in the crime world, be it drugs or anything else for that matter... you are most likely not going to have any troubles.

My guess is at least half of those are not random.