Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[lrt's friend]

It seems to me that the 1969 fire mainly affected a more recent extension to the west plus some neighbouring stores facing Rideau. Ogilvy's operated out of more than one building downtown. Their furniture department was diagonally across from the main store at Besserer and Nicholas.

I don't recall cage elevators but there were elevator operators both there and at Murphy Gambles on Sparks Street and they were trained to provide customer service as they announced all the different departments on every floor. I used to be fascinated watching the operators run the mechanisms on the manual elevators and trying to line up the elevator with outside floor. Watch your step. Wow, how times have changed.

It is a pity that they could not preserve the whole facade along Nicholas Street, not just the portion relating to the earliest part of the building. That is what living Ottawans remember.

I am going to take back my comment to some degree about cage elevators. I do remember that you could see the floors going by from inside the elevator, so the inside doors were cage-like that the operator would pull across to let passengers off and on.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

It seems to me that the 1969 fire mainly affected a more recent extension to the west plus some neighbouring stores facing Rideau. Ogilvy's operated out of more than one building downtown. Their furniture department was diagonally across from the main store at Besserer and Nicholas.

I don't recall cage elevators but there were elevator operators both there and at Murphy Gambles on Sparks Street and they were trained to provide customer service as they announced all the different departments on every floor. I used to be fascinated watching the operators run the mechanisms on the manual elevators and trying to line up the elevator with outside floor. Watch your step. Wow, how times have changed.

It is a pity that they could not preserve the whole facade along Nicholas Street, not just the portion relating to the earliest part of the building. That is what living Ottawans remember.

I am going to take back my comment to some degree about cage elevators. I do remember that you could see the floors going by from inside the elevator, so the inside doors were cage-like that the operator would pull across to let passengers off and on.

From what I can see on the picture (basement sporting goods) and what I've been told, each floor had solid doors with square windows and the actual elevator car had the cage which was manually closed by the bell boy (or girl).

I still don't see why the city is letting Cadillac Fairview tear down the building; this thing is architecturally and structurally solid. Note that on the Nicholas façade, below the 2nd floor window near the fire escape, we can see one of the 1917 steel beams (where one of the gray panels fell out, not the brick); the thing looks brand new, no rust, not a scratch on the orange paint, it's amazing how they made things to last back then!

[archie-tect]

As previously stated, as much as I would like to see the entire building retained. The fate of the building was decided in 2006. Perhaps the bigger issue should be the amount of times a group can renew its site plan approval before it actually builds something.

[KHOOLE]

Originally Posted by archie-tect

As previously stated, as much as I would like to see the entire building retained. The fate of the building was decided in 2006. Perhaps the bigger issue should be the amount of times a group can renew its site plan approval before it actually builds something.

2006? That's prehistoric LRT time!

[J.OT13]

There was an interesting sing on the blue fence surrounding the Ogilvy from PCL; "Caution: Falling... pigeon faeces".
Not falling bricks, but falling pigeon faeces.

Also, the lights were on in the Ogilvy, first time in 12 years. From what I could see, they started gutting the interior.

Both the sign and lighting speaks volumes about the true physical state of the building; they are not worried about falling bricks nor are they worried about the electrical wiring from a 78-105 year old building that has been abandoned for 12-20 years. Oh, and the fact that the electrical still works after being abandoned for 12-20 years.

[J.OT13]

First time I have seen a picture of Charles Ogilvy at 4 floors (1931);
. I hope this link works;


http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=Charles+Og...tart=0&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:127

[bartlebooth]

I was at the Rideau Centre yesterday and noticed what looked like a sample of the new guard rails that will replace what is currently there (the railings with the dark wood). It was by the elevator close to Miss Tiggy Winkles (not sure what floor that is 2, 3?). Very simple and clean, basically a big piece of glass with what looks like a stainless steel rail a foot below the top of the glass. If it is still there this weekend, I will try to take a picture.

[waterloowarrior]

pics from the Citizen
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa...ment+store+demolition/7866702/story.html

[J.OT13]

No news on the expansion, but I found this from 1983 and 1975;

http://savecfbrockcliffe.blogspot.ca/2013/01/the-rideau-centre-shopping-mall-in.html

[McC]

Wow, neat link; that 1975 sketch shows a very different vision: Daly stays a street, Rideau covered with glass arches, Col By "sunken" under a plaza with connections to the NAC, taller buildings...

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by McC

Wow, neat link; that 1975 sketch shows a very different vision: Daly stays a street, Rideau covered with glass arches, Col By "sunken" under a plaza with connections to the NAC, taller buildings...

Daly still is a street through the development, don't you mean Besserer? It's interesting that out of the whole concept in this drawing the only thing they kept is the rooftop park!

[McC]

oh yes, you're right, that would be Besserer! I don't think you can tell what fate they had envisioned for Daly, whether it would have disappeared, or perhaps become a garage access lane, similar to the ugliness we have actually (which I don't consider to be a street, even if it does allow for through traffic).

[drawarc]

Found this on youtube, shows some interior views of Ogilvy building during demolition.:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdZeDQi-E-g

[eternallyme]

I know it might not be the right topic, but I wonder how downtown malls have been an enormous success in Ottawa (and Toronto), yet failed in most other cities?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I know it might not be the right topic, but I wonder how downtown malls have been an enormous success in Ottawa (and Toronto), yet failed in most other cities?

A few possible factors, for Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and, on a lesser scale, Ottawa are big, dense cities with high tourism numbers. Another one for Ottawa is how the Rideau Centre is intergrated with the transit network, wherea huge number of people have to go thru the mall to get to the main cross town transit lines.

We also have the Market (again, tourism and population) as well as the University of Ottawa at close proximity.

As for the video, I saw it a few months ago;I'm not sure why I didn't post it. Anyone noticed how perfectly straight the steel structure is? That is one solid building! (and in 3-4 months, we can say it WAS a damn solid building, great job protecting our heritage City of Ottawa!)

[c_speed3108]

From CFRA report Alison Sandor on twitter:

Empire Theatres Rideau Centre closes this month. Last screening will be March 21st.

Rideau Centre GM says Empire is closing because its lease is up, and they are "exploring several options" for leasing out the space

I guess that is the one that will close with Lansdowne coming along.

[archie-tect]

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

From CFRA report Alison Sandor on twitter:





I guess that is the one that will close with Lansdowne coming along.

So I guess I am dreaming in Technicolour thinking that this could create the possibility of a Scotiabank Theatre (Cineplex urban flag ship) type cinema downtown. A lot of other major Canadian cities have one, but not Ottawa

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A few possible factors, for Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and, on a lesser scale, Ottawa are big, dense cities with high tourism numbers. Another one for Ottawa is how the Rideau Centre is intergrated with the transit network, wherea huge number of people have to go thru the mall to get to the main cross town transit lines.

We also have the Market (again, tourism and population) as well as the University of Ottawa at close proximity.

Good points. As well all of the cities you mentioned where downtown malls have worked have a relatively large upper middle class and upper class population base close to downtown for whom the downtown mall is the most convenient place to shop.

I think that most places where they have failed the central area of the city is poorer or more working class and so does not have as much of a proximate base of shoppers with disposable income to draw from.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by archie-tect

So I guess I am dreaming in Technicolour thinking that this could create the possibility of a Scotiabank Theatre (Cineplex urban flag ship) type cinema downtown. A lot of other major Canadian cities have one, but not Ottawa

Their buildngs are usualy spectacular, highly visible structures. I doubt they will end up taking a small theatre located in an obscure box on top of a mall.

But it would be a nice addition on the base of a new condo tower, possibly on the corner of King Ed's and Rideau. We would have something of a theatre district (Bytown, Arts Court U of O theatre, 333 King Ed's...)

The Rideau Centre probably has some master plan for the space, like a rooftop restaurant or something. The east wall is right where the expansion will start.

[rocketphish]

Empire Theatres to close Rideau Centre location, reopen at Lansdowne

by Mark Brownlee, March 11, 2013

There will soon be a vacancy at one of Ottawa’s largest shopping centres as Empire Theatres announced Monday it will be leaving its space at the Rideau Centre before the end of March.

Rideau Centre officials declined to say what plans they have for the space once the theatre’s lease is up at the end of the month.

“We’re exploring our options and can’t really give you any sense of what direction we’re going in,” said Cindy VanBuskirk, the shopping centre’s general manager, in an interview.

The theatre will shut its doors at “the close of business” on March 21, wrote Kelly O’Brien, spokeswoman for Empire in an e-mail.

Empire will open another location at the newly redeveloped Lansdowne Park in late summer or early fall of 2014, she wrote.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-reside...Centre-location%2C-reopen-at-Lansdowne/1