Place de Ville III | 76.7m | 18 fl | Proposed

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by loga0082

Silvia Logan
loga0082
January 19, 2014

In my opinion, I think that they should fix the escalator and the elevator at the Place de Ville Podium building. I really think that they should put some effort renovating the Place de Ville Podium building. With the closing of both the Rideau Centre movie theaters and the World Exchange plaza cinemas, I believe that they should add new chairs and put new screens at the Place de Ville Podium building. They should make this building a movie theater again because I cannot see this space as anything else but a movie theater. It has been vacant like that for more than 17 years. At least leave one movie theater which shows first run movies downtown. To me, it is ridiculous that one has to take a bus just to see a movie in the suburbs.

With the downtown population continuing to rise and Lyon Station to have a direct connection to the complex, and of course the recent lack of first run movie theatres downtown, re-opening the PdV cinemas would be a realistic alternative to a total redevelopment of the site (considering the recent rise of vacancy rates in downtown offices). Furthermore, the industrie's big argument about having too many first run cinemas in one area would be greatly alleviated considering PdV only has 2 screens, therefore would not be a full fledged competitor to Lansdowne.

[MichelKazan]

Originally Posted by McC

Yeah, thanks for sharing! I could never keep straight in my mind whether it was Capitol Square or Place de Ville that had *that* escalator, but I have vivid memories riding it up to see some great movies growing up (#Goonies4Life).

Actually now that I think about it, I believe both cinemas had an escalator...... Correct me if I'm wrong.

[J.OT13]

Photos and short article of the Place de Ville theatre from CBC.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...past-1.2511978

With the loss of the WEP theatre, PdV has been front and centre in the conversation about the lack of megaplexes downtown. I've said it before, I'll say it again; if Brookfield can't find a tenant for the proposed office tower, I could definitely see them re-opening the old theatre.

As much as I would love a modern Brookfield office tower (usually very nice and slick), I would be in favor of instead re-opening the theatre, right on the subway line.

[loga0082]

Silvia Logan
loga0082

I agree with you a 100%. I think that Brookfield Properties constructing a 19 storey building is a complete wast of time. I suggest that Brookfield properties should spend money fixing the elevator and the escalator and renovating the cinemas. They should install new seats and put new screens. With the closing of both the WEP and the Rideau Centre cinemas, there is no movie theater left downtown except for the Bytowne. The Bytowne just shows foreign, classic, and second run movies. To me, it is ridiculous that one has to take the bus just to see a movie in the suburbs and in Lansdowne park. As I saw old pictures of the Place de ville cinemas, the cinemas looked so nice. I am so sorry that such a lovely movie theater had to be abandoned for so many years.

loga0082
January 27, 2014

[Urbanarchit]

I don't know when these renderings were drawn up, and I don't know if people have already seen them, but I decided to post what this project is probably going to look like. It is a glass box again.

[McC]

what the deuce is going on at the sites of Place de Ville phases I and III in that overhead shot? Tower A and the Skyline are merged into a giant cube and something that looks suspiciously like a cross between NDHQ and the Tupper building on the PHASE 3 lot....?

[Fatty McButterpants]

Originally Posted by defishel

I don't know when these renderings were drawn up, and I don't know if people have already seen them, but I decided to post what this project is probably going to look like. It is a glass box again.

Hey didn't I see this masterpiece somewhere in the "visions and ideas" thread?

[J.OT13]

I've seen these a while ago, but they were never posted so thanks! Can't explain the weird shit going on with phase I, but the DND/Tupper Frankenstein thingamajig is probably Brookfield's attempt at maximizing the office space on the lot without having to rezone anything.

The way I see it, owning Place de Ville comes with the responsibility of having vision, pushing the limits and build something that would transform the CBD. Embrace your inner Campeau!

If I owned PdV, I would probably build something very similar for the podium replacement, but for phase IV, I would buy out everyone else on the eastern part of the block and build the tallest buildings in the CBD (400-500 feet) containing over a million square feet of office space, 600+ hotel rooms and a few hundred condo units. Both the Bank and Kent Street sides would have public plazas (Bank being the largest) and the podium would hold a performance hall or a proper downtown movie theatre. Of course the complex would connect to phase I, II and the subway through the underground city.

[Boxster]

Not good for the hotel on the west side!

Originally Posted by Fatty McButterpants

Hey didn't I see this masterpiece somewhere in the "visions and ideas" thread?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Boxster

Not good for the hotel on the west side!

I assume one of the original reasons for the Podium was in fact to have good spacing between the hotel and a 372 foot wall of glass. Campeau did the same for the Skyline/Crown Plaza/Delta as did Teron with the garden of the Provinces/Delta/Hilton(?) one block west and Minto 2 blocks south.

That said, we have many other hotels with rooms facing office towers at close proximity, such as the Sheraton's view of the mini-Varette to the south or lord Elgin's view of 66 Slater or Capitol Hill's view of Lorne 2.0's west wall. The absolute worst view will be the Alt's Slater street hotel where guests will have a wonderful view of the Bell Switching building's blank wall.

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The absolute worst view will be the Alt's Slater street hotel where guests will have a wonderful view of the Bell Switching building's blank wall.

I agree that there are A LOT of blank walls in Ottawa, but many of them were built that way because the lots beside them were/are empty and would eventually also have a blank wall - and those blank walls would stare at each other for eternity. Now... imagine having to look at THIS blank wall forever:
All 4 walls are blank .:. No Windows!

The AT&T Long Lines Switching Station in Manhattan, NY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33_Thomas_Street

[Harley613]

What a shame. What a dinky boring little tower. It will be invisible from almost any angle in the city.

[Urbanarchit]

I just noticed, there's a filler rendering for the parking lot on Kent and Queen/Albert in this rendering. Any guess that this is what Brookfield might be thinking about for the site?

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by defishel

I just noticed, there's a filler rendering for the parking lot on Kent and Queen/Albert in this rendering. Any guess that this is what Brookfield might be thinking about for the site?

another phase of C.D. Howe/240 Sparks. It's been on the drawing board forever. It's a massive project, I don't see the gov demand coming any time too soon.

[McC]

CD Howe / 240 Sparks is federally-owned, the Kent-Queen-Albert lot in question (where they're digging subway at the moment) is Brookfield; and last decade (give or take) it was billed as Place de Ville Phase III ("An idea this good is worth repeating" was the motto, I kid you not), the plan was for three 19-storey towers. At some point they dropped the "PdV III" branding, but there was still Brookfield signage about the three 19-storey towers on the site until quite recently -- "prime office space" etc. But you're right, nothing will happen there for a decade or more, even forecasting for optimistic growth in downtown office demand from current levels.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by MountainView

I agree that there are A LOT of blank walls in Ottawa, but many of them were built that way because the lots beside them were/are empty and would eventually also have a blank wall - and those blank walls would stare at each other for eternity. Now... imagine having to look at THIS blank wall forever:
All 4 walls are blank .:. No Windows!

The AT&T Long Lines Switching Station in Manhattan, NY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33_Thomas_Street

My God!! Bell switching buildings on steroids!!

I've got to say, I like it better than the Ottawa version; taller, better design, generous plaza separating it from the next building on the block, good setbacks, very nice entrance too...

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by McC

CD Howe / 240 Sparks is federally-owned, the Kent-Queen-Albert lot in question (where they're digging subway at the moment) is Brookfield; and last decade (give or take) it was billed as Place de Ville Phase III ("An idea this good is worth repeating" was the motto, I kid you not), the plan was for three 19-storey towers. At some point they dropped the "PdV III" branding, but there was still Brookfield signage about the three 19-storey towers on the site until quite recently -- "prime office space" etc. But you're right, nothing will happen there for a decade or more, even forecasting for optimistic growth in downtown office demand from current levels.

I agree that an idea as good as PdV is worth repeating, but there 2-3 tower proposal, and even worse that piece of crap H building does not embody the vision that was Place de Ville!

[J.OT13]

The NCC used what I believe is Campeau's 1980s or 90s proposal for Place de Ville III (current parking lot used for Confederation Line construction) for a report supporting the height restrictions. This skyline view is shown in a Vancouver based blog (or whatever) by Stephen Bohus.



And of course the NCC took the proposal as a threat to the dominance of the Parliament Buildings by setting a bad precedent.



Text that goes with pictures;

At the time, developers were praising the tower and claiming that it ‘balanced’ the Peace Tower and Parliament. Upon further examination, the ‘Campeau tower’ would have set a very bad precedent for further development. The National Capital Commission (NCC) commissioned several studies, and looked at the impact of the tower. One key question was, what would the Ottawa skyline look like if other developable sites were allowed to exceed current height control guidelines by 15 storeys?

After public consultation, there was a great outcry by residents against the Campeau tower and the proposal to increase height limits in the downtown core. The City of Ottawa council listened to their constituents, and turned down the Campeau tower proposal. The height controls in the downtown core were kept and strengthened after a series of studies. Both the residents and the Ottawa City Council saw the importance of protecting our national symbols.

We now have these even more ridiculous height restrictions "cutting" the top of existing buildings.



http://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/s...ohus-dec-2010/

[loga0082]

Place de Ville Podium Building
Silvia Logan
February 15, 2014

When I walked pass the Place de Ville Podium building this morning, the print shop and Italian restaurant looked close. However, I still saw chairs on top of the tables in the restaurant and printing supplies in the shop. As, I checked the office buildings the lights were turned off. Is Brookfield finally going to demolish the Podium building and construct the 19 storey building? I did read several months ago that they were going to put a LRT station in the bottom of the Place de Ville podium building. The building still says Brookfield. The movie theater doors looked sealed off.

loga0082

[J.OT13]

I'd have to see for myself if they are permanently closed or not. I assume the printing service is only opened during the week. Same with the restaurant; it's around the deader part of Sparks, so they might just keep it closed on weekends.

As for the new office tower, the next update is supposed to come in spring according to this;

http://www.dcnonl.com/cgi-bin/top10....region=ontario

Regardless of what happens to the Podium, the printing service will eventually close down because they will in fact build an entrance to the subway station where the establishment now stands.