Elgin Street Renewal

[rocketphish]

'Oversaturation' of market hurts business, Elgin Street restaurateurs say
Fresco Bistro Italiano is set to close Thursday night

By Hillary Johnstone, CBC News Posted: Jan 04, 2017 6:24 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 04, 2017 6:24 AM ET

Several restaurant owners on Elgin Street say they believe a wake-up call is needed about the future of the area and the cost of doing business there.

The owners were reacting to news that Fresco Bistro Italiano is set to close its doors on Thursday night.

The co-owner of the popular Elgin eatery, Jim Bickford, said the decision to close is mostly because he wanted a change after more than 10 years of business. But he also said it's no secret that the cost of operating a business on Elgin is expensive.

"For us, [closing] was just about a stimulus for some change, and maybe get ourselves into a more profitable situation, in a different location, and under different circumstances," said Bickford.

"Rent's gone up considerably, utilities are through the roof. I mean Hydro Ottawa is obscene at this time, I think, personally. But ... those aren't necessarily the determining factors in our decision, they're just part of the decision."

Fresco isn't the first Elgin restaurant to close in recent months.

Maxwell's shut its doors early last year.

The owner of Woody's Pub, which sits just down the street from Fresco, said he fears more business owners on Elgin could make similar decisions as independent restaurants in the area face increasing operating costs and new competition from larger chains in other entertainment districts, such as Lansdowne Park.

Ottawa is currently experiencing an "oversaturation of the districts," and the days where Elgin was seen as an entertainment destination may be over, Keith Loiselle said.

"It's painful on the independents."

Loiselle also said some people wrongly assume businesses on busy Elgin all turn a huge profit.

"I think there needs to be a bit of a shift, you know, where the landlords realize, 'Yes these are great neighbourhoods, but there's a lot of great neighbourhoods now,'" he said.

Several years ago Loiselle tried to start a business improvement area for Elgin but it never got off the ground.

There are now renewed calls to try and get a BIA up and running, including from Warren Frederick, the co-owner of Common Eatery on Elgin, which opened in July.

"I definitely think it would help out, give us a little voice to the city and stuff like that. I think it would make us stronger as independent business owners on Elgin for sure," said Frederick.

News of Fresco's closure is "a bit scary," he said, and added that the cost of rent on Elgin is a constant concern each month.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...ners-1.3920336

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

[B]'Oversaturation' of market hurts business, Elgin Street restaurateurs say
Fresco Bistro Italiano is set to close Thursday night

Several restaurant owners on Elgin Street say they believe a wake-up call is needed about the future of the area and the cost of doing business there.

...

News of Fresco's closure is "a bit scary," he said, and added that the cost of rent on Elgin is a constant concern each month.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...ners-1.3920336

I don't really understand the freaking out about this.

Yes Maxwell's closed... and it was replaced with another restaurant. Now Fresco is closing... because a new restaurant is taking over its lease.

It's not like Elgin is becoming a boarded-up ghost town... we are simply seeing some turnover of businesses. If rent is "going through the roof" then isn't that a result of it being a desirable area?

[TheGoods]

I remember when Elgin was at its peak about 15 to 20 years ago, you had the Market, Elgin and the Glebe in the core but that has changed, not only do you have Lansdowne but areas like Preston, Westboro and Wellington Village have improved significantly and now have a lot of fine eateries and pubs.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I don't really understand the freaking out about this.

Yes Maxwell's closed... and it was replaced with another restaurant. Now Fresco is closing... because a new restaurant is taking over its lease.

It's not like Elgin is becoming a boarded-up ghost town... we are simply seeing some turnover of businesses. If rent is "going through the roof" then isn't that a result of it being a desirable area?

Also, neither restaurant was particularly innovative or well-rated. They were both holdovers from the bad old days of Ottawa restaurants when you could have a menu and an urban location and do ok. I wonder if Al's steakhouse is next to go.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

I remember when Elgin was at its peak about 15 to 20 years ago, you had the Market, Elgin and the Glebe in the core but that has changed, not only do you have Lansdowne but areas like Preston, Westboro and Wellington Village have improved significantly and now have a lot of fine eateries and pubs.

Don't forget Sparks Street. It has improved in recent years.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Also, neither restaurant was particularly innovative or well-rated. They were both holdovers from the bad old days of Ottawa restaurants when you could have a menu and an urban location and do ok. I wonder if Al's steakhouse is next to go.

So I'm not the only one who finds it inexplicable?

[TheGoods]

Here's another article on Elgin St:

http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/col...-and-thats-sad

[kwoldtimer]

Measures should immediately be taken so that Tyler Dawson can continue to secure his chicken fingers on Elgin Street! I sort of see the point, but it seems to overlook that urban environments evolve and can even (gasp!) become trendy or move up-market. Call me elitist, but absent indications that the street is headed toward empty storefronts, I don't feel too alarmed.

[acottawa]

I don't think there is a shortage of chicken finger locations on Elgin Street. The Dude's complaint seems to be that is favourite watering hole is more popular than it used to be, I'm not sure that is a sign of the decline of the street.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I don't think there is a shortage of chicken finger locations on Elgin Street. The Dude's complaint seems to be that is favourite watering hole is more popular than it used to be, I'm not sure that is a sign of the decline of the street.

I saw that - my forays to the place have been limited to Prime Rib Sundays (I'm ashamed to say!) and ripply bellies outnumbered ripply arms.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

Here's another article on Elgin St:

http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/col...-and-thats-sad

As long as I have been in Ottawa, the chattering classes have been chattering about the decline of Elgin Street.

I miss the Big Bud's branch store (as well as the original), the theatre of people lining up for the theatre, and Boushey's, but I'm old. But Elgin is still there, elginning away.

I'd be more worried about the upcoming street redesign and reconstruction, its impact on existing businesses, and the fetishization of wider "sidewalks" for the sole purpose of adding patio space, which does nothing to improve the actual pedestrian realm, and which would seriously impinge on transit operations on what is still a traditional main street.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I don't think there is a shortage of chicken finger locations on Elgin Street. The Dude's complaint seems to be that is favourite watering hole is more popular than it used to be, I'm not sure that is a sign of the decline of the street.

Also, apparently, it has too many ripply arms.

At least that's a novel complaint, one which isn't on my list of Banned Things to Complain about.

(BRB, off to the gym to work on my ripples.)

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I'd be more worried about the upcoming street redesign and reconstruction, its impact on existing businesses, and the fetishization of wider "sidewalks" for the sole purpose of adding patio space, which does nothing to improve the actual pedestrian realm, and which would seriously impinge on transit operations on what is still a traditional main street.

Elgin needs wider sidewalks pretty desperately. Even without any patios at all the sidewalk is too thin to support the street's high level of pedestrian traffic.

If anything, the removal of most of the parking should actually make bus operations faster as there won't be as many people slowing down traffic by pulling into or out of a parking spot.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Elgin needs wider sidewalks pretty desperately. Even without any patios at all the sidewalk is too thin to support the street's high level of pedestrian traffic.

Agreed, which is why adding sidewalk space, only to occupy swaths of it with patios, might animate the street, but does nothing to improve pedestrian circulation.

If anything, the removal of most of the parking should actually make bus operations faster as there won't be as many people slowing down traffic by pulling into or out of a parking spot.

That's not what slows down the buses on Elgin. Removing the parking, but also removing a lane of traffic, will continue to trap buses in general traffic.

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Elgin needs wider sidewalks pretty desperately. Even without any patios at all the sidewalk is too thin to support the street's high level of pedestrian traffic.

If anything, the removal of most of the parking should actually make bus operations faster as there won't be as many people slowing down traffic by pulling into or out of a parking spot.

I do not take public transit (haven’t in over 25 years) and is the main reasons why I no longer go on Elgin is that there are no paid parking lots, I want to drive and pay for parking but none are available. That is not an issue with the Market, Glebe, Preston, Westboro or Lansdowne (on no- game nights). I wind up roaming the side streets or Elgin to park. I do not like the idea of removing the on street parking on Elgin that would really hurt the business there and would push more traffic to the residential streets.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

I do not take public transit (haven’t in over 25 years) and is the main reasons why I no longer go on Elgin is that there are no paid parking lots, I want to drive and pay for parking but none are available. That is not an issue with the Market, Glebe, Preston, Westboro or Lansdowne (on no- game nights). I wind up roaming the side streets or Elgin to park. I do not like the idea of removing the on street parking on Elgin that would really hurt the business there and would push more traffic to the residential streets.

City hall garage is cheap after hours.

On the other side the Museum of Nature parking lot is available.

I believe the shopify building also has public parking.

[zzptichka]

City Hall is $2 flat after 6PM, World Exchange plaza (1 block from Elgin) has 4 stories of free parking on weekends.
If you are not aware of those options you probably don't go to Elgin anyway. If you somehow missed it then you'll figure it out real quick.

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

I do not take public transit (haven’t in over 25 years) and is the main reasons why I no longer go on Elgin is that there are no paid parking lots, I want to drive and pay for parking but none are available. That is not an issue with the Market, Glebe, Preston, Westboro or Lansdowne (on no- game nights). I wind up roaming the side streets or Elgin to park. I do not like the idea of removing the on street parking on Elgin that would really hurt the business there and would push more traffic to the residential streets.

But tailoring the street design to provide parking, when someone like you says they don't come there because there's no parking doesn't make any sense!

Customers come by foot from the area, from their offices downtown, by taxi from hotels and from underground parking nearby - they're all walking and the sidewalks are simply insufficient.

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by acottawa

City hall garage is cheap after hours.

On the other side the Museum of Nature parking lot is available.

I believe the shopify building also has public parking.

Aware of City Hall but that is a bit of a walk, at is more than 1km to the restaurants that interest us such as Datsun, El Camino, Common Eatery and the Pump. I have no issues in the summer but the wife does not like the cold especially all dressed up. I totally forgot about the Museum of Nature.

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

City Hall is $2 flat after 6PM, World Exchange plaza (1 block from Elgin) has 4 stories of free parking on weekends.
If you are not aware of those options you probably don't go to Elgin anyway. If you somehow missed it then you'll figure it out real quick.

Very well aware of World Exchange (not an idiot) but I am not sure to what restaurants is it close to on Elgin?

Maybe Beckta but City Hall would make more sense, there is also a lot at 160 and 150 Elgin.

Why would I want to pay for parking and walk over a 1km or 20 minutes when my wife is wearing high heels (for a nice night out) in summer and in the winter, she does not like the cold, so not happening. I can drop her off but then, buy the time I drive, park and walk over, she would be waiting 1/2 hour for me to get back.

In the Market, there must be at least 8 lots that you can park and pay and each within less than 2 minutes walk to a restaurant or bar.