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waterloowarrior
Oct 30, 2007, 3:32 PM
Well, we need some sort of general thread for rumours, tidbits, planning & environment agendas, etc, so here we go.... I thought it might be better to put updates and rumours together for now, since we don't have the same volume as a place like Vancouver.

Originally Posted by joeto11 http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/images_pb/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=3124815#post3124815)
I found an office building for bank and slater!
Here is the link
http://www.tampoldarchitects.com (http://www.tampoldarchitects.com/) then click on concepts and the tower is in the 10 and 11 section!

Why is place de ville only going to have 3 17 story towers?????? I was told that spot was reserved for a 30 story plus tower???
http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/bankandslater.jpg

http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/bankandslater2.jpg

waterloowarrior
Oct 31, 2007, 12:45 AM
Oh and BTW a few new condos underway or seeking approval:

1) Breezehill @ Hickory (Merrion Square by Domicile, probably been mentioned before but nobody has posted a rendering). They've applied for 10-storey and 8-storey towers in addition to the townhomes

2) City Centre- application for multiple (I think) apartment/condo towers on the piece of land owned by Phoenix Homes right @ City Centre and Scott St

http://www.domicile.ca/norfolk/images/merrioncomingsoonnorfolk.jpg

agrigentum
Oct 31, 2007, 3:10 PM
Has anyone else noticed construction at the Westin Hotel? It looks like they are adding a floor to the podium on Colonel By Dr...any details?

waterloowarrior
Nov 2, 2007, 4:19 AM
330 Gilmour (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-08/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0191.htm)

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-08/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0191_files/image020.jpg


http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-08/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0191_files/image016.jpg

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-08/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0191_files/image014.gif


recommended for refusal

cityguy
Nov 2, 2007, 11:31 AM
I think 330 gilmour would be a nice addition to the area, why is it being refused?

ajldub
Nov 2, 2007, 1:40 PM
Yeah I think it's nice too... if you read the link 330 Gilmour on the other post you can read the official rejection from the good folks at city hall. It's the usual 'just a little too high' story, but the developer probably proposed a building a few stories higher than he actually intended to build so that the planners could have their little victory. I imagine a slightly reduced version of this building will eventually get built.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 2, 2007, 2:48 PM
How is 9 storeys a little too tall?!?! Holy Hampster wheel, city hall is really starting to piss me off!!! :hell:

AuxTown
Nov 2, 2007, 2:49 PM
Has anyone else noticed construction at the Westin Hotel? It looks like they are adding a floor to the podium on Colonel By Dr...any details?

From what I understand they are building a new ballroom for weddings and other functions. It will cost 3x to book it compared to the older ones but it's supposed to be pretty nice.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 2, 2007, 2:53 PM
What happened to the new Galaxy Camera Flagship store that was supposed to go on that empty sand/bush lot on Bank and Florence? I noticed that they took down the "Coming soon!" sign a little while ago...

AuxTown
Nov 2, 2007, 3:01 PM
What happened to the new Galaxy Camera Flagship store that was supposed to go on that empty sand/bush lot on Bank and Florence? I noticed that they took down the "Coming soon!" sign a little while ago...

Shoot, I hope not. That was going to be a really nice addition to Bank Street!

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 2, 2007, 3:03 PM
:previous: Well, the sign was taken down a while ago and I haven't heard of any updates or plans for that lot.

AuxTown
Nov 2, 2007, 3:05 PM
Wasn't there supposed to be a building going in where the James Street Pub is? I seem to remember an article stating that the pub was going to have to close.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 2, 2007, 3:22 PM
Yes, but that is a different project entirely. Although, it is/will be literally 20 feet from the new Galaxy Camera flagship store. :D

waterloowarrior
Nov 2, 2007, 3:23 PM
Wasn't there supposed to be a building going in where the James Street Pub is? I seem to remember an article stating that the pub was going to have to close.

390 bank street - bank and james (james street feed company)

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/cit...E-APR-0146.htm (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/08-23/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0146.htm)

http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/bankandjames1.jpg

Quote:
The existing property contains a one-storey restaurant built in the 1960s at the south end (James Street Feed Company) and surface parking on the north and westerly part of the site. The proposed building is illustrated in Documents 2-5 and in the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement included as Document 6. It will include five storeys of underground parking, one storey of retail/commercial space at ground level, one storey of office/commercial space, and five storeys of residential space containing approximately 50 units.
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/08-23/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0146_files/image034.jpg

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 3, 2007, 5:35 PM
I jsut found this online. It's from the Ottawa Citizen.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f7fd4aff-c79f-446f-b540-6dfd421e08a4&k=80956&p=2

clynnog
Nov 3, 2007, 9:32 PM
I jsut found this online. It's from the Ottawa Citizen.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f7fd4aff-c79f-446f-b540-6dfd421e08a4&k=80956&p=2

The Ottawa Citizen are phoning around this afternoon trying to get quotes from people in the planning industry (private or public sector I would think) for another article tomorrow about the potential removal of some portions of the Greenbelt.

clynnog
Nov 3, 2007, 9:34 PM
I think 330 gilmour would be a nice addition to the area, why is it being refused?

The annointed one, Diana Holmes, has not blessed it. Remember density is great in Ottawa as long as it isn't in the beloved Centretown.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 3, 2007, 10:49 PM
On another note, has anyone heard anything regarding Lansdowne Park or any new proposals for it?

P.S. I wish we could get something like what Winnipeg is getting for their new Blue Bomber Stadium.

m0nkyman
Nov 3, 2007, 11:51 PM
The Ottawa Citizen are phoning around this afternoon trying to get quotes from people in the planning industry (private or public sector I would think) for another article tomorrow about the potential removal of some portions of the Greenbelt.

/me smacks his head into the nearest brick wall.

So... instead of actually refusing to issue development permits for subdivisions outside the greenbelt, as was the original intention, they're just going to totally surrender the idea of stopping urban sprawl. :shrug: :koko: :shrug: :koko:

Good to see the NCC is keeping it's record of idiocy intact. :cheers:

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 3, 2007, 11:54 PM
:previous: Suburban life is jsut too lucrative and "attractive" to give it up.

m0nkyman
Nov 4, 2007, 2:23 AM
Especially with all the government subsidies built into the lifestyle...

eemy
Nov 4, 2007, 3:15 AM
/me smacks his head into the nearest brick wall.

So... instead of actually refusing to issue development permits for subdivisions outside the greenbelt, as was the original intention, they're just going to totally surrender the idea of stopping urban sprawl. :shrug: :koko: :shrug: :koko:

Good to see the NCC is keeping it's record of idiocy intact. :cheers:

The NCC is just a landowner, so I don't see what role it plays in issuing development permits for land outside the greenbelt. As far as the city is concerned, the OMB ruled that the city's estimates for the growth that could occur within the greenbelt were unrealistic and so some developer wanting to build on some land between Stittsville and Kanata should be free to. So much for the city being able to stop it either.

What Russ Mills is proposing may not be such a bad idea. With freeing certain land along transportation corridors in the Greenbelt for development, overall transportation should also be reduced. In a sense, it allows the city to sprawl inward rather than outward. If, by all indications, the city has no choice but to free up that land, it might as well be closer to the core than on the periphery.

ajldub
Nov 4, 2007, 9:47 AM
If they do move forward with developing the greenbelt, they should finalize plans for a ring road first because this city will need it one day and it's much cheaper to plan for it when the land is still in government hands. And they should keep a large part of it for a groomed park. I know there is an equal amount of parklovers and parkhaters in Ottawa and on this board, but one thing Ottawa really lacks is a massive park like Hyde Park London, Central Park NYC, or Mont-Royal, Montreal. And though it would be away from downtown, if you were to build it the condo density would flourish around it.

And now some bananamen for everybody...
:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 4, 2007, 6:08 PM
:previous: Not that I would mind having something as awesome as Central park here in Ottawa, is it just me, or does everyone forget about little old Gatineau? It's a frickin' 5-10 minute drive from the core. :rolleyes:

ajldub
Nov 4, 2007, 6:27 PM
:previous:
Gatineau is nice but unless you live in Chelsea you can't walk to it. Plus it's a forest, not a groomed park.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 4, 2007, 6:31 PM
:previous:
Gatineau is nice but unless you live in Chelsea you can't walk to it. Plus it's a forest, not a groomed park.

Then the very same could be said for any park in the greenbelt; you'd have to drive to it.

Also, the NCC plans to create a "groomed park" on the current Scott Plant site in Gatineau in the future.


I hate to say it, but if Ottawa was ever going to create an urban park that people could walk to, that opportunity passed us by years ago.

ajldub
Nov 4, 2007, 6:59 PM
Well the idea would be that you'd develop the land around it for people to live in, like the condos around Central Park in New York. Plus there's lots of communities on the edges of the greenbelt that can walk to it. And I'm talking about a massive park you could lose yourself in for hours, not the little piece of land next to the museum of civilization.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 4, 2007, 7:36 PM
Well the idea would be that you'd develop the land around it for people to live in, like the condos around Central Park in New York.

Well unfortunately, we're not New York.

Given that the areas near the greenbelt are pretty darn suburban, the NIMBY's will be out in full force against any major condo developments that will "block the sun" or "ruin the sightlines". On top of that, How do you expect to create a massive park in Ottawa, in the suburbs(which are VERY car dependent), so far away from the core and decent/frequent BRT and expect it to garner support/momentum/funding?

Instead of putting a park way out in farmer's fields country, why not stick it on a parcel of land in the urban area that is served very well by transit? The Agriculture Farm.

Kick the farm out into the greenbelt/boonies, and develop most of the park into a huge park and develop all around it.

ajldub
Nov 4, 2007, 11:14 PM
I am well aware that we're not New York. I'm suggesting we build a park modelled on Central Park in that city, that's all.
:banana:
Move the farm and turn that property into a park? Buy up the properties around it and develop them instead? Sounds feasible. While we're at it, how about we disassemble the parliament buildings too, then rebuild them stone by stone on the EB Eddy site so we can put condos on parliament hill instead?
:banana:
What I guess you didn't read in my original post was the idea that if you build a really classy park it will spur development around it. Both Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York were surrounded by farmer's fields when they were planned, and the developers snatched up the opportunity to build around them. And there's enough space in the thick of the greenbelt to build without casting shadows on the NIMBYS.
:banana:
And if you don't believe large-scale developments in the suburbs that shift the gravity of a city can be built in this country, check out this website: www.downtownmarkham.ca. Or for that matter, just check out Kanata.
:banana: :banana:

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 5, 2007, 1:23 AM
Move the farm and turn that property into a park? Buy up the properties around it and develop them instead? Sounds feasible. While we're at it, how about we disassemble the parliament buildings too, then rebuild them stone by stone on the EB Eddy site so we can put condos on parliament hill instead?

har har. :rolleyes:

If you would kindly dispense with the sarcasm, you would see that we already have the Arboreteum and gardens in the area; all we need to do is expand on them.

Keep the buildings(since most of them are old and nice and shouldn't be destroyed), develop large portions of the farm fields, and let the rest be sold off to develop condos.

It's feasible, especially with the proposed transitway extension onto Baseline. At the north end of the park you'd have the 85 and the O-Train and at the south end you'd have a shiny new part of the transitway.

What I guess you didn't read in my original post was the idea that if you build a really classy park it will spur development around it.

Oh no, I read that just fine. But when you look at Ottawa, large, classy park in Suburbia doesn't really jump to mind...

Both Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York were surrounded by farmer's fields when they were planned, and the developers snatched up the opportunity to build around them.

Yeah, and the same could happen if we try to convert the Agriculture Farm into a classy park. There are a tonne of "farmers fields" that could be bought up and spur development.

And there's enough space in the thick of the greenbelt to build without casting shadows on the NIMBYS.

Perhaps, but it would still be a pretty rough sell. Especially if council ever got hold of it. You also forget that NIMBY's will be there and complain, whether or not it affects them...

And if you don't believe large-scale developments in the suburbs that shift the gravity of a city can be built in this country, check out this website: www.downtownmarkham.ca. Or for that matter, just check out Kanata.

I never said it wasn't possible.

And I've been to Kanata many times. Three Claridge Condo Towers, a big-box shopping centre, Scotiabank Place, tonnes of golf courses, a Business Park and crescent after crescent of houses that look so delightfully similar. Oh, and let's not forget about the lovely transit connections out there. :rolleyes:



While a massive park would be great, putting it out in the burbs to serve only a handful of people in communities that could walk to it seems to go against the mission to fight urban sprawl.

Shoddy transit connections to the park would also suck terribly.

And developing a new community full of condos/whatever in the burbs is still urban sprawl. Hopefully it could help make the burbs more self-sufficient and thus reduce auto emissions spent driving into town each day, but we'd need to see some proof of this.

I honestly believe that we should focus on trying to find development opportunities within the core, instead of looking to suburbia for the ansawers.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 5, 2007, 1:28 AM
P.S. That Markham Master Plan project is really interesting. If only Ottawa could think up something like that for Victoria Island/Bayview Yards/LeBreton Flats; Lord knows we have the room for such a project. :rolleyes:

expat-ottawan
Nov 5, 2007, 4:32 AM
That development on Gilmour is just what Centretown needs. People, living between pedestrian shopping streets, within walking distance of the cbd. Nine storeys is too much for Gilmour and Metcalfe? Presumably, to avoid the urban blight that Wellington West as become. You'd think at some point, the parking lots would become dreary. Not yet. Sad. It could be such a good, livable and, horrors, vibrant place.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 5, 2007, 4:43 AM
:previous: Well, the self-proclaimed Queen of Centretown, Diane Holmes, won't allow it because it is "too tall".

What bull. :rolleyes:

Overall, I don't mind Holmes since she ahs a pretty good track record as far as I can tell, but when she does stuff like this, it pisses me off. :hell:

waterloowarrior
Nov 5, 2007, 5:04 AM
a few notes about 330 Gilmour:
- it is an Ashcroft Homes development under the Alavida Lifestyles banner, called (the) "Carillon"
-an excerpt from the report

Staff reviewed the project within the context of the Guidelines contained within the "Centretown Heritage Conservation District", the Provincial Policy Statement, the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement and the Official Plan policies regarding development adjacent to designated heritage resources. As presented, the building does not meet the Guidelines as it is not designed with the recommended three to four story heights for new construction in the District. It does not have regard for the heritage character of the area as described in the Centretown District, and the proposed project has not has not demonstrated that it conserves the cultural heritage value of adjacent properties. Based on these reasons, the Department does not support the proposed development.

Staff are currently completing a report dealing with the re-zoning of the property that does not support the nine-storey height but would allow seven storeys on the site. A Site Plan for the proposal is also being considered. The project is subject to design review under the "Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy." The project has been reviewed and extracts from the Review Panel's comments are included as Document 6.

m0nkyman
Nov 5, 2007, 5:14 AM
And from Document 6:
* At nine stories tall this building is at the high end of the 5-9 storey medium profile range and immediately adjacent to a low profile heritage area to the south. Reference has been made to the transition in building height to the adjacent properties. This is not so, and is very evident when referring to the streetscape elevations. Losing density (height) at the ends would allow for a step down to the OBE and the Church. Failing that, altering the brick/stone ratio to glass could achieve visually some of this. This is not as effective as reduced height and therefore a view to the sky.


Emphasis mine.
Is Ashcroft Homes a smart enough developer to take the hint?

ajldub
Nov 5, 2007, 6:59 AM
I'm confident that 330 Gilmour will get built. This is just the first step in the dance. One says 9, the other says 5, they agree on 7 and both secretly get what they want while saving face.

What ever happened to that building that was proposed for rideau street across from the hospital that was converted to condos? I remember a pic up on this website, but haven't heard anything since. That area could use a little new growth...

waterloowarrior
Nov 5, 2007, 1:32 PM
What ever happened to that building that was proposed for rideau street across from the hospital that was converted to condos? I remember a pic up on this website, but haven't heard anything since. That area could use a little new growth...

I think you are talking about 594 Rideau (Rideau and Charlotte)... it was recommended for approval by P&E Committee but refused by council. It's at the OMB (http://192.197.191.163/ea-cgi/dtchttp.dll?OMB_ESTATUS_CASE_DETAIL:CASE_NO=PL070393&lang=eng) right now.

Mille Sabords
Nov 5, 2007, 2:26 PM
P.S. That Markham Master Plan project is really interesting. If only Ottawa could think up something like that for Victoria Island/Bayview Yards/LeBreton Flats; Lord knows we have the room for such a project. :rolleyes:

You got it. New Urbanism isn't just for the burbs (although it's the only way to build if we ARE going to build on greenfields). It should be the norm in the urbanized parts of the city, instead of the suburban garbage with garages in front we keep getting time after time. I don't know how the city even allows such insults to its established neighbourhoods.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 5, 2007, 3:22 PM
:previous: So sad and yet so true. :(

There have been some fairly good examples of Urban infill that fits in with the area nicely and there aren't garages that dominate the fronting of the development.

Just look at those fairly new townhomes near the Bay and Gloucester area. There are also some pretty decent ones on Percy as well.

ajldub
Nov 5, 2007, 4:09 PM
Thanks for the update, waterloo warrior... that's one I'd really like to see get built. Guess we'll have to wait until March.

waterloowarrior
Nov 5, 2007, 4:43 PM
Thanks for the update, waterloo warrior... that's one I'd really like to see get built. Guess we'll have to wait until March.

here's the staff report btw...
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2007/05-09/pec/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0036.htm

AuxTown
Nov 6, 2007, 12:22 AM
:previous: So sad and yet so true. :(

There have been some fairly good examples of Urban infill that fits in with the area nicely and there aren't garages that dominate the fronting of the development.

Just look at those fairly new townhomes near the Bay and Gloucester area. There are also some pretty decent ones on Percy as well.

I love the ones right off of Kent Street as well, near Hudson Park.

harls
Nov 8, 2007, 10:20 PM
it hasn't been metioned here, which is odd, but does anyone know when Bank Street will finally reopen around Somerset?? it's been over 2 weeks now since the old Duke of Somerset building's floor collapsed during the renovations.

waterloowarrior
Nov 9, 2007, 1:22 AM
^ cbc had an article on this issue


Costs adding up for closed downtown Ottawa intersection

Last Updated: Thursday, November 8, 2007 | 6:33 PM ET

CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)


It's getting expensive for the City of Ottawa to keep a downtown intersection closed after a building partially collapsed there three weeks ago.

"Last week it was up to $300,000 for police," said Coun. Diane Holmes, who represents Somerset ward, where the closed-off intersection is located.

The Somerset House building, on the southeast corner of Bank and Somerset streets, partially collapsed during renovations on Oct. 19, and it can't be reopened until engineers have ensured the building isn't at risk of further collapse.

The city will try to bill the owner to get back the money it has spent keeping the intersection closed, Holmes said.

Business owners in the area, who feel they should also be compensated for lost business from the street closures, will also have to turn to the owner of the building, she said.

But she added that three weeks is too long for a downtown intersection to be closed, and that the city should take matters into its own hands.

Legally, the city doesn't have to wait for the owner's engineer to report on the building's stability. It could send its own engineers and bill the owner afterward, she said.

"But I think we have never been that proactive before," Holmes said. "It seems to be extremely difficult for staff to come to grips with the fact that legislatively, we can do that."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/11/08/ot-somerset-071108.html

harls
Nov 9, 2007, 2:39 AM
hm.. no one wants a lawsuit on their hands, I guess. Three weeks is really a long time.

agrigentum
Nov 9, 2007, 9:58 PM
Well, it looks like the location for the new National Portrait Gallery is up for grabs.

"Our government has set forth the notion that national cultural institutions do not necessarily have to be located in the national capital," said Ms. Verner at a news conference today.

Proposals will be accepted from Ottawa-Gatineau, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

You can read the entire article here (http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/290256135179373.php) at OBJ.

I'm disapointed, I was hoping to see some new architecture in the CBD. :(

citizen j
Nov 10, 2007, 3:39 AM
^Not a surprise from a federal government with little regard beyond contempt for the federal capital.

rodionx
Nov 10, 2007, 5:58 AM
I expect they'll dangle it in front of whichever metropolitan area they consider a high priority in the next election. Maybe Toronto or Quebec City.

eemy
Nov 10, 2007, 3:34 PM
Randall Denley's take on Mills' idea regarding developing parts of the Greenbelt:

Greenbelt can be unbuckled (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=e55590ca-e852-4330-b6ea-221fb7d0f06e&p=1)
Look at a map to see that development is possible without sacrificing our favourite natural areas
Randall Denley, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007

NCC chairman Russell Mills's suggestion that some parts of the Greenbelt be considered for development has created a predictable reaction. People have been quick to defend their favourite natural areas and politicians have lined up to take the popular position of Greenbelt champion.

Mills's argument that developing parts of the Greenbelt adjacent to freeways could be good for the environment is counterintuitive, but it makes sense if one takes the time to think about it. At the very least, it's an idea worth careful consideration.

The fact is, Ottawa is going to grow. It can either be in certain limited areas of the Greenbelt adjacent to major highways, or it can be beyond our existing suburbs, far to the east, south and west. That farflung growth costs more to service, makes transit less effective and adds miles to our commutes every day, whether we ride the bus or drive our cars.

The Greenbelt was at first intended to contain growth, then the idea was that the suburbs outside the Greenbelt would become satellite communities with their own employment base. That failed dramatically in Orléans and is a modest success in Kanata. Now, development has also been driven south, putting more cars on an inadequate road network. This was the problem the city hoped to partly solve with a $1-billion light-rail line.

When we hear the word Greenbelt, most of us think of the nature trails and conservation areas that we use and value.

That's not the whole picture. The Greenbelt is already sliced up by the city's biggest highways and a number of major municipal roads. The highways in particular have already ended the pretense that the Greenbelt is a continuous interconnected band. In reality, it's a series of green chunks fenced in by roads. Of the Greenbelt's 22,000 hectares, 840 hectares are already developed and another 600 have been identified by the NCC for future development, likely for national institutions that require a lot of space. This designation concedes the point that Greenbelt land is developable, but there isn't much current demand for this kind of large campus. The Greenbelt also contains Ottawa's major airport, not exactly a natural feature.

Five thousand hectares, nearly one-quarter of the whole Greenbelt, is farmland. What's the point in government owning thousands of acres of farmland, and then leasing it back to farmers, so we can watch them farm as we drive by? We can see farmers farming their own land at no cost in the countryside we're in the process of sacrificing to development.

To see the possibilities the Greenbelt offers, you need only look at a map. Check out the area between the 416 and Eagleson Road, on both sides of the Queensway, south to Hazeldean Road and north to Carling. It's a vast amount of land, at least as large as Kanata North. It looks nice and green on the map, but in reality, it's mostly farmers' fields and scrub brush. It already contains the National Capital Equestrian Park, a government-owned tent and trailer park and federal office buildings. This is not your favourite natural area and it has limited public access now.

In the eastern part of the city, look at the land surrounding Blackburn Hamlet and on the sides of the 174. Of particular interest is the NCC-owned, city-operated Pineview Golf Club, a prime development site that would get government out of the golf business, which is already overloaded with courses.

If even the corridors immediately adjacent to the Queensway and the 174 were developed, it would dramatically curb urban sprawl. Who wants to live far from the core if he can live closer? This kind of development obviously won't undo what we've already done with our suburbs, but it would end the nature-destroying expansion that occurs in this city every day.

If these lands were to be developed, it should probably be handled by the federal Canada Lands Company, not the NCC, which doesn't have an encouraging track record when it comes to managing development. Owning this land gives government a strong measure of control over what is ultimately developed, enabling us to do something better then the suburban tract housing our developers favour.

People have cynically assumed that developing Greenbelt lands would be a cash grab by the NCC. The commission is no longer under pressure to sell land for operations, having received better funding from the federal government. Mills's suggestion was sparked by concern over the best way to develop, not money for the NCC. Any money realized by the land sale could easily be put into a fund for acquisition of land of actual environmental significance.

One of the key selling points for developing the Greenbelt corridors adjacent to major highways is just that fact. It simply makes sense to develop land that already has good transportation access rather than put our tax dollars into farflung suburbs that require big new roads. Adding our increased population on routes that transit already covers would also help provide the volume of passengers and the compact routes that transit needs to be effective.

As the city grows, we will inevitably sacrifice some natural areas to new housing. The important questions are where should that housing go, how will people get to work and what form will the housing take? If Greenbelt development is considered, the answers to all those questions change. We need a factual analysis of those benefits.

Nothing happens in this town without a process, and fortunately, one is at hand. The NCC's Greenbelt master plan is more than a decade old and is due for review. It's the appropriate way to challenge how we develop and give the public an opportunity to make informed decisions.

There is no use complaining about urban sprawl if we ignore the obvious solution. Let's not be afraid to challenge our own conventional thinking.

Contact Randall Denley at 596-3756 or by e-mail, rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com


© The Ottawa Citizen 2007

I'm noticing a disturbing trend of actually agreeing with Randall Denley.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 10, 2007, 5:28 PM
Wow. Randall Denley actually made sense in that article... *shock*

Mille Sabords
Nov 14, 2007, 1:25 PM
Denley is coming around, it seems. After ruminating all those random thoughts for years, it seems logic has caught up with the man. Good for him. :cheers: I've noticed a couple of letters to the editor also in favour of looking at Greenbelt development, and today's op-ed on rural growth also has an interesting angle: free up some Greenbelt land to protect the true rural character of the rural area. Have you guys noticed how much Ottawa's rural area is just lower-density suburbia? Greely-Manotick is an almost continuous blob of supersized lots along crescents that wind their way through forest land. North of Kanata, same thing: one subdivision after another.

clynnog
Nov 14, 2007, 1:49 PM
, and today's op-ed on rural growth also has an interesting angle: free up some Greenbelt land to protect the true rural character of the rural area. Have you guys noticed how much Ottawa's rural area is just lower-density suburbia? Greely-Manotick is an almost continuous blob of supersized lots along crescents that wind their way through forest land. North of Kanata, same thing: one subdivision after another.

That fellow who does the op-ed on rural growth (Joe Banks) is very biassed against any semblance of the 'city' coming into his piece of paradise (Osgoode). Your analogies of Greely and Manotick are spot on. My experience of Greely residents is that they want to be left alone out in the country yet still want the City nearby (i.e hospital, doctors, specialized services) but don't want to have to pay for it. And they definately don't want to have to pay for public transit in their tax bills.

West Carleton (north of Kanata) is very similar.

If you were to look at maps at the City Hall of the approved yet unbuilt rural estate subdivisions in some parts of the new City, you would shudder.

waterloowarrior
Nov 14, 2007, 5:46 PM
The city may acquire a couple of inner-suburban properties from the OCDSB and redevelop them. If they pass, I guess a developer would try to go for them.
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2007/11-20/ACS2007-BTS-RPM-0042_%20Riverside%20%20Richmond%20Schools%20-%20Pub1.htm


http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2007/11-20/ACS2007-BTS-RPM-0042_%20Riverside%20%20Richmond%20Schools%20-%20Pub1_files/image002.jpg


http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2007/11-20/ACS2007-BTS-RPM-0042_%20Riverside%20%20Richmond%20Schools%20-%20Pub1_files/image004.jpg

waterloowarrior
Nov 16, 2007, 12:43 AM
Ashbury College proposal, for a boys' dormitory (recommended for approval (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-22/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0210.htm))
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-22/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0210_files/image012.jpg


http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/a-lacac/2007/11-22/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0210_files/image014.jpg

harls
Nov 19, 2007, 4:13 PM
this interesting tidbit originally dicovered by Acajack in the Gatineau forum.. the block in question is the area directly to the east of Les Terrasses.


Secteur de Hull


• 14 à 34, rue Eddy, 41 à 53, promenade du Portage et 116, rue Wellington (district électoral de Hull)La demande d’usage conditionnel a pour but d’approuver un projet de construction d’un bâtiment commercial totalisant plus de 10 000m². L’obtention de l’usage conditionnel permettra la construction d’un édifice à bureaux sur l’îlot formé par la promenade du Portage et les rues Eddy, Wellington et Saint-Jacques.


http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/pdf/avis/Usages_conditionnels_(secteur_de_Hull).pdf

Map:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=51+promenade+du+portage+hull&sll=45.425636,-75.719292&sspn=0.002157,0.00434&ie=UTF8&ll=45.425617,-75.71919&spn=0.002157,0.00434&t=h&z=18&om=1

Mille Sabords
Nov 19, 2007, 4:22 PM
this interesting tidbit originally dicovered by Acajack in the Gatineau forum.. the block in question is the area directly to the east of Les Terrasses.


Secteur de Hull


• 14 à 34, rue Eddy, 41 à 53, promenade du Portage et 116, rue Wellington (district électoral de Hull)La demande d’usage conditionnel a pour but d’approuver un projet de construction d’un bâtiment commercial totalisant plus de 10 000m². L’obtention de l’usage conditionnel permettra la construction d’un édifice à bureaux sur l’îlot formé par la promenade du Portage et les rues Eddy, Wellington et Saint-Jacques.


http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/pdf/avis/Usages_conditionnels_(secteur_de_Hull).pdf

Map:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=51+promenade+du+portage+hull&sll=45.425636,-75.719292&sspn=0.002157,0.00434&ie=UTF8&ll=45.425617,-75.71919&spn=0.002157,0.00434&t=h&z=18&om=1

That's great news. I remember when that block burnt down a while ago. It was a sad loss, of course my memories of Promenade du Portage were largely booze-fuelled from the heyday of Hull's bar strip. I wonder if the Épicerie Communautaire is the lead commercial tenant - it would be welcome addition to downtown.

Kitchissippi
Nov 19, 2007, 4:42 PM
Here's a couple more stores that I think would work in that location. Quick, someone buy a franchise :)

Frites Alors (http://www.fritealors.com/site_flash/indexb_a.html)

Première Moisson (http://www.premieremoisson.com/)

Mille Sabords
Nov 19, 2007, 6:19 PM
Here's a couple more stores that I think would work in that location. Quick, someone buy a franchise :)

Frites Alors (http://www.fritealors.com/site_flash/indexb_a.html)

Première Moisson (http://www.premieremoisson.com/)

I know both of those from Montreal. Première Moisson actually has a partnership with Ottawa-area Farm Boy outlets to sell bakery, which is a shame - I don't like the idea of Première Moisson associated with suburban big-box foods, I see them more as neighbourhood streetfront shops. But the point is they're here, and I hope they grow into streetfront locations soon.

As for Frite Alors! - the best is the name of their parent company, Cholestérol Plus! :tup: No use window-dressing the obvious.

YOWflier
Nov 21, 2007, 2:45 PM
Does anyone have any info/updates/pictures of the Stonework Lofts going up in Westboro at Scott/Winona?

http://stoneworklofts.com/

They list an occupancy date of spring/summer 2008 so this project should be coming along nicely.

harls
Nov 21, 2007, 7:03 PM
There's something happening at the corner of Kent and Somerset (NW corner) next to Budget Rent-a-car... fence up, some digging. Not sure if it's anything significant.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2275/2052614997_78125e6b9e_b.jpg

Danman
Nov 23, 2007, 2:32 PM
There's something happening at the corner of Kent and Somerset (NW corner) next to Budget Rent-a-car... fence up, some digging. Not sure if it's anything significant.

I think they're changing the gas tanks!

harls
Nov 23, 2007, 2:35 PM
That's what I figured. Here I was hoping they were planning on bulldozing Budget. Dang.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 23, 2007, 3:32 PM
In lighter news, who saw on the news this morning that Gatineau is planning an "Urban Village" in the suburban community of Le Plateau?

Kitchissippi
Nov 23, 2007, 7:38 PM
:previous: It's a concept bound to fail without a rapid transit plan to that area

Jamaican-Phoenix
Nov 23, 2007, 8:00 PM
I don't even know where the community in question is. :haha:

clynnog
Nov 23, 2007, 8:58 PM
I don't even know where the community in question is. :haha:


I believe that it is near the Staples etc, on the west side of Boul. St. Raymond and north of Boul de l'Outaouis...or maybe as far west as Chemin Vanier.....

Cre47
Nov 24, 2007, 12:09 AM
I believe that it is near the Staples etc, on the west side of Boul. St. Raymond and north of Boul de l'Outaouis...or maybe as far west as Chemin Vanier.....

Yeah it is close to the Vanier Road/Des Allumettieres intersection. Already several homes have been built in the northeast quadrant of the area and there is a western section of Boul. Du Plateau right there which will connect to the eastern segment in a year or so. The village will be right around that area.

harls
Nov 27, 2007, 3:34 PM
this amendment was added to the Brookfield proposal at Queen and Kent:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2068235523_0da7acb2af.jpg?v=0

only one level of underground parking? that's weird.

agrigentum
Nov 27, 2007, 3:51 PM
So it's ONE 17-storey tower now?

harls
Nov 27, 2007, 3:55 PM
Maybe it's just the first phase?

clynnog
Nov 27, 2007, 4:38 PM
this amendment was added to the Brookfield proposal at Queen and Kent:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2068235523_0da7acb2af.jpg?v=0

only one level of underground parking? that's weird.

Unless this got deferred, the C of A have made a decision on this issue. I wish these notices were more descriptive as it would let the public know more about the actual variances being applied for rather than having people show up at the hearing who don't have all the facts.

eemy
Nov 28, 2007, 5:05 PM
Does anyone know anything about this news release (http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=309649) I stumbled upon? It seemed the government was interested in receiving RFIs for the development of 375000 sq ft office tower at 455 boulevard de la Carrière, and a 430000 sqft office tower somewhere in Hull. Any developments on that front?

harls
Nov 28, 2007, 5:35 PM
Does anyone know anything about this news release (http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=309649) I stumbled upon? It seemed the government was interested in receiving RFIs for the development of 375000 sq ft office tower at 455 boulevard de la Carrière, and a 430000 sqft office tower somewhere in Hull. Any developments on that front?

As far as I know, this is still happening.

I believe the parcel downtown is the location of the seedy orange motel and it's neighbouring parking lots.

waterloowarrior
Dec 8, 2007, 3:22 PM
http://cdn.travidia.com/rop-ad/5475359

harls
Dec 11, 2007, 3:35 PM
http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2007/12/11/4718008-sun.html



CONDO TREND BUILDING IN CAPITAL

The city is experiencing an increase in the construction of new condominium apartments, latest figures show.

Sandra Perez Torres of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said the increase is a direct consequence of the growth in Ottawa's employment sector.

"People have more confidence to buy a house when they know they have a steady income," said Torres.

The CMHC reports this year's new housing construction has increased by 54%, rising to 769 units in November 2007 from 501 units in the same month the previous year.

waterloowarrior
Dec 11, 2007, 6:52 PM
330 Gilmour - LACAC (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/12-18/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0191.htm)
330 Gilmour - P&E (zoning bylaw amendment) (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/12-18/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0194.htm)

(original proposal still recommended for refusal, but it also recommends changes that can be made)
The seniors’ complex proposed by the applicant would involve reuse of the 1922 heritage building and the removal of later building additions. The applicant’s nine-storey building proposal would have the upper two floors set back from the Gilmour Street and Lewis Street edges, and include a range of seniors’ accommodations. The applicant is requesting an amendment to allow a height limit of 27.5 meters, an FSI of 4.1 and removal of the Heritage Overlay provision.

The Department recommends refusal of the applicant’s requested rezoning. The proposed scale and massing of the applicant’s proposal is not considered to be appropriate for the site. The Department is of the view that the proposed nine-storey seniors development would not constitute compatible intensification and has not fully responded to the heritage context, site conditions and the surrounding environment; it is not supported by the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC). The requested rezoning is not considered to uphold the overall intent of the Official Plan nor the Centretown Secondary Plan (CSP), and therefore is not recommended for approval.

The portion of the site occupied by the additions to the original 1922 OBE building is suited to residential development fostered by an R5 exception zone, and in keeping with the Residential Area - Medium Profile designation in the CSP. The current CG zoning, which allows for substantial office /commercial development on the property is considered to be inconsistent with the intent of OP and CSP policies. The recommended rezoning will establish a new R5 exception zone, with exception provisions including maximum height limit of 21.8 metres (seven storeys) for a building on the east side of the property, with the seventh storey required to be recessed back of the main façade, and allowing for limited commercial uses for the ground floor and basement of a residential use building. The exception would also allow the entire original building of 1922 to be used for commercial uses as now permitted under the CG zoning.


Serbian Orthodox Church proposed at Prince of Wales and Colonnade (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/12-18/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0214.htm)

école Cadieux redevelopment (low rise apartments and rowhomes) (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/12-18/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0217.htm)

Pauline Vanier Redevelopment (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/12-18/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0203%20ENG.htm)

Acajack
Dec 11, 2007, 8:39 PM
Wow! Cadieux and Pauline-Vanier schools now being redeveloped. Seems like every time I turn around there’s a former francophone school in Ottawa being turned into condos or something. Before there was St-Charles on Springfield (Schoolhouse Square I think the condos are called) in New Edinburgh and St-Paul on Donald St. in Overbrook. There’s also Sacré-Coeur on Melrose near Parkdale Market in the west end, currently being billed as School House Lofts.

There are few more in Vanier as well I’m pretty sure, though I’ve lost count there are so many!

Funny thing is growing up I knew people who went to almost all of these schools! Speaks volumes about the evolution of Ottawa, I tell ya.

clynnog
Dec 11, 2007, 9:29 PM
[QUOTE=waterloowarrior;3220964
330 Gilmour - P&E (zoning bylaw amendment) (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/12-18/ACS2007-PTE-APR-0194.htm)

(original proposal still recommended for refusal, but it also recommends changes that can be made)

[/QUOTE]

Re: 330 Gilmour...its not often these days that an application goes before Pl'g Committee with such a strongly worded recommendation for turning down the application by the Pl'g Dep't. As well, HRH Holmes isn't in favour of it, so the odds are even more stacked against it. Ashcrofts lawyers/architect/planner will have a fun time before PEC on this one. I haven't read the report in great detail but in reality does it or does it not tick off many of the boxes for new re-development in the core.?

waterloowarrior
Dec 12, 2007, 8:48 PM
Re: 330 Gilmour...its not often these days that an application goes before Pl'g Committee with such a strongly worded recommendation for turning down the application by the Pl'g Dep't. As well, HRH Holmes isn't in favour of it, so the odds are even more stacked against it. Ashcrofts lawyers/architect/planner will have a fun time before PEC on this one. I haven't read the report in great detail but in reality does it or does it not tick off many of the boxes for new re-development in the core.?

The comments from Counc. Holmes are a bit funny, because rather than call this an apartment building or a seniors residence, it is referred to as a "proposed 9-storey slab"

definitely is a pretty good example of redevelopment, I guess they felt it was too high for that street
-enhances accommodation in the neighbourhood and provides seniors from across the city with the opportunity to live in a downtown environment close to services and amenities
-more options for elderly who want to stay in neighbourhood
-fits OP for land use and height, as well as general intensification
-but doesn't fit massing and contextual principles of intensification in the OP, not sensitive to heritage resources

-so staff recommend rezoning to a maximum 7 (top floor set back) storey residential building, based on especially the context of the homes on Lewis street, and also Gilmour (I have to disagree with that, because there are a bunch of larger buildings to the east and west IIRC, and a bunch along Gilmour is just parking lots)


One interesting note is that Ashcroft originally proposed a 20-storey building for this site (OP amendment... now withdrawn)

clynnog
Dec 12, 2007, 9:05 PM
The comments from Counc. Holmes are a bit funny, because rather than call this an apartment building or a seniors residence, it is referred to as a "proposed 9-storey slab"




With Councillor Holmes intensification is a great idea but not in her beloved Centretown. She has a rather scornful way of killing projects.

Mille Sabords
Dec 13, 2007, 2:10 AM
Re: 330 Gilmour...its not often these days that an application goes before Pl'g Committee with such a strongly worded recommendation for turning down the application by the Pl'g Dep't. As well, HRH Holmes isn't in favour of it, so the odds are even more stacked against it. Ashcrofts lawyers/architect/planner will have a fun time before PEC on this one. I haven't read the report in great detail but in reality does it or does it not tick off many of the boxes for new re-development in the core.?

It ticks off Councillor Holmes. :haha: In all seriousness, I wonder if there isn't something else here. Nobody batted an eyelid when Domicile did the Everett (11 storeys) or (on the east side of Bank) the Metropolitan, which has a 10-storey building on a street that is not much different from the 330 Gilmour site. Except, Domicile is run by a pair of good ol' WASPy boys while Ashcroft is run by an Indian gentleman. I'm not saying that's the reason they're so adamant about turning it down, but it is a rather unhappy coincidence at some levels.

Diane Holmes needs to go. There is no more room for NIMBY'ism in Centretown. Yes, save heritage buildings, but in a case like this one where the heritage building is not only saved but restored, and only the less interesting 1950's sections are demolished, let the neighbourhood grow already.

waterloowarrior
Dec 18, 2007, 12:50 AM
domicile

http://domicile.ca/river_courts/images/home/rivercomingsoon.jpg

Mille Sabords
Dec 18, 2007, 1:42 PM
:previous: These guys are unstoppable.

clynnog
Dec 19, 2007, 6:59 PM
It ticks off Councillor Holmes. :haha: In all seriousness, I wonder if there isn't something else here. Nobody batted an eyelid when Domicile did the Everett (11 storeys) or (on the east side of Bank) the Metropolitan, which has a 10-storey building on a street that is not much different from the 330 Gilmour site. Except, Domicile is run by a pair of good ol' WASPy boys while Ashcroft is run by an Indian gentleman.

Diane Holmes needs to go. There is no more room for NIMBY'ism in Centretown.

I think you are reading too much into this that there is inherrent racism at Ottawa Council. Ashcroft, Richcraft, Claridge and Phoenix are all run by "indian gentlemen" and they seem to find quite a bit of success. A lot of it boils down to the surrounding n'hood and how organized and persuasive they can be with Council and the Councillor. If a high % of the surrounding n'hood is renters then the circulation notice will become somewhat diluted. If the circulation notice captures influential homeowners then they can be quite persuasive.

I agree with you re: Diane Holmes...I'm sure that the local development community would pass around a hat for a collection when she decides to leave the building.

BlackRedGold
Dec 19, 2007, 8:21 PM
Ashcroft, Richcraft, Claridge and Phoenix are all run by "indian gentlemen" and they seem to find quite a bit of success.

I'm guessing you don't measure success by the quality of their work because those are the four of the five worst builders in Ottawa (the other is Brigil).

clynnog
Dec 19, 2007, 8:40 PM
I'm guessing you don't measure success by the quality of their work because those are the four of the five worst builders in Ottawa (the other is Brigil).

Granted they are 'tract' home builders in the truest sense of the word. I guess by success I meant in business not customer satisfaction or industry accolades. They are pushing product with the best of them. I'm not very familiar with Brigil.

By the same token, McDonalds and Tim Horton's are very successful restaurants but you won't find the critics breaking down the doors to get inside. The same argument goes for Celine Dion, American Idol etc etc.

Mille Sabords
Dec 19, 2007, 9:32 PM
Granted they are 'tract' home builders in the truest sense of the word. I guess by success I meant in business not customer satisfaction or industry accolades. They are pushing product with the best of them. I'm not very familiar with Brigil.

By the same token, McDonalds and Tim Horton's are very successful restaurants but you won't find the critics breaking down the doors to get inside. The same argument goes for Celine Dion, American Idol etc etc.

I agree with you Clynnog, maybe "racism" has nothing to do with this Councillor's stance on the project, but there is a definite bias against the builders you mentioned, for the reasons you mentioned. They "got good" at pushing product, by whatever means necessary, in an industry dominated by old boys who probably did not rejoice at the competition. It's cutthroat. If those builders only managed to make money by pushing mediocre product, then that's the choice they made as a business - stay afloat, don't get shafted by biased trades, and sell to a price point that few are catering to anyway. Every city has those types of companies.

waterloowarrior
Jan 3, 2008, 11:16 PM
interesting item I read on the city's website

Ten major landowners held at least 54 per cent of the [vacant] land supply in 2006. Major owners were Richcraft (15.4%), Urbandale (10.5%), Brookfield (4.8%), KNL Developments (4.4%), Minto (4.4%), Mattamy (3.9%), Westpark (3.9%, now sold to Claridge), Tartan (3.5%), City of Ottawa (2.2%), and Claridge (2.0%). If known partnerships are accounted for, Richcraft and Urbandale together account for over 30 per cent of the land supply.

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2008/01-08/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0010.htm

Tor2Ott
Jan 8, 2008, 8:58 PM
Have anyone heard about Nate's Deli (Rideau and King Edward) closing in May, giving way to a large condo project? The lot is huge (restaurants and a parking lot).

AuxTown
Jan 9, 2008, 1:22 AM
No!!!! I love Nate's. Hopefully they will incorporate a new Nate's into the ground level of whatever goes there. Best smoked meat in town.

Mille Sabords
Jan 9, 2008, 2:11 AM
No!!!! I love Nate's. Hopefully they will incorporate a new Nate's into the ground level of whatever goes there. Best smoked meat in town.

That's another Claridge catch. It will be about 250 units, RENTAL (not condo). And retail along Rideau, obviously. I'll miss Nate's but also, Steve's Music Store, which is part of the land deal. Steve's will relocate I'm sure, as for Nate's nobody knows. Dave Smith has said he was thinking of retiring...

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jan 9, 2008, 3:36 AM
Looks like I'm gonna have to pay a few visits to Nate's... :(

Deez
Jan 9, 2008, 4:30 AM
I'm guessing this deal doesn't stretch as far as the PetroCan? (Please say that it does).

waterloowarrior
Jan 9, 2008, 4:49 AM
from Ian MacLeod flickr - Oakpark Retirement Community (http://www.oakparkretirement.com/) (Dec 23/07) by Claridge - Alta Vista and Smythe area, 2 Valour Drive (went to the OMB (http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions/pl061178_%230766.pdf))





http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2131413831_4926716b28_b.jpg

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jan 9, 2008, 4:49 AM
I'm guessing this deal doesn't stretch as far as the PetroCan? (Please say that it does).


:previous: Hopefully. Either way, so long as we can get some semi-decent and tall condos there, I'll be happy. :D

waterloowarrior
Jan 9, 2008, 4:56 AM
found some info on Nate's Deli

One of Ottawa’s best known delis, Nates, has been sold for eventual redevelopment. During my university days I had many a $1.99 breakfast there. Hopefully, there will be room for a deli ala Nates in the new development. This property is 1.204 acres (52,458 sf) in size and is located along the north side of Besserer and the south side of Rideau Streets to the east of King Edward Avenue in Sandy Hill. The property was sold by Freda and David Smith to 1727916 Ontario Inc. for $4,625,000 or $88/sf of site area

http://www.juteaujohnsoncomba.com/ms_august2007.htm

(this company's newsletter is great!)

waterloowarrior
Jan 9, 2008, 5:21 AM
found a few more things at the above link

The former Green Valley Restaurant site located at 1107 Prince of Wales Drive was purchased by Ashcroft Homes for $2,000,000 or $32.57/sf of site area. Ashcroft is proposing to develop the site with a high rise condominium apartment building.
117326 Ontario Inc. sold 108 & 110 Lisgar Street to Orchid Development Corp for $2,000,000 or $168/sf. The purchaser is proposing to develop the site with a mid to high-rise condominium apartment building.
Uniform Urban Developments purchased a 69,609 square foot site located at 401 Piccadilly Avenue for $3,800,000 or $55/sf of site area. The vendor was Amica Retirement who had purchased the site in 2006 for $4,000,000 but decided that 495 Richmond Road was a better location for their new retirement home (they were right). The property is currently improved with a three-storey elementary school structure that was constructed in 1945. It is to be redeveloped with a combination of singles, semis and townhouse units.
Also, the Joe’s Car Radio site at 51 Richmond Road was sold for $1,172,000 or $100/sf of site area to a numbered company for redevelopment with a residential condominium building.

clynnog
Jan 9, 2008, 1:34 PM
(went to the OMB (http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions/pl061178_%230766.pdf))




Reading this OMB decision makes me think that the objectors didn't present any credible testimony against the proposal and their objections were based on conjecture. Cases like this, which take up a lot of time and money for everybody, should be a showcase example of why we either need to get rid of the OMB and place final decision making abilities in the professionals (planners, engineers, urban designers etc) that are working at municipalities etc, or re-educate the public (and competing interests) as to how much preparation is required at an OMB hearing etc.

clynnog
Jan 9, 2008, 1:36 PM
I'm guessing this deal doesn't stretch as far as the PetroCan? (Please say that it does).


It doesn't look like it....have you got a problem with the breathtaking architectural venacular of the P-Can store. The P-Can property is quite small and I believe P-Can just recently rebranded the location in terms of signage etc.

harls
Jan 9, 2008, 3:28 PM
^ yes, last summer they refurbished the entire P-Can station..it was quite a relic before. That intersection is probably the best location for a gas station in the city as flocks of quebec commuters take advantage of 5-cent-a-litre cheaper gas before scooting home across the bridge.