re Residences [101 Queen St] | 17 fl | Completed
 

11 March 2010 edit: website http://www.rehotelandresidences.com/


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NCC plans new mixed-use tower for Sparks Street
Patrick Dare
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, July 02, 2008


OTTAWA - It's been a dream at the National Capital Commission since the 1980s: Breathe some life into Sparks Street with a distinctive new building where people live. Now the commission feels it finally has the right plan that will make it happen.

The NCC this week approved a two-building complex at its "Canlands A" property, which is between Sparks and Queen streets, just west of Metcalfe Street and within easy walking distance of Parliament Hill. Today the Sparks Street side of the property is two boarded-up buildings and the Queen Street side is a parking lot.

The commission, after many years of false starts, has chosen David Choo's Ashcroft Urban Developments as the developer for the property, with a design from Ottawa architect Roderick Lahey. Under the deal, the developer will have use of the land for 66 years, beginning Dec. 1 of this year, paying $166,500 each year. The two parties can renew the lease when it comes due.

Ashcroft won the project after a national request for proposals. The NCC has owned the land since the 1970s.

Ashcroft is to construct a building that is six storeys on Sparks Street and a building that is 16 storeys on the Queen Street side, where ground level is much lower. The development is to have rental units in the lower floors, perhaps a small hotel. In the upper floors there are to be condominium units. In total the plans call for 135 units. On the ground floor, stores are to front on Sparks Street. There will be some offices, underground parking and a restaurant on the Queen Street side of the complex.

The design includes a stairway between Queen and Sparks streets to improve pedestrian access and a courtyard between the buildings planted with ironwood trees. The project requires the use of clay brick and high quality materials and the restoration of the facade of the 1873 Centre Theatre building on Sparks Street. The TD Bank building next door will be torn down.

Peter McCourt, director of real estate management at the NCC, said that if people live on Sparks Street or occupy hotel rooms, businesses will operate to support them and the street will become "more interesting and lively," which is what the commission is after. Sparks Street is dominated by business and federal government offices, which has led to complaints that the street dies after five o'clock in the afternoon.

Mr. McCourt said the project will complement the other NCC residential project at 126 Sparks, where Morguard Corporation created 35 suites that are rented out.

"We're quite excited about this," said Mr. McCourt. "I'm hoping for good things here."

NCC chairman Russell Mills said: "We've needed that for a long time."

For the architect, Mr. Lahey, the project is something that has taken a long time but holds great promise. The project began in 2006 and could face two more years before construction begins, due to the City of Ottawa's slow approvals process.

Ashcroft will need a minor variance from the permitted zoning, though there should not be significant opposition since the change will not block sunlight to neighbours, which has been one of the biggest stumbling-blocks for new buildings on Sparks Street. The project represents a lot of what the city is after in urban development: a mix of business and residential uses, as well as building in an older neighbourhood that already has city services.

The project is a rare opportunity because of the uniqueness of the site.

Above the seventh floor people will have a spectacular view of the lawns and buildings of Parliament Hill. Those on much higher floors will also have views of the Ottawa River and the landmark buildings of the capital.

"It's one of the most unique sites in Canada," said Mr. Lahey. "It's going to be a shot in the arm for Sparks Street."

OH MY GOD! How many shades of brown and grey are they planning to use? Good for them for putting more residential units downtown. But seriously, that thing is hideous!

Another triumph.

Who's the architect? this guy?

http://www.trailerparkboys411.com/images/lahey.jpg

Nope...wrong guy. Roderick Lahey & Associates do a lot of architectural design work for Ashcroft/Richcraft and other builders in town. I don't believe that they do SFR's for tract builders. Love the comment in the original article about the lengthy period of time for City of Ottawa approvals.

The design is completely appropriate for Ottawa: grey, box-like and stumpy. Besides, a meazly 135 units will not exactly turn Sparks Street into Times Square. It's a beginning, but that's all. Maybe things will improve, but not in my lifetime and not as long as the NCC is involved.

True, but one might have hoped for some turquoise aluminium siding as well, given its proximity to the Claridge Plaza heritage site.

:haha:

When will construction start?

According to the NCC's Summary of the 2008-2009 to 2012-2013 Corporate Plan, the building should be complete in 2011, with occupancy projected for 2011-2012

Well, at least this box has some detail and colour to it. :haha:

Anything is an improvement over the rigid monochrome cubes that litter our skyline... :(

I went by that lot this morning and got a better orientation of the site. it sure is a fine chunk of real estate! As I was standing on the corner the Peace tower chimes went off.. I'd suppose one would get used to that and it'd blend in with the background noise... kind of like someone who lives with a grandfather clock and doesn't even notice the chimes anymore.

I was also surprised by the huge trees growing in that parking lot on Queen, they must be 30-40 years old.

The TD building they want to demolish looks kind of neat inside (international style). How long has it been empty?

If you mean the single-storey building right on Sparks, it's been empty for at least 2 years. They used its windows last year for displays of the Capital's 150th anniversary. It's got a tall single storey - International style indeed. It might've worked as an H&M or something of that ilk but it's probably more financially viable to join it in with the Canlands site.

The one big difference between this project and the previous aborted ones, is that the TD building is now part of the picture. The NCC, in its previous calls for proposals, only wanted the Queen Street parking lot developed.

Curious that the HSBC building is not part of the development. I wonder if the still plan to tear it down someday for a plaza that extends from Wellington to the World Exchange.

Nooooooo! Not THAT again! You're joking, aren't you? :haha:

Well the building's design does look like it belongs in a corner, doesn't it? ;)
The subtle curve to the right kinda hints at it. :D
Now, if those upper balconies wrapped around it would be a dead give away.

You joker. You had me worried enough to actually go back and study the rendering. The balconies do look like they wrap around but there's a space between the buildings where cars enter the garage's ramp. Which means one way or another there won't be any retail fronting onto any side plaza...

Not to mention Queen Street which could benefit from any increase in activity as it is currently and urban wasteland other than the short stretch right up against Elgin. Not quite Slater Street caliber, but not far off.

Thanks! I hadn't seen that one. It's even better, much more so than a garage ramp anyway! That must be the staircase to Sparks they talked about.

From today's Citizen:
Not a bad editorial really.

Unbelievable that there will be no retail on the Sparks Street side!! How will this help to enliven the streetscape? I mean, first the CBC building, now THIS!! They're KILLING the street for god's sake!!!

Considering that the NCC is involved and the City of Ottawa will be involved in approvals, I wouldn't hold your breath.

This may be a dumb question, but how can they include condos in a development that will sit on leased land? At 66 years, it won't make much difference to original purchasers but at some point, as the end of the lease period approaches, won't the units lose any resale value? Are there other developments like this in Ottawa? I know land is often leased in the UK, but the leaseholds are much longer than 66 years.

I think 700 Sussex is on leased land, something like 99 years. There are other condos between Sussex and the market courtyards that are on leased land as well.

Movebyleap,

Where did you get the idea there was to be no retail on Sparks?

And was anyone able to see any more of the renderings on that Citizen subsite? I can't get to anything past the article and the one drawing.

I think allowing one-way traffic on Sparks after 5PM (except during the busker fest or rib fest) might be a good thing.

Personally I think they should keep traffic off sparks street.

The problem up there you will attract mostly delivery vehicles and tour buses. It won't add much. We will just end up with a narrow version of Queen Street. How exciting? :slob:

What Sparks street needs is more street level retail, less closed off government buildings. They need to drop stupid government requirements like bilingualism that other retail places like the Rideau Centre don't have to deal with.

They should try to find a spot to open something like a video theatre or live music venue. It can even be upstairs in a building leaving ground level for retail. They need things to attract more people to Sparks during none "office hours"...(to some degree non noon hour)

^ I would love to live in an apartment over-looking Sparks street ...doesn't really matter what it looks like to me.

Here's hoping that the six-storey Sparks Street facade does indeed "fit in" well with the character of its surroundings. I'm glad to hear that the project will require a restoration of the remnants of the old Centre Theatre, but really, this project smells like a money-grab. Judging from the rendering and from Ashcroft's past work, I doubt the building materials will be of the highest quality, and pawning off condominiums on Sparks Street seems like a last-ditch option of the NCC for this site.

Couldn't have somebody come up with something a touch more creative for this very important parcel? Of course we need to bring residents back to Sparks, but there are certainly less gaudy ways of doing so.

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com...5414835552.php

the relative lack of good stores and destinations is a big reason not to go to sparks and go to the market instead. If the NCC got some more restaurants, nice stores, more pubs, etc instead of all the tourist traps I'm sure many more people would go. chicken and egg problem I guess. I'm sure the amount of new residents will help things. having queen and wellington so dead (lobbys, blank walls, etc) sure doesn't help things though

Here's a quick pano of the Queen Street side I took this afternoon..

I've always loved that little patch of green for some reason... :haha:

It's a big hole in what is a relatively consistent street wall along Queen. I will be very happy to see it filled. Doesn't mean we can't have some nice street trees and landscaping around it though.

ashcroft has a bunch of renderings on their site
http://www.ashcroft-homes.com/about/canlands.aspx




http://www.ashcroft-homes.com/upload...ds/sparks1.jpg

http://www.ashcroft-homes.com/upload...ds/sparks2.jpg



http://www.ashcroft-homes.com/upload...ds/sparks3.jpg


http://www.ashcroft-homes.com/upload...ds/sparks4.jpghttp://www.ashcroft-homes.com/upload...ds/sparks5.jpg

Not bad, but I think that it should spurt a couple more floors (20-25)...

:)

:previous:

and put Sparks Street into even more of a dark shadow???

Gotta keep that box-top skyline consistent.

Any news on this project.

Something tells me this project is going to get caught up in the downtown transit tunnel issue. It is such a great location for a station, especially for direct access to Sparks Street and Parliament Hill. The NCC would be stupid not to consider these aspects of the site since it would end up being a major tourist gateway

A flicker of hope for a lean promenade
Top-notch resto (:jester:) , hotel amenities in store for condo lovers who take up residence on Sparks Street

Published on January 12th, 2010

MICHAEL PRENTICE

Finally, there’s some terrific news for Sparks Street, the downtown thoroughfare that once throbbed with life but which has been deadly-dull for decades.

As initially reported in OBJ back in July of 2008, the street – a pedestrian mall just a few steps from the Parliament Buildings – will soon be the location of Ottawa’s priciest condo apartment building as well as a world-class hotel, a high-class restaurant and a large, upscale grocery.

The $80-million-plus project should bring people and life back to a street that has been sadly lacking both for as long as many Ottawans can remember. At present, most business and life on the street is generated by federal public servants on their lunch break. Sparks Street is pretty much dead the rest of the time.

If present plans come to fruition, a 106-room boutique hotel and a condo tower with up to 70 luxury apartments will open in late 2013, or soon after. The site is on the south side of Sparks Street, just west of Metcalfe Street. The development will extend south to Queen Street.

“This is an iconic location, and we want to make it a Canadian icon,” says David Choo, president of Ottawa builder Ashcroft Homes, which won a competition to develop the site. Ashcroft Homes will build the development and own the hotel.

The National Capital Commission has been criticized for stifling the life out of Sparks Street. But in this case, the NCC deserves some credit. It set criteria for development of the site, and decreed that any new buildings should preserve the old facade on the Sparks Street side. Part of the so-called “Canlands A” site bounded by Sparks and Queen streets, just west of Metcalfe Street, is now a parking lot. It also includes a former branch of TD Canada Trust bank, now closed. The nondescript old bank building will be demolished.

The development will have two chief components, with the smaller (six-storey) part on Sparks and the larger (17-storey) part, including condos on the upper floors, facing Queen. The restaurant and grocery store will be among retailers at or close to ground level.

Mr. Choo, who is among Ottawa’s busiest and most successful developers, sees the project as a sign of the capital’s growing maturity as a world-class city.

“In Ottawa, there is really no five-star hotel accommodation,” he says. “The Chateau Laurier is the grand lady of hotels, but I’ve heard complaints that the rooms there are small. Our hotel will be a very modern foil to the Chateau.”

He adds: “Our hotel will be one-of-a-kind, destined to become a Canadian icon.”

There is nothing to compare with this location, Mr. Choo says. It has a unique position, so close to the Parliament Buildings and in the heart of the city. Many of the condo apartments will look out on Parliament.

Ashcroft Homes has hired Toronto-based Cecconi Simone interior design consultants to work on the hotel.

Mr. Choo has chosen to name the hotel Re – as in “rediscover” and “rejuvenate,” he explains. But what’s in a name? “People are looking for more individual, more personalized experiences,” he says. The average room size will be almost twice what it is in many hotels, according to Mr. Choo.

The builder says the time is right for this project. “The condo market is growing up. More and more people want the best. Yet condos in Ottawa are still very affordable, compared with other major cities.”

The condos will be the first in Ottawa attached to a luxury hotel, though this is a well-established concept in many cities, Mr. Choo says. It will mean condo owners can get all hotel services – at a price – that are available to hotel guests. Don’t feel like cooking or going out to dinner tonight? Just call room service.

“This will not be your typical condo,” promises Mr. Choo, who says per-square-foot prices will be the highest in the city. How high is that? A 1,000-square-foot apartment is likely to cost close to $400,000, he says.

The sky’s the limit if a buyer wants a penthouse occupying the entire top floor. In that case, the price could run to $4 million, or more.

Mr. Choo is seeking a top chef to run the hotel restaurant. He hopes the eatery will be recognized as the city’s best.

And, not least for shoppers, public servants, nearby residents and tourists, there will be a 6,000-square-feet food market selling quality produce. Mr. Choo expects construction to start within two years, with completion date as early as late 2013.

This could be the start of something really big for Sparks Street. Heaven knows, it needs it after all the lean years.

Has this been approved as of yet.

I've noticed some work being done in the old TD branch that's part of this project and is supposed to be torn down. They've redone the walls and hung modern light fixtures, some woodwork and club chairs.

Looks like either a sales centre or a lounge of some kind. Didn't think to take a picture at the time. Does anyone know what's going on here?

http://www.rehotelandresidences.com/

not much there yet

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2804/...ebc9c31b_b.jpg

Here's the ad appearing in the Citizen's Homes section today. Prices from $400k to over $5 million.

I think we can all agree that is unprecedented pricing ambition for Ottawa, though the location is tremendous. Not sure how many people make the well over $1m/yr necessary to qualify for THAT mortgage.

Could we change the thread title to "Canlands A Development (re Hotel & Residences)"?

done.

5 million.. yow..

Well, I've reviewed my options and I certainly am not confident I will purchase my new residence at re :)

It's too bad, that location would have been great for a signature LRT tunnel entrance/commercial hub for the Sparks Street/Parliament Hill area instead of a luxury hideaway that's beyond reach for most of us.

Where did they get the 'actual view' for Parliament.. a balloon? (j/k)

Either way, it's great to see other buildings taller than 10 stories being proposed and potentially built in the downtown area...

Not too far off, it could have been something like this
http://www.blimppics.com/index.html

(Although maybe it was just from an adjacent building)