Developer proposes twin, 27-storey towers for Centretown
MATTHEW PEARSON More from Matthew Pearson
Published on: May 27, 2014Last Updated: May 27, 2014 7:48 PM EDT
Mastercraft Starwood is proposing this pair of 27 storey condo towers for Centretown.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...for-centretown
A pair of 27-storey condominium towers proposed for Centretown will be the first test of a city policy demanding that extra tall buildings there be “true civic or national landmarks.”
The policy, which is contained in the year-old Centretown Community Design Plan, allows for consideration of building heights in excess of established limits at several key locations along major streets like O’Connor and Metcalfe in two possible situations — either the proposed building makes a significant and exceptional contribution to the public realm or it creates a publicly accessible space that consists of a minimum of 40 per cent of the subject area’s property.
One such site is 267 O’Connor St., where developer Mastercraft Starwood would like to demolish an existing six-storey medical office building and replace it with two condo towers and a new green space at the corner of O’Connor and Gilmour streets, which is currently a parking lot.
The area calls for buildings no taller than nine storeys.
The developer is asking for triple that in order to construct a total of 504 residential units, including four townhouses on Gilmour, and some ground-retail on O’Connor. There would be 309 underground parking spots.
Mastercraft Starwood envisions buildings featuring strong podium elements, a concave shape and a “skybridge” joining the two towers at the 27th storey. A rendering of the proposed development shows a modern-looking structure clad in glass, not unlike the kind of buildings that dominate the waterfronts in Toronto and Vancouver.
To satisfy the tall landmark building policies, the developer proposes a “generous amount of publicly accessible open space” that will be framed by the two towers but be designed in such a way that the public feels welcome.
The open space would consist of 1,374 square metres and feature seating, trees, vegetation and flower beds.
The city should approve the proposal because it is in an area with existing infrastructure, is close to rapid transit and cycling lanes, and respects the character of Centretown through setbacks and a “human-scaled” podium, the developer says.
The proposal also helps to meet Ottawa’s intensification targets without putting pressure on established low-rise neighbourhoods.
As for the tall landmark building exemption, the developer says it meets the city’s requirements because it won’t require the demolition of a heritage building. But it will provide the new open space along O’Connor.
In this case, the space in question would occupy 38 per cent of the site, meeting the “general intent” of the policy, which requires 40 per cent.
The city is seeking public comments on the proposal until June 26. The planning committee won’t consider the application until late summer.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com