East end Costco is on the move
Developer Trinity Group and Costco reps to hold public meeting May 5 to go over plans with community
By Michelle Nash, Ottawa East News
Apr 28, 2016
Costco in Ottawa’s east end is getting ready to make a move, but before they do that they want to meet with residents.
The developer’s for Shoppers City East, Trinity Group, will hold a public consultation concerning the application to build a Costco store on the Ogilvie Road and Blair Place property.
The plan is to build the store in the back half of the lot – where the Giant Tiger, Staples and Fabricland used to be located – creating parking for at least 2,000 cars as well as promising six entries into the shopping centre and seven exits.
Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney confirmed Costco is planning to make the move from its existing location and that Trinity Group will be holding a public meeting about the development on May 5 at the Earl Armstrong Arena between 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“Trinity will speak with the community and explain what is going on in the area,” Tierney said.
Currently, Costco is located at the corner of Innes Road and Cyrville Road, a location that has only about 800 parking spaces, the councillor said. The existing site also restricts entry with only two entrances and one exit – which is typically directed by a traffic cop on busy shopping days. Tierney said he believes the new location will eliminate the need of a traffic cop.
The new Costco location will also offer gas – something that is not available at the Innes location.
According to Tierney, aside from Costco moving into the back half of the lot at Shoppers City East, there will be a diverse amount of retail at the front end of the property, where currently a new Shoppers Drug Mart is already under construction and the remainder of the development will include a new Gabriel’s Pizza outlet as well as more than 20 other restaurants and retail shops.
The Beer Store will also be returning to the site. Tierney said it hopes to be open by November 2016, and would be located in the opposite corner of the Shoppers, where the old Gabriel’s Pizza used to be. Currently a temporary trailer is on the site, serving the area.
Those car-breaking speed bumps have already been removed from the site, Tierney added.
Although the retail zoning for the site does not require Trinity Group to hold consultations with the public, the councillor asked the developer to host the public meeting in an effort to inform residents living in the area what is to be expected at the site.
Tierney added that he has been told that Trinity Group are working with the city’s top traffic engineers and that the new location for the bulk shopping food store Costco will be a very different model from the previous site.
“I have asked them to explain the traffic impacts at the meeting,” Tierney said. “They feel confident that they have done the studies, but they will have to explain to the community how they will manage traffic.”
Aside from traffic, Tierney said he also has asked the developer to discuss the project’s timeline, jobs and how the local community will be affected.
“I want to see local hiring,” Tierney said, adding that residents along Jasmine Crescent could benefit greatly from the Costco move.
“I don’t think anyone begrudges the jobs that will come to the community,” Tierney said. “The only concern will be about traffic. They will have to manage traffic, and explain traffic.”
The May 5 meeting will be a drop-in open house. Representatives from Trinity Group and Costco will be in attendance with visual displays of the new plans.
Tierney said he has been told that the developer plans to submit it’s application to the city in the upcoming weeks and that is why this meeting is taking place on short notice.
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/n...s-on-the-move/