Tribeca | 84.5m | 27 fl x 2 | Completed

[waterloowarrior]

staff report zone change

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/cit...E-PLA-0069.htm

note that they are recommending approval of a slightly shorter height than the original proposal

[clynnog]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

staff report zone change

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/cit...E-PLA-0069.htm

note that they are recommending approval of a slightly shorter height than the original proposal

Likely the 'slightly shorter height' is courtesy of Councillor Holmes.she is notorious for that sort of thing...I remember she had some rather vague comments like that on the James Street Feed Company apartment buliding redevelopment project.

[FFX-ME]

Ah man!! reduced height, stop acting like pricks Ottawa.

[m0nkyman]

Councillors comments:

On the issue of the requested increase in maximum building height - I believe that the 27 stories proposed is extreme. The underlying high-profile residential designation in the Centretown Plan calls for a maximum height of 12 stories. I believe that a maximum height of 15-17 stories would provide a transition from the Central Area to the Centretown Heritage Conservation District to the south, while not overwhelming the Metcalfe Street frontage. It should be noted that while Place Bell Canada is a very tall building, this height is all on the Elgin Street side of the property. On the Metcalfe Street side, the current height is only 7 stories, in the parking structure.

27 stories is not extreme. 127 is extreme. 27 is just pushing it a bit.

[p_xavier]

Proposed portrait-gallery complex too tall, city planners say
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Sunday, April 06, 2008
OTTAWA - A project to build two highrise condominium towers along with a National Portrait Gallery in downtown Ottawa should be scaled back because the proposed buildings are too tall for the neighbourhood, City of Ottawa planners say.

On Tuesday, the rushed gallery project approval - on a tight timeline to meet the federal government's inter-city competition for the right to get the gallery - will be at council's planning committee. The next day it will go to city council.

Claridge Homes has hired Montreal architect Dan Hanganu to design the development for a half city block bounded by Metcalfe, Nepean and Lisgar streets. A 55,000-square-foot gallery is designed with two large storeys fronting on Metcalfe Street and wrapping around to Lisgar Street. The gallery would be entered through a triangular public plaza. The condominium towers would be next to Nepean Street, across from the 27-storey Place Bell Canada building.

The city's planners argue in their report that the two 27-storey towers proposed by Claridge Homes and its architect wouldn't properly fit into the neighbourhood and respect the city's official plan. They instead tell city councillors to approve a 20-storey tower behind the gallery and a 24-storey tower farther back.

City planners are also recommending that this zoning approval - allowing higher buildings than the existing 12-storey permitted height - be withdrawn if the Portrait Gallery is not approved and a part of the development. If Ottawa didn't win the right to have the Portrait Gallery, Claridge would have to make a new zoning application at City Hall for any building higher than 12 storeys.

That is a "conditional zoning" approach that may not go over well with the city's developers.

At a recent public meeting on the project, citizens expressed opposition to the height of the project. Mr. Hanganu, whose preliminary sketches of the project have been criticized by some architects, has said people have simplistic negative reactions to tall buildings when they should instead be concerned about whether the architecture of the building is of high quality.

The councillor for the area, Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes, is very keen on the project. She calls it "an exciting opportunity to fill a void which has long blighted the Metcalfe Street landscape." But she argues the 27 storeys proposed is "extreme," and that 15 to 17 storeys would be a better fit.

The city's official plan calls for more residential development in the central parts of Ottawa, and developers are keen to build. But they like to build highrises to get the great views many buyers want.

The city is under intense pressure to get the approvals through for the Claridge project because the federal government allowed only a few months for bids for the National Portrait Gallery. Ottawa is competing with Vancouver, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary for the right to have the gallery, which is part of Library and Archives Canada.

Normal approvals for such a rezoning could take up to a year but, in this case, the process has been condensed to weeks. The city is also contributing a $431,000 break on development charges for the project.

The federal government's deadline for the bids is April 16.

Unbelievable, what's wrong with these people and highrises? It's like they think nobody likes them. The builder even mentioned that height is what is selling.

[Aylmer]

Yay bungalows!

[eemy]

Honestly, after a certain point, whether it's 24 or 27 stories makes absolutely no difference at all.

[Mille Sabords]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

Honestly, after a certain point, whether it's 24 or 27 stories makes absolutely no difference at all.

I suspect some politicians, including Holmes, still feel imbued with a righteous mission to punish any temerous developer who dares propose a tall building with a shame tax in the form of asinine and meaningless 3-storey reductions on a 27-storey building. Those people anger me. I mean, who are THEY? Just like that other bright light, Doucet, making aesthetic judgements that are entirely his own about Central as justification of his vote on Council. Like, who are you dude?

[Cre47]

"The councillor for the area, Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes, is very keen on the project. She calls it "an exciting opportunity to fill a void which has long blighted the Metcalfe Street landscape." But she argues the 27 storeys proposed is "extreme," and that 15 to 17 storeys would be a better fit."

I hope that this promising project will not turn out into the usual uninspiring cube box midrise garbage. Aren't we have enough of this type of junk architecture. Why not throw it at Lebreton Flats then?

[rodionx]

I agree with Hanganu on the point that the quality of the building is more important than the height. I'm sort of with Holmes, though, on the fact that tall buildings need to be justified. If a building is going to be tall enough to dominate the skyline for a hundred years, then it ought to be good. I say this as someone who has to walk past the Queen Elizabeth Towers every day.

The trade-off with the city should be this: the more you want to exceed the height limit, the higher the quality of your building should be. Remember how quickly opposition to the height of Hudson Park evaporated when they showed the revised design? Even Diane Holmes changed her mind.

The problem is that the proposed design is just not that impressive. I know he's a famous architect and all, but it looks like an overgrown hospital. If it comes down to 27-storey hospitalminium vs. parking lot, I'll take the hospitalminium, but in the meantime, I don't think the city is out of line in making demands of Claridge. Claridge would put a garbage dump in there if they thought they could get away with it. The city should focus on the design, though, not just the height.

[c_speed3108]

I can understand some objections to height were it is going to compromise the look and feel of a neighbourhood. For example I would not want to own an individual home ( 2 or 3 stories), particularly if it is something I have owned and enjoyed for years and then some developer comes along and want to put up some 10 or 20 story building next door.

The thing with this is you are right beside Place Bell...a HUGE structure. Going high...even really high here will certainly work with the neighbourhood.

[AuxTown]

Exactly! I don't know if Place Bell Canada was a very good decision at the time (in fact, it probably wasn't), but it's huge and it's there so we can't pretend it isn't. For people to show up and talk as if we are putting the Empire State Building in Barhaven is ridiculous! If anything, I think a 20+ storey building at that location will fill in the skyline from a couple of vantage points (both East and South) and it will make Place Bell look much less isolated and awkward. I know one forumer, in particular, has spoken their mind about high rise residential and why they don't like them (i.e. drugs, crime, noise), but I would have to say that the majority of their arguments are false and based on broad (and misplaced) assumptions. If you go to the site where this building is proposed you will see that there is nothing around it but highrises and surface parking lots. For someone to say that it will ruin their neighbourhood dynamic is utter nonsense. What it will do is bring more people to live downtown (taking some cars off the roads) and hopefully it will situate another world-class museum in the heart of the nation's capital.

[clynnog]

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords

I suspect some politicians, including Holmes, still feel imbued with a righteous mission to punish any temerous developer who dares propose a tall building with a shame tax in the form of asinine and meaningless 3-storey reductions on a 27-storey building. Those people anger me. I mean, who are THEY? Just like that other bright light, Doucet, making aesthetic judgements that are entirely his own about Central as justification of his vote on Council. Like, who are you dude?

Many of these last minute cutbacks in terms of height/setbacks have long ranging ramifications such as having to spec smaller HVAC systems, reconfigure parking/landscaping/grading in areas previously set out for the building. Being on City Council is a real ego boost as these people really think they are 'planning' the City. Going from 27 to 24 storeys will not change the impact of the building at grade level or shadowing etc....its just a way for Holmes et al to meddle in this.....they are good at being back seat drivers.

I'm with you on this one Mille...the sooner municipal councillors get out of urban design and aesthetics issues and concentrate on something that they are able to comprehend (i.e seeing to pothole complaints) the better, AFAIAC.

[Aylmer]

I think Holmes needs to take that gun out of her buttocks!

[movebyleap]

Never mind the whole height brouhaha. The bottom line is that this project is butt ugly!! For this reason alone it should not be entered into this farce of a competition!!

[eemy]

I've kind of got to agree with movebyleap here. The podium hints at the possibilities, and then the tower utterly disappoints.

[Bucolic Urbanity]

Originally Posted by AylmerOptimist

I think Holmes needs to take that gun out of her buttocks!

Another scratch your head comment from AylmerOptimist....where do you come up with this stuff.

Seriously, did the Portrait Gallery project pass as is, with amendments/motions/counter motions, or turned down or some crazy 'only in Ottawa' middle ground that suits nobodies needs.

[Aylmer]

The design is hiiiidious and we can all agree with that but I think that Holmes(Homes) is rather uptight about height, hence the expression "gun up your ass"...

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

"gun up your ass"...

Actually, the expression is more along the lines of " Holmes needs to take that stick out of her ass". There's never been anything about a gun...

[c_speed3108]

Claridge bites back at city council...

Ottawa's chance for portrait gallery at risk as developer threatens to pull bid
Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

The drive to have the Portrait Gallery of Canada located in Ottawa is in "jeopardy."

After a city committee rejected his wishes last night, an area developer says if council doesn't approve a development to host the gallery on his terms, he will not even bid to have the national institution in the city.

Bill Malhotra is president of Claridge Homes, the only area company bidding to have the gallery in Ottawa, and after yesterday's committee decisions, he says the project is hanging by a thread and council better realize quickly that he is serious.

"This is not a joke. If council does not accept our buildings and our plans, we are out of it, we won't be bidding," he said.

Mr. Malhotra said to make the project work financially, the city must double current residential density limits on the site on Metcalfe Street between Lisgar and Nepean streets, where he wants to build two, 27-storey residential towers and the gallery.

The matter will go to council for a final decision later this month. However, last night, councillors on the city's planning committee rejected the request.

By a vote of six to two, the committee voted to keep the current density rules for the site, meaning the maximum height of the residential towers would be less than half of what the company says it needs.

The committee also voted to make approval of the development contingent on the company winning the right to host the gallery. The company was asking for unconditional approval.

Mr. Malhotra said if that's council's final decision, "we are out of it."

Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes led the charge to reject the company's demands, even though there is public support to have the gallery in Ottawa. She said she was not about to be held hostage and be forced to support a project that might not include the gallery.

She said the company's unconditional demands are "totally inappropriate," and to grant them would mean turning the area "into a totally shaded wind tunnel that would not be a friendly place."

Immediately after the vote, Mayor Larry O'Brien's chief of staff, Eric Lamoureux, sent an e-mail to councillors calling on them to reject the committee's decision and support the city's planning staff recommendations of 20- and 24-storey residential towers on the site.

In the note, he said the committee's decision puts "the entire portrait gallery in Ottawa in jeopardy. The mayor will be advocating for the staff-recommended 20- and 24-storey height buildings. Let's turn this around."

The bid by Claridge Homes was put together and rushed through the city's planning and rezoning process in order to meet a federal government deadline of April 16. That deadline has now been extended to May 16.

The company's plans would see two 27-storey towers fronting Nepean Street, opposite a multi-storey parking garage and kitty corner to the 27-storey Place Bell Canada building. The two-storey gallery would face Metcalfe Street and wrap around onto Lisgar Street.

During the committee meeting, Jim Burghout, Claridge's development manager, said company officials are excited about the opportunity to host the gallery and contribute to the city and country. He said the company is insisting on unconditional approval and the increased density for several solid reasons and urged council to support them.

He said the project is large, so financing partners will have to be found, and lenders don't like conditional approvals due to the uncertainty. He said the company is already taking on risk by going through the bidding process.

"It's up to us to finance, and build it, and basically hand over a finished product," he said.

He said company officials are not trying to use the gallery as leverage to get the development approved.

"Our main interest is to create something special, and ideally, the gallery will be part of it, and if it isn't, we can still do something special," Mr. Burghout said. "We just want to make sure we don't get penalized for trying to do something right. We didn't do this on a lark to get something for nothing."

When the federal government announced the competition last fall, three Ottawa developers privately expressed interest. However, only one came forward, despite the city providing $431,000 in breaks on fees and development charges.

Ottawa is competing with Vancouver, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary for the right to have the gallery, which is part of Library and Archives Canada. It is not known how many other bids are being prepared.

Capital Councillor Clive Doucet said he was disgusted with the whole process. "What's going on here is really double blackmail," he said. "The federal government is blackmailing every city in Canada, and it's a national disgrace. The other blackmail is coming from a local developer who's saying give me 27 storeys in an area zoned for 12 or I won't give you a portrait gallery. It's all disgusting."


© The Ottawa Citizen 2008