Lansdowne Park Redevelopment Phase 1 | Completed

[AuxTown]

Is anyone else just tickled with excitement?! I can't wait for the day we have a double header with a 1pm soccer start followed by a 7pm matchup between the Ottawa ________ and the Saskatchewan Rough Riders . This is nothing but good for Ottawa sports fans.

[Ottawan]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Is anyone else just tickled with excitement?! I can't wait for the day we have a double header with a 1pm soccer start followed by a 7pm matchup between the Ottawa ________ and the Saskatchewan Rough Riders . This is nothing but good for Ottawa sports fans.

When you put it that way, I really am! I never got into the Renegades, but I used to have the best times going to see the Roughriders, always with my Dad.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

AWESOME.

Lansdowne looks to become useful, fun, green and profitable and will have (hopefully) three different sports going on.

[JayM]

Originally Posted by jemartin

How would this design be sufficient for a CFL Team?

edit
Just seen the ther half of this process for Bayview.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by JayM

How would this design be sufficient for a CFL Team?

edit
Just seen the ther half of this process for Bayview.

Ya isn't it great! He previously said that Ottawa did not need a stadium and now he's building two!

[JFFournier]

Site one site plan (preliminary):

http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/publi....html#P42_4103

Related article:

OTTAWA — The proposed Lansdowne Park redevelopment would move the Horticulture Building, create an outdoor farmers’ square and encroach on protected site lines of the heritage-designated Aberdeen Pavilion.

The preliminary, or “Phase 1”, design plans quietly released by the city indicate a number of adjustments to the general plans council approved June 28.

The most striking change is the proposal to move the Horticulture Building from the northwest corner of the Aberdeen Pavilion to the northeast corner.

Although the design review panel said it would support this “mirror-image” relocation of the building, heritage groups are vehemently opposed.

Two buildings from earlier drawings have disappeared in this more-recent version. A proposed restaurant and retail shop that were to be built on the north side of Aberdeen are no longer in the plan, making way for a farmers’ market and event space called “Aberdeen Square.”

However, developers have made up for at least some of the lost square footage elsewhere on the site. A proposed office tower at the base of the Bank Street Bridge is now shown as being 3,175 square metres, up from 1,959.
But the biggest challenge this newest design plan will face is something that hasn’t changed: the heritage-protected sightlines of Aberdeen from Bank Street. Although there is a proposed road running perpendicular from Bank that offers a view of Aberdeen, buildings on both sides of that road interfere with the easement of the pavilion. And the Ontario Heritage Trust won’t like that.

The provincial authority has indicated it was against moving the Horticulture Building, although it cannot prevent the relocation. It has also warned developers against impeding on the open sightlines of Aberdeen, a move the trust is within its rights to prohibit.

Councillor Peter Hume said the city’s “heritage people maintain that it’s appropriate,” explaining that the view-encroaching building on the south side of the road covers up ugly concrete “claws” that hold up the Civic Centre. And the buildings on the north side of the road have to overstep the heritage easement in order to keep the view symmetrical.

“However, the ultimate authority is the Ontario Heritage Trust and they can tell us, ‘Stay out of our easement,’” said Hume, who is also chairman of the planning committee. “And if we don’t have a compelling enough reason for the encroachment, we’ll have to adjust our plans.”

Unfortunately, he added, the trust won’t comment on these site plans. Instead, the group prefers to pronounce on a council-approved plan, which means that many hours of public consultation and design work may be for naught.

“Of all the site-plan issues, this represents the greatest risk,” Hume said.

Also sure to be of concern to local residents is the entrance to the parking garage for the proposed 220 townhomes planned for the western end of Holmwood Avenue.

Earlier this month, a senior city manager said the parking garage’s location was expected to dump 70 vehicles an hour onto the residential street during morning and afternoon rush hours.

On June 28, council voted to proceed with the proposal to redevelop Lansdowne with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group and the plan to refurbish Frank Clair Stadium, build 340,000 square feet of commercial space and a publicly funded park, designed by Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg Landscape Architects of Vancouver.

These designs are the first of several that will refine the site plan and integrate the public park with the commercial and residential developments.

A report on the proposed programming for the park — including proposed uses for the Horticulture Building — is expected within a week.

So far, designs for the urban park include an ornamental garden of edible plants, an orchard of heirloom apple trees, a children’s garden and an outdoor curling rink.

Public consultations on these designs begin Nov. 19.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/busines...#ixzz10sxi0Y4E

[Ottawan]

The 'Market Square' framed by Aberdeen and the Horticulture buildings was one of my favourite parts of design B - I'm glad to see it make a return. In my opinion, the plans just get better with each iteration.

[c_speed3108]

I like that they opened up the view of the Aberdeen Pavilion from O'Connor street. That was by far the bets view of that building....

Getting better and better indeed!

[Radster]

I regularly drive to MTL for Impact games at the Saputo Stadium, and will continue to support their team once it joins MLS. If Ottawa gets a team in the NASL, then I will for sure get season tickets and support it too. With sufficient support, this NASL Ottawa team, could with time become an MLS team, like in Vancouver & Montreal. Ottawa has a very multicultural population with many people of all ages playing soccer, so it will succeed here. Lets just get this stadium built!

[KHOOLE]

Saputo Stadium is easily accessible from Hgy 40 and Hgy 20 and Sherbrooke Street plus it's just 2 minutes walking from the Viau Subway Station. You can easily drive to it from Ottawa but you can't easily get to Lansdowne Park from Montreal. Ask anyone going to the 67's games.
There is no action or nightlife on Bank Street but there's lots of action on Preston St and there will be lots more once Domicile and Soho and all the others to follow will have their towers on Champagne beside the O-Train. A projected pedestrian overpass to Little Italy means that Preston Street will be the "IN" social place very shortly.
A stadium at Lansdowne will be short-lived: maybe 5 maybe 10 years. A soccer stadium in Little Italy's Bayview area will be good for a Century. What is John Pugh thinking about?
Wasn't Saputo wanting to build a stadium there and backed off when OSEG came into the picture?

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

Saputo Stadium is easily accessible from Hgy 40 and Hgy 20 and Sherbrooke Street plus it's just 2 minutes walking from the Viau Subway Station. You can easily drive to it from Ottawa but you can't easily get to Lansdowne Park from Montreal. Ask anyone going to the 67's games.
There is no action or nightlife on Bank Street but there's lots of action on Preston St and there will be lots more once Domicile and Soho and all the others to follow will have their towers on Champagne beside the O-Train. A projected pedestrian overpass to Little Italy means that Preston Street will be the "IN" social place very shortly.
A stadium at Lansdowne will be short-lived: maybe 5 maybe 10 years. A soccer stadium in Little Italy's Bayview area will be good for a Century. What is John Pugh thinking about?
Wasn't Saputo wanting to build a stadium there and backed off when OSEG came into the picture?

There are some that thought bmo field would be short lived it won't do well etc.Yet it has have great success and is only getting better.

[JFFournier]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

Saputo Stadium is easily accessible from Hgy 40 and Hgy 20 and Sherbrooke Street plus it's just 2 minutes walking from the Viau Subway Station. You can easily drive to it from Ottawa but you can't easily get to Lansdowne Park from Montreal. Ask anyone going to the 67's games.
There is no action or nightlife on Bank Street but there's lots of action on Preston St and there will be lots more once Domicile and Soho and all the others to follow will have their towers on Champagne beside the O-Train. A projected pedestrian overpass to Little Italy means that Preston Street will be the "IN" social place very shortly.
A stadium at Lansdowne will be short-lived: maybe 5 maybe 10 years. A soccer stadium in Little Italy's Bayview area will be good for a Century. What is John Pugh thinking about?

Gee, maybe he's thinking that there isn't a stadium being built at Bayview but there is one proposed at Lansdowne Park, so perhaps I should use that one?

[JayM]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Ya isn't it great! He previously said that Ottawa did not need a stadium and now he's building two!

That's totally not obvious that something is happening behind the closed doors. One extreme to another?

[jemartin]

Originally Posted by JayM

That's totally not obvious that something is happening behind the closed doors. One extreme to another?

You will have to realize there is a lot of misinformation spread by the "Lansdowne over intensification" crowd here. My position has been that you develop following the Master Plan and the world model of Transit Oriented Development. You also dont waste time with a paltry 350,000 sq ft in a landlocked pocket and kill a beautiful site, you develop Lansdowne beautifully with attractions scaled to the site and do over 2,000,000 sq ft of development at the Bayview Transit Hub. Essentially you do two sites well. More profitable and more strategic in every aspect.

Have a look at the link at www.vo-ao.ca under PRESS. Nice article by Maria Cook from a year ago that discusses the Bayview Development tied Stadium and the breakfast I hosted for local community leaders at the Canal Ritz.

As mentioned take the unsubstantiated statements here with a very large grain of salt.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by jemartin

You will have to realize there is a lot of misinformation spread by the "Lansdowne over intensification" crowd here. My position has been that you develop following the Master Plan and the world model of Transit Oriented Development. You also dont waste time with a paltry 350,000 sq ft in a landlocked pocket and kill a beautiful site, you develop Lansdowne beautifully with attractions scaled to the site and do over 2,000,000 sq ft of development at the Bayview Transit Hub. Essentially you do two sites well. More profitable and more strategic in every aspect.

Have a look at the link at www.vo-ao.ca under PRESS. Nice article by Maria Cook from a year ago that discusses the Bayview Development tied Stadium and the breakfast I hosted for local community leaders at the Canal Ritz.

As mentioned take the unsubstantiated statements here with a very large grain of salt.

There is alot of misinformation from both sides however i would say more from the anti landsodwn people.

[jemartin]

Originally Posted by reidjr

There is alot of misinformation from both sides however i would say more from the anti landsodwn people.

Another misconception. I know of no one who is "anti-lansdowne".

Everyone is for Lansdowne becoming a better place.

What is in dispute is the process of an open competitive process being replaced by a sole-source bid, over-intensification well beyond the intent of the space and the defacto loss of public control of a more than 122 year public asset to corporate control. The seriousness of the dispute has resulted with the entire matter now before the Ontario Superior Court (preliminary hearing date Nov 12, 2010).

The corporate bid is also being challenged under procurement rules by the alternative from the Conservancy. The Conservancy bid answers the city directives for a new stadium, park, mixed retail and new management but does so keeping the park 100% public. In the alternative the Conservancy is recommending the best location for a development tied stadium is at the Bayview Rapid Transit Hub, the number one site chosen by the City of Ottawa's own study (Lansdowne came in 6th - full study click here). This will allow both sites to be developed well. Intensify where it follows the master plan at Bayview with a world class stadium for MLS and CFL and central for the entire region and at a rapid transit hub. At Lansdowne retain the arena, north stands but take down the unusable south stands for extra playing fields for amateur sport, maximize use of existing structure for shopping, dining and entertainment, add green space a concert bowl and outdoor swimming all providing a place of relaxation from the city and create a space scaled for the location.

Do two sites well.

More strategic, more profitable and more enjoyable.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by jemartin

Another misconception. I know of no one who is "anti-lansdowne".

Everyone is for Lansdowne becoming a better place.

What is in dispute is the process of an open competitive process being replaced by a sole-source bid, over-intensification well beyond the intent of the space and the defacto loss of public control of a more than 122 year public asset to corporate control. The seriousness of the dispute has resulted with the entire matter now before the Ontario Superior Court (preliminary hearing date Nov 12, 2010).

The corporate bid is also being challenged under procurement rules by the alternative from the Conservancy. The Conservancy bid answers the city directives for a new stadium, park, mixed retail and new management but does so keeping the park 100% public. In the alternative the Conservancy is recommending the best location for a development tied stadium is at the Bayview Rapid Transit Hub, the number one site chosen by the City of Ottawa's own study (Lansdowne came in 6th - full study click here). This will allow both sites to be developed well. Intensify where it follows the master plan at Bayview with a world class stadium for MLS and CFL and central for the entire region and at a rapid transit hub. At Lansdowne retain the arena, north stands but take down the unusable south stands for extra playing fields for amateur sport, maximize use of existing structure for shopping, dining and entertainment, add green space a concert bowl and outdoor swimming all providing a place of relaxation from the city and create a space scaled for the location.

Do two sites well.

More strategic, more profitable and more enjoyable.

You may not be but there are some and yes i have talked to them and they clearly state they want no sports but at what every cost turn it into a oasis.

[jemartin]

Originally Posted by reidjr

You may not be but there are some and yes i have talked to them and they clearly state they want no sports but at what every cost turn it into a oasis.

Are there different visions? Yes of course, but no one is "anti-lansdowne", everyone is for developing the site and making it more beautiful.

How the site gets developed, by which process and the content of the park, and if a better site for the long term success of pro sports should be considered increasing amateur sport at Lansdowne, are all part of what is being debated.

A 100 year decision should not be rushed into, but at the same time everyone wants to see something done soon.

Bad process begets bad results, so careful exploration of alternatives will ensure best results without serious delay.

One possible scenario would be an RFP for Bayview and an Open competition for Lansdowne.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by KHOOLE

Saputo Stadium is easily accessible from Hgy 40 and Hgy 20 and Sherbrooke Street plus it's just 2 minutes walking from the Viau Subway Station. You can easily drive to it from Ottawa but you can't easily get to Lansdowne Park from Montreal. Ask anyone going to the 67's games.
There is no action or nightlife on Bank Street but there's lots of action on Preston St and there will be lots more once Domicile and Soho and all the others to follow will have their towers on Champagne beside the O-Train. A projected pedestrian overpass to Little Italy means that Preston Street will be the "IN" social place very shortly.
A stadium at Lansdowne will be short-lived: maybe 5 maybe 10 years. A soccer stadium in Little Italy's Bayview area will be good for a Century. What is John Pugh thinking about?
Wasn't Saputo wanting to build a stadium there and backed off when OSEG came into the picture?

Bayview to Little Italy requires about a 10 minute walk. Compare that to a 10 minute walk from Lansdowne, you also get lots of nightlife options on Bank...and Elgin, not to mention the new options which will pop up on the Lansdowne site. As for transit, this has been beaten to death. Lets not forget the many big events Lansdowne has hosted over the past few decades, with crowds over 20,000, and traffic/accessibility was never that big of an issue. A new stadium at Lansdowne will be there for many decades. And regarding Bayview, yes, its on a transit line, but what about car access? Its not any better than Lansdowne, and even further from the Queensway than Lansdowne.

[jemartin]

Originally Posted by Radster

Bayview to Little Italy requires about a 10 minute walk. Compare that to a 10 minute walk from Lansdowne, you also get lots of nightlife options on Bank...and Elgin, not to mention the new options which will pop up on the Lansdowne site. As for transit, this has been beaten to death. Lets not forget the many big events Lansdowne has hosted over the past few decades, with crowds over 20,000, and traffic/accessibility was never that big of an issue. A new stadium at Lansdowne will be there for many decades. And regarding Bayview, yes, its on a transit line, but what about car access? Its not any better than Lansdowne, and even further from the Queensway than Lansdowne.

You don't have to take my word for it, the Master Plan for intensification directs it to take place along the rapid transit corridor, primarily LeBreton/Bayview. There will be 5 to 7 minute access to Elgin, the Market from there using rapid transit. To Little Italy/Chinatown a 5 minute walk from the LeBreton station. You dont want people using their cars, that is the whole point. For the Quebec fans a much closer venue. For Kanata, Orleans, Riverside/Ottawa South direct rapid transit right into the stadium

You develop large where you have rapid transit.

Parking at Bayview for major events will have 4,000 empty parking spots within 300m at the Federal Facility of Tunney's Pasture.

Aside from the crucial rapid transit feature, massive parking nearby and wide open space needing development, you develop at Bayview for the simple reason of economics.

Simply put, if your revenue model is based on taxation then with over 2M sq ft to develop at Bayview that is 7 times the tax return to the city compared to the planned .35M sq ft at Lansdowne. You also need fewer roads at a rapid transit serviced location.

Crowds used to be able to be sort of handled at Lansdowne when it was empty, but add 350,000 sq ft of density, condos, homes cars, it will be logistically impossible. The team failed for a number of reasons and one of the important ones was the difficulty of fans getting in and out of the area, let alone park. Build central to the region on rapid transit and you have a successful stadium location for MLS and CFL that will sell out due to the geographically centered and easily accessed location.

Stadiums move, the Canadiens moved, the Maple Leafs moved, the BC Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers even the storied Yankees all moved to better locations.

We can too.