Billings Bridge

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

They are currently doing an expansion of the Billings Bridge Plaza strip mall. It has been expanded onto part of the parking lot, and think that this could become a very good starting point for a great infill development.

I suggest that they expand further into the parking lot, and add another two floors to the expansion. An additional E/W walking path will be added within the expansion and will connect to the existing walkway, forming a "loop" within the mall with a perpendicular axis that will toward the food court and the open area that lies below it.

This effectively transforms the strip mall into a full-fledged mall in Southern Ottawa.

The facilities can even be expanded upon further by building another 3-storey section that will be located on the current parking lot that is wedged in between the existing mall and the transitway.

Above the expansion that will occur on the north side, will be two condo towers which will be 15 storeys in height; 18 if you include the new three storey expansion. Above the expansion on the south side, will be an office building.

The parking lot that is wedged between the North/South entry/exit road will be replaced by an eight storey condominium development.

Parking will not be an issue as part of(my version) of the expansion will include underground parking garages.

The result of such an expansion will be a proper mall in Ottawa's south end with increased residential density along a rapid transit route.


What do you guys think?



http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=FA1A79...!323&encType=1

[eemy]

I doubt business would be overly interested in a large mall expansion. Generally speaking, malls have fallen out of favour by retailers.

[Mille Sabords]

Billings Bridge is ripe for a complete redevelopment along the lines of what they're doing in Don Mills: http://www.shopsatdonmills.ca

It is the logical southward extension of Bank Street as a Mainstreet, it has a rapid transit station, and it provides the opportunity to bring things closer to the water by realigning Riverside Drive.

[Davis137]

I think that with the reno's that have already been taking place at Billings, there are a lot more stores opening up shop there now, towards the Zellers end of the building. My misses said that Billings is a lot better than it was like 5 years ago, and she said there are a LOT more customers wandering it's hallways now too. I think they've done a nice overall job with the interior reno's of the main hallways, and I think the place as a whole has a lot of potential for even more growth and business...

[Aylmer]

A new concept for shopping centres (perhaps not this one) is a shopping village:

The stores are seperated into blocks which are seperated by pedestrian streets. One or two main streets, lined with smaller shops, would lead to the centre of the area. In bigger areas, there could be residences integrated into the setting!

I dream.

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by AylmerOptimist

A new concept for shopping centres (perhaps not this one) is a shopping village:

The stores are seperated into blocks which are seperated by pedestrian streets. One or two main streets, lined with smaller shops, would lead to the centre of the area. In bigger areas, there could be residences integrated into the setting!

I dream.

You can dream indeed, but I think you might be dreaming of another part of the world where the climate is bit warmer....

[Aylmer]

I guess it's like many strip malls put togeter...
But you're right. Maybe it will destroy consumerism!

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by AylmerOptimist

I guess it's like many strip malls put togeter...
But you're right. Maybe it will destroy consumerism!

One of the malls in the west end (Carlingwood?) started as strip malls in that same sorta way. Then at some point they decided to stick a lid on it...

or so I have been told.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

One of the malls in the west end (Carlingwood?) started as strip malls in that same sorta way. Then at some point they decided to stick a lid on it...

or so I have been told.

Then there's the mall with Ikea that used to be a traditional mall until they took the lid off of it and turned it into basically a big-box centre. In the end, I much prefer shopping in Rideau Centre (or even Billings) compared to Centrum, College Square, or Gloucester Centre.

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Then there's the mall with Ikea that used to be a traditional mall until they took the lid off of it and turned it into basically a big-box centre. In the end, I much prefer shopping in Rideau Centre (or even Billings) compared to Centrum, College Square, or Gloucester Centre.

Gloucester Centre itself is an indoor mall like Rideau Centre - just a heck of a lot smaller. I think you may be thinking of Shoppers City East over on the other side of Blair (past Canadian Tire and the office buildings) It used be a tiny indoor shopping center and was converted to this kinda big box building with stores around all sides of it.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

One of the malls in the west end (Carlingwood?) started as strip malls in that same sorta way. Then at some point they decided to stick a lid on it...

or so I have been told.

It's actually Westgate. First it acquired a covered walkway/sidewalk, which then became enclosed and was finally turned into a mall by widening the walkway, raising the glass and putting stores on the parking lot side (that was a major reno that really changed it).

The 'lobby' area at the east end of the mall near the Royal Bank was always like that from what I recall because there's a second storey above which houses an old cinema. I can't recall what was going on with the Rockin' Johnny's Diner at the inside corner because while I'm pretty sure the diner has always been at the mall I can't say it was always exactly where it is now.

[eemy]

I think Elmvale Mall was a similar situation, at least it seems to be from the times I've been in it.

[waterloowarrior]

Heron Park Herald:

The owners of Billings Bridge Plaza are planning to build a new 11-storey
office building between the mall and the transitway. This is higher than
the zoning currently allows at the site, but we have told them we do not
object to the height on the condition that pedestrian links from Bank St
and Data Centre Road to the mall are improved when the new building
is constructed. We might even get a walkway directly across Sawmill
Creek from the corner of Ohio and Clementine to the transit station! This
would be nice – people could get to the transitway quickly instead of
waiting for the bus or going all the way down the hill on Bank St and
through the mall. I think that the extra height would be a small price to
pay to get these links.

http://heronpark.ca/herald_PDF/2009WinterHerald.pdf

Billings Bridge Plaza Development
by Donna Silver


Many of Heron Park’s residents have commented over the years about the terrible pedestrian issues and vehicular access from Bank Street and Riverside Drive at Billings Bridge. Parking is also a problem from time to time.

Recently, the City has undertaken to make improvements to Riverside
Drive and the intersection at Bank Street. In the not too distant future, they will also develop a Community Design Plan for Bank Street that will be part of
the rehabilitation of the water and sewer pipes.

Billings Bridge Plaza welcomes this work, and have begun to consider options for many improvements to the plaza. They recently announced their plans to build another office tower adjacent to the transit station which will include more stores on the second floor concourse level. In addition to this, they will be constructing a two story parking garage and partnering with OC Transpo to include Park-N-Ride spots for transit users. In addition to these, the plaza owners are interested in developing a long term strategy for the overall redevelopment of the site.

It is said that their ambitions are similar to what has happened to the Don Mills Plaza in Toronto http://muddyyork.com/2009/03/11/the-don- millsshopping- centre/ and they will be consulting with the community in
the future.

The Heron Park Community Association will play a vital role in working with the future plans for the Community Design Plan and the redevelopment of Billings Bridge Plaza. Detailed information will be posted to the web site (www.heronpark.ca) as it becomes available.

[reidjr]

Is there any idea when they plan on starting this great project.

[Uhuniau]

A lot of these middle-aged shopping centres are prime for this type of redevelopment. (Carlingwood also comes to mind, but Billings has the advantage of being right on the Transitway.)

Hopefully it will go ahead, while making positive changes for transit and the pedestrian environment in the area... and without the usual NIMBY brigade.

[TransitZilla]

Hallelujah!!

Billings Bridge is the perfect place for some intensification.

It seems like the neighbours are willing to co-operate if it means improved pedestrian links, which is a smart play on their part.

Can't wait!

[Ottawan]

This is great news for what is already a busy and vibrant location that has the potential to be yet so much more. Hopefully it will also help push urbanization south along Bank Street, and eventually anchor similar smart development of Confederation Heights.

[lrt's friend]

Who said that the Transitways don't encourage intensification?

You just have to look at the area within walking distance of Billings Bridge station and you see how much redevelopment has taken place in recent years. It has helped that a lot of the old housing stock was of poor quality and the Sawmill Creek gully provides a natural buffer reducing the objections of Nimbys. This sounds very encouraging.

Confederation Heights is another matter. When the federal bureaucracy is involved, intensification will move forward at a glacial pace and it will likely not be mixed use development if it does happen. The area would have been more attractive for intensification even with the feds involved, if the N-S LRT project had moved ahead. That won't happen until after 2020.

[Richard Eade]

Sounds like another excellent reason to convert the S-E Transitway to rail instead of double-tracking the O-Train line.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

Sounds like another excellent reason to convert the S-E Transitway to rail instead of double-tracking the O-Train line.

Why is that? Billings Bridge is better served by the Transitway, granted, but Confederation Heights is better served by the O-Train. Add on Carleton University and it seems that the O-Train route is the better choice.