Zibi (Domtar Lands Redevelopment) | U/C

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

That might be where I remember it from.

There is also a microbrewery called Le Trou du Diable but it's based in Shawinigan - they brew the Shawinigan Handshake, among others.

That city has a similar geography and history with waterfalls, so the name works for them too.

[zzptichka]

I've noticed in the fall they've been working on those two heritage buildings next to the new park.
Wonder if there is a plan to make a museum or some kind of "Tavern on the dam" out of them.

[J.OT13]

Tavern on the dam. That would be awesome! The Tavern trilogy!!

[Marshsparrow]

As I crossed through tonight in the comfort of my car - I just don't see how this will become a viable neighbourhood anytime soon - perhaps I'm too short sighted - but its disconnected from Gatineau and downtown Ottawa - I thought about people that would commute on foot or bike - not ideal - I just don't see how living here will be easy on those pioneers - or is it just me?

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The Booth Broad Mill, built in 1912. Closed since 1980. They hope to preserve it and re-purpose as a hotel, but it's in quite a rough shape, so no guarantee.

http://www.capitalgems.ca/booth-board-mill.html

Proposed.


http://www.zibi.ca/project/districts/booth-board-mill/

Noticed yesterday it looks like they began demolishing it. Interesting.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

As I crossed through tonight in the comfort of my car - I just don't see how this will become a viable neighbourhood anytime soon - perhaps I'm too short sighted - but its disconnected from Gatineau and downtown Ottawa - I thought about people that would commute on foot or bike - not ideal - I just don't see how living here will be easy on those pioneers - or is it just me?

This is why I was hoping for a downtown tramway loop that would connect downtown Ottawa to downtown Hull via the Zibi development. We expect too much if we expect people to walk to Pimisi Station every day or to expect tourists to walk all that way to view the falls.

As I have been advocating, this loop could then be connected to any Gatineau LRT project eliminating the need to transfer at Bayview or at Rideau (with an awkward connection) for destinations downtown. I would like to see the federal government to fund this since it is interprovincial and the two cities don't seem to be able to work cooperatively enough to get a proper interprovincial rapid transit plan working in a way that serves the public well.

Unfortunately, as I see it, the two cities don't seem even able to get a concept off the ground.

[JM1]

I think I will bring up my old idea of an aerial gondola... It could go from the top of Bank Street behind Parliament, to the end of the Rapidbus Line at Universite de Quebec with stops at Zibi and Portage. It could also connect from the Universite de Quebec stop back to Pimisi or Bayview.

A high-speed gondola could offer sufficient capacity for peak hour commutes and would also offer great views of the falls and parliament (a tourist line for midday).

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

This is why I was hoping for a downtown tramway loop that would connect downtown Ottawa to downtown Hull via the Zibi development. We expect too much if we expect people to walk to Pimisi Station every day or to expect tourists to walk all that way to view the falls.

As I have been advocating, this loop could then be connected to any Gatineau LRT project eliminating the need to transfer at Bayview or at Rideau (with an awkward connection) for destinations downtown. I would like to see the federal government to fund this since it is interprovincial and the two cities don't seem to be able to work cooperatively enough to get a proper interprovincial rapid transit plan working in a way that serves the public well.

Unfortunately, as I see it, the two cities don't seem even able to get a concept off the ground.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Noticed yesterday it looks like they began demolishing it. Interesting.

Plans did show that it would be partially demolished. Might have decided to demolish it completely if the condition was too far gone.

[Jayday23]

not sure if this has been seen before (i certainly had not seen it) but a good overview of what the new bike lanes going into Zibi from the booth street bridge looks like

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by Jayday23

not sure if this has been seen before (i certainly had not seen it) but a good overview of what the new bike lanes going into Zibi from the booth street bridge looks like

That is a fancy smancy rendering (missing bicycle signal heads and a few other things but no bid deal). For comparison, roughly the same view today:

[J.OT13]

Nice rendering, but that is still a very tight fit for both cyclists and pedestrians.

That bridge is shut down for weeks, sometimes months every couple years. I think its time to demolish it and build a new span that better serves all modes of transportation. After 119-192 years, it's time to move on with something that better meets our needs.

[Jayday23]

Here are some new renders of the Kaanal developments... notice the ground floor retail... i remember seeing somewhere that this was going to be condos only, but its nice to see that they've integrated this into it as well.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by Jayday23

not sure if this has been seen before (i certainly had not seen it) but a good overview of what the new bike lanes going into Zibi from the booth street bridge looks like

Looks new. Mind sharing where this is from?
Is it a bad render or they couldn't segregate bikes from car traffic on the bridge? Because they were planning to originally.
No joy!

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Is it a bad render or they couldn't segregate bikes from car traffic on the bridge? Because they were planning to originally.
No joy!

I'm not surprised. It is often very difficult to raise the pavement height (raised bike lanes) on a bridge due to the resulting increase in dead load.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

I'm not surprised. It is often very difficult to raise the pavement height (raised bike lanes) on a bridge due to the resulting increase in dead load.

That's what I thought.
Hopefully they can at least install flexi-posts in the summer and allow sharing sidewalk with pedestrians during the winter.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Interesting that they appear to be cantilevering a sidewalk off the west side of the bridge. That will be a big improvement.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

Interesting that they appear to be cantilevering a sidewalk off the west side of the bridge. That will be a big improvement.

This graphic is from 2015 and in the renders above it's hard to see the sidewalk, so I'm not sure about that.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

That's what I thought.
Hopefully they can at least install flexi-posts in the summer and allow sharing sidewalk with pedestrians during the winter.

I bike through here all the time in the summer, and never have a problem with the actual bridge. Its the 4-lane configuration due south of the bridge that's the problem.

When crossing the bridge, there's lots of space for everyone, a good 6 feet between me and the car in my lane. South of that, four small lanes is not conducive to sharing a lane.

Also, is the 'split bridge' west side permanently closed?

Follow my logic here about the lanes on the crossing. The pinch point is the bridge, at two traffic lanes. So why not just make the entire thing two lanes wide, and have turning bays at every intersection?

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

I bike through here all the time in the summer, and never have a problem with the actual bridge. Its the 4-lane configuration due south of the bridge that's the problem.

When crossing the bridge, there's lots of space for everyone, a good 6 feet between me and the car in my lane. South of that, four small lanes is not conducive to sharing a lane.

Also, is the 'split bridge' west side permanently closed?

Follow my logic here about the lanes on the crossing. The pinch point is the bridge, at two traffic lanes. So why not just make the entire thing two lanes wide, and have turning bays at every intersection?

That's what they plan to do according to their original plan and no, the split bridge will re-open.

The problem I see with current configuration is not on the bridge itself but on approach. Some drivers, especially new to the area don't realize the bridge is 1-lane per direction and keep driving in two lanes squeezing in at the last second.

[Gat-Train]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Nice rendering, but that is still a very tight fit for both cyclists and pedestrians.

That bridge is shut down for weeks, sometimes months every couple years. I think its time to demolish it and build a new span that better serves all modes of transportation. After 119-192 years, it's time to move on with something that better meets our needs.

I agree, and if/when it gets rebuilt they should coordinate with Ottawa and Gatineau to put some tram tracks on it, or at the very least reserve space for such.