Gotham | 53m | 17 fl | Completed

[JackBauer24]

Starting from $189,900????? Downtown?? At that level it can't be wood frame, so how or why so cheap?

Either that is one tiny suite (400 sq. ft. or less) or the specifications will be leaving you wanting more. Tega homes on Kent and Gladstone were more expensive than this and they're probably the cheapest (price and quality) new build downtown.

[S-Man]

Tega started cheaper, at $118K for 295 square feet. No dance parties in those units! Of course, Tega is wood framed and this will be concrete. Gotham's price must reflect a larger unit and sturdier construction.
I want to see this building (and more like them) built in this city. Real architecture. Something different. Opponents, of course, would gladly do away with any architecture or design flair just to make it slightly less phallic....I mean, TALL.

[JackBauer24]

Originally Posted by S-Man

Tega started cheaper, at $118K for 295 square feet. No dance parties in those units! Of course, Tega is wood framed and this will be concrete. Gotham's price must reflect a larger unit and sturdier construction.
I want to see this building (and more like them) built in this city. Real architecture. Something different. Opponents, of course, would gladly do away with any architecture or design flair just to make it slightly less phallic....I mean, TALL.

At $189,900, based on today's average price/sq. ft. that would be slightly larger than a 400 sq. ft. suite - not large by any stretch of the imagination. But if the building was loaded with amenities, it would be an ok trade-off, so we'll have to wait and see.

I love that downtown is developing and I love that builders are trying new things. But I have to disagree with you, I find this building to be quite ugly(the off-set and different sized balconies look terrible) and I think it will look dated quite quickly (look at the Mondrian, it's only a few years old and it already looks much older than it is). IMO you need to do a more classical look to the exteriors of buildings and not "trend-of-the-moment" designs. Having just visited many sales centres in Toronto, you can still make your building unique and attention grabbing on teh outside, while still keeping it "in style" for more than 5 years.

[Ottawan]

I guess everyone has their own taste. Personally I love the Mondrian, and feel it still looks avant-guarde. I also like the renders of the Gotham. But even if I wasn't particularly fond of either - at least they're different, and Ottawa could do with some more variety.

[m3i6]

The smallest unit "Loft 13 & 14" is 429sq ft. the floor plan shows it more as a bachelor than a one bedroom.

If you want an early view of the floor plans;

Go to bottom left of gothamottawa.com home page. Select "broker access" and input anything in the userid and password field. You will then have a PDF of the floor plans.

[gjhall]

I rented a one bedroom at 420 Gloucester Street (the two towers at Bronson) that was about 450 sq ft - no palace, but a perfectly reasonable amount of space for one person to live in. Well designed space needn't be as big as condos with lousy floor plans, so I don't find the size of these units to be particularly small at all. They are clearly targeted at singles above all else at that size.

[citizen4829]

Originally Posted by JackBauer24

At $189,900, based on today's average price/sq. ft. that would be slightly larger than a 400 sq. ft. suite - not large by any stretch of the imagination. But if the building was loaded with amenities, it would be an ok trade-off, so we'll have to wait and see.

Originally Posted by JackBauer24

I love that downtown is developing and I love that builders are trying new things. But I have to disagree with you, I find this building to be quite ugly(the off-set and different sized balconies look terrible) and I think it will look dated quite quickly (look at the Mondrian, it's only a few years old and it already looks much older than it is). IMO you need to do a more classical look to the exteriors of buildings and not "trend-of-the-moment" designs. Having just visited many sales centres in Toronto, you can still make your building unique and attention grabbing on teh outside, while still keeping it "in style" for more than 5 years.

I agree completely. The Continental in Westboro which is just now starting to become occupied is a classic, timeless building. It will be 'in style' and still fashionable in forty or fifty years years from now.....the Mondrian however will be completely 'out of fashion' in five to ten years....in fact it is starting to head that way now. Think of the great buildings in New York City....around Central Park for example. Most of these buildings have stood the test of time. Is the Mondrian in this category....I think not.

[S-Man]

This goes to planning committee next week. The report is on the city's council agenda web page.

Guess what downtown councillor is concerned about the building's height and its incompatibility to its surrounding neighbourhood (which includes the worst of 70s highrise construction)?

[Harley613]

oooh......i wonder.... does her name start with a D and end with an S???

we need more tall buildings at that latitude to cover up the brutalist blocks along gloucester and laurier from the south. i wish we could just mow them all down and rebuild.

some day soon she'll be gone. she's old. for now it's great entertainment.

[S-Man]

Well, there might be a need for her in Halifax, where they are enacting extremely strict height limits for similar reasons as Ottawa did once upon a time. We have Parliament Hill; they have Citadel Hill. At least here there's a chance of a 20 or 25-storey-plus building being built downtown.

Anyone read Egan's column in the Citizen today?

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Kelly+E...698/story.html

[MountainView]

Imagine how different Ottawa would look if Campeau's 39 floor office tower was buillt? I could imagine Ottawa having buildings within the range of 17-43 floors. Some of downtown's buildings look really nice, and if architects were able to add slightly more height to improve the overall 'wow' of the design, Ottawa would have a bunch better looking downtown (compared to the stumpiness it has now). Just look at the RBC (Thomas D'Arcy McGee) Building with the floors that hang like a bridge, I think that is a really great design (besides the fact that more office space could be there if it was yet another stumpy box). Anyways, I agree that Ottawa needs to gradually increase its height limits to allow for greater density, especially in areas where mass transit is within walking distance. And if more office space could become available, maybe Ottawa could see an influx of new business locating to the city. I do see a shift in council though, and I have a feeling taller towers will be approved in the near future, especially if developers keep proposing taller towers than the zoning limit allows. It's all about streetscape, livability, and a vibrant atmosphere and Ottawa can see itself as a brand new city!

But back onto the topic of the Gotham... this building is perfect for the location and would definitely help cover up the old concrete buildings beside it. So hopefully council approves it!

Cheers!

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by MountainView

Imagine how different Ottawa would look if Campeau's 39 floor office tower was buillt? I could imagine Ottawa having buildings within the range of 17-43 floors. Some of downtown's buildings look really nice, and if architects were able to add slightly more height to improve the overall 'wow' of the design, Ottawa would have a bunch better looking downtown (compared to the stumpiness it has now). Just look at the RBC (Thomas D'Arcy McGee) Building with the floors that hang like a bridge, I think that is a really great design (besides the fact that more office space could be there if it was yet another stumpy box). Anyways, I agree that Ottawa needs to gradually increase its height limits to allow for greater density, especially in areas where mass transit is within walking distance. And if more office space could become available, maybe Ottawa could see an influx of new business locating to the city. I do see a shift in council though, and I have a feeling taller towers will be approved in the near future, especially if developers keep proposing taller towers than the zoning limit allows. It's all about streetscape, livability, and a vibrant atmosphere and Ottawa can see itself as a brand new city!

But back onto the topic of the Gotham... this building is perfect for the location and would definitely help cover up the old concrete buildings beside it. So hopefully council approves it!

Cheers!

More office space is nice and yes its a good idea but that alone won't be the key you have to make it very attractive be it tax breaks etc you can't just say a 50 floor building will bring in all types of companys.

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by reidjr

More office space is nice and yes its a good idea but that alone won't be the key you have to make it very attractive be it tax breaks etc you can't just say a 50 floor building will bring in all types of companys.

I wasn't trying to imply that a 50 floor building was going to bring in more businesses and companies to Ottawa, I was trying to say that Ottawa could use some more office space, especially in the core, and yes, if the underlying conditions and factors were there (ie: tax breaks, etc) then Ottawa might see more business downtown and not just government.

[McC]

Originally Posted by MountainView

I wasn't trying to imply that a 50 floor building was going to bring in more businesses and companies to Ottawa, I was trying to say that Ottawa could use some more office space, especially in the core, and yes, if the underlying conditions and factors were there (ie: tax breaks, etc) then Ottawa might see more business downtown and not just government.

so you're saying what Ottawa needs is more demand on downtown infrastructure with less tax revenue?

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by McC

so you're saying what Ottawa needs is more demand on downtown infrastructure with less tax revenue?

I think that if there was tax breaks more businesses would more than likely come. Is that good for the City? Its a yes and no situation. In the long run, I'd say it is.

[AuxTown]

from www.cfra.com

City Staff Endorse 17-Storey Condo
Lauren Davis with Stephanie Kinsella
Monday, June 13, 2011

The City's Planning Committee will debate a new 17-storey condo tower at its meeting on Tuesday.

The project proposed for Gloucester and Lyon Streets includes five levels of underground parking with a total of 116 spaces.

Last month, City Council also approved a 27-storey condo building for 70 Gloucester Street.

Keep the development coming guys. Centretown is so over-ripe for high-rise development it's ridiculous. I think keeping things about this height South of Gloucester is reasonable and quite in keeping with the neighbourhood dynamic (certain exceptions of course).

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

from www.cfra.com



Keep the development coming guys. Centretown is so over-ripe for high-rise development it's ridiculous. I think keeping things about this height South of Gloucester is reasonable and quite in keeping with the neighbourhood dynamic (certain exceptions of course).

I can't remember the last time council and staff aprroved so many projects i think its a great thing.

[S-Man]

That part of Centretown hasn't seen change in decades, and the reality is that 17 storeys - when viewed from the street - isn't much more imposing than the 12 storey limit for areas south of Gloucester St.

Plus, it's interesting architecture when compared to the grey rectangles of yesteryear. Keep it coming, and keep it interesting.

[amanfromnowhere]

Committee approves 17-storey downtown tower

A Toronto-area developer is one step closer to putting in a 17-storey tower in Ottawa's west downtown.

Topics : Lamb Development
The city's planning committee approved zoning amendments proposed by Lamb Development Corp. to construct the 251-unit behemoth at Lyon and Gloucester streets, replacing four low-rise apartment buildings in the area.

On behalf of Lamb, FoTenn Consultants Inc. asked to increase the maximum allowed height to 53 metres from 37 metres, and decrease required property setbacks and surface parking.

The glass giant will have two main sections: a north wing along Gloucester Street featuring a four-storey podium, and an east wing facing Lyon Street. It will be served by 90 underground parking spaces.

The four buildings slated for demolition include:

- 224 Lyon St. North: A three-storey house converted to apartments;

- 324 Gloucester St.: A 2.5-storey house converted to apartments;

- 326 Gloucester St.: A 2.5-storey house converted to apartments;

- 328 Gloucester St.: A 2.5-storey apartment building.

Council will look at the matter at its next meeting on June 22.

[Harley613]

why does your quote say 'behemoth' where the article says 'structure'?

17 stories in this neighbourhood is hardly a behemoth haha. bronson place and the queen elizabeth towers are the behemoths around there, and i welcome any development that blocks the view of them from any angle.