Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

When they built the other Shoppers Drug Mart a few blocks East on Rideau I thought this would be closing. Nope. Now there's 2 less than 500m apart.

The LCBO in the mall and the one on King Edward are even closer. Nobody seems to have an issue with that

[Kitchissippi]

One interesting fantasy scenario would be if Hudsons Bay bought 45 Rideau and the Chapters location to build a 5 storey addition on, and then shift their space to vacate the east side of Frieman Mall (maybe Chapters could go there). The escalators in Frieman could then be straightened out directly towards the Market entrance. This arrangment would give the Bay a more prominent and more prestigious presence on the corner of Rideau and Sussex, and maybe more multi-storey retail could be encouraged on the north side of Rideau between Frieman and William if it had access through a central atrium? Aside from the pubs on William the rest of the block seems dingy.

[McC]

And those upper floors look empty (e.g., above McDonald's), when I would think that should be some prestige office space for smaller firms like design and law partnerships. Maybe once the buses are gone?

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The LCBO in the mall and the one on King Edward are even closer. Nobody seems to have an issue with that

I find the LCBO in Rideau Center next to useless with its very limited selection. The one at KE is one of the largest in town. In the case of the LCBO, there's also limited competition (ie. only The Beer Store). As for Shoppers, there's also a PharmaPlus, a Metro and a Loblaws on that stretch of Rideau. Plenty of competing places for people to pick up milk or cough syrup on the way home. I really don't mind having similar stores close to each other but at least there should be some competition. I find these two locations too close to each other. At least moving the Shoppers entrance to face Rideau St is going to be an improvement to the street.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

I find the LCBO in Rideau Center next to useless with its very limited selection.

But, shhhh, it's great for buying a little sumthin-sumthin when you take your lunch out to Major's Hill Park. Why else do you think they stock cold beer and demi-bouteilles?

[citizen j]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

But, shhhh, it's great for buying a little sumthin-sumthin when you take your lunch out to Major's Hill Park. Why else do you think they stock cold beer and demi-bouteilles?

Ha! Well said.

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by McC

a high street is just a street with lots of shops (and often, "shoppes") and hopefully lots of shoppers, so why not a Shoppers?



have you been reading Ken Gray again?

Hey now, watch your tongue!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by mac_junkie1

I was very leary about how they would incorporate the facade back into the mall, but I think this looks pretty decent. Had they bricked over it, it would've looked ugly, but since its glass, the brick leads your eye to the facade directly without taking into account the glass enclosure behind it. I think its very fitting and they'll even bring back the flagpole the fronting piece infront of it over the 3rd floor. I liked the old look, but as 5 floors it would've looked out of place. Restoring it to 1906-1907 completely will be awesome. We've all seen the current looking building for so long, now lets see it as how it was intended to look when it was first designed. Something no-one has seen in years. (I'm sure everyone who knew it till 1915 is gone now). So congrats to Rideau. The refurb will look pretty cool. I'm impressed, though the pedestrian over-passes should've been removed and moved underground. So ugly, and now, will Frieman mall get a slight refurb to match across the street. That brick is ugly from where they filled in Mosgrove Ave. They'll need to update also. Also, putting Simons on the corner, a home grown store, is fitting to what was there before. Ogilvy's was also a home grown company. I was so scared that H&M would get that corner. A store like that doesnt deserve a Heritage Facade. So I'm glad that what I heard a few months back from a "bird" about it being Simons is now confirmed. Very fitting. And the medallion on the corner being recreated with his initials is just fitting.

I'll give them the flag pole and ornamental piece holding it. I've seen it in old pictures many times before, but never in the newer reconstruction renderings. I wonder if they will use Ogilvy's original flag pole (it was still up there earlier this year, although I'm not sure that it is the 1907 original, it was pretty old)? I would prefer a Canadian flag to the Simons logo. And if they were going to build something over it, better a set back glass cube then brick, or even worse concrete.

[J.OT13]

A few other points;

a. I am glad that there will be stores opening to the street all along Rideau and Nicholas;
b. I still think the design is too much of a mismatch of materials, but actual realistic renders might help me change my mind;
c. I guess the Ogilvy façade is still fairly predominant, somehow, the flag pole and ornamentation holding it helps;
d. Westin needs to do something with there podium and bridge to the OCC;
e. Westin and OCC need to open up to the rooftop terrace.

As for the Hudson Bay Company, they have promised a overhaul of all flagship locations. As far as I know, Toronto's Yonge Street location is completed and Vancouver's is well underway. Of its 5 other flagships (Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton), Ottawa's is the only one with major new competition coming in close proximity, like you know, across the street. Sure Calgary is getting Nordstrom and Edmonton recently opened a Simons, but those are well outside of their respective Downtowns.

I doubt that they would buy the buildings west of Freiman's, but I would not mind seeing something larger replace Chapters and reopen Chapters in a larger location either in the same spot or somewhere else in the Freiman complex. The building 45 Rideau is historic, built by the Blackburn brothers sometime before the 30s and designed by Noffke (1907-1916 Ogilvy architect). I think it creates a good balance with the Transportation building across the street (ultra ornate vs. clean and conservative). Note that some features, like the cornice, were lost over the years. Check out the top picture of this link; it shows 45 Rideau and the buildings pre-dating the Woolworths/Chapters, both 3 floors.
[[Image:Freimans.png|thumb|200px|right|The former Freimans department store on Rideau Street in Ottawa]]

Otherwise, I would like the George Street façade of the Bay to be restored to brick walls with windows and all other hidden Rideau Street windows uncovered (on the inside).

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A few other points;

a. I am glad that there will be stores opening to the street all along Rideau and Nicholas;
b. I still think the design is too much of a mismatch of materials, but actual realistic renders might help me change my mind;
c. I guess the Ogilvy façade is still fairly predominant, somehow, the flag pole and ornamentation holding it helps;
d. Westin needs to do something with there podium and bridge to the OCC;
e. Westin and OCC need to open up to the rooftop terrace.

As for the Hudson Bay Company, they have promised a overhaul of all flagship locations. As far as I know, Toronto's Yonge Street location is completed and Vancouver's is well underway. Of its 5 other flagships (Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton), Ottawa's is the only one with major new competition coming in close proximity, like you know, across the street. Sure Calgary is getting Nordstrom and Edmonton recently opened a Simons, but those are well outside of their respective Downtowns.

I doubt that they would buy the buildings west of Freiman's, but I would not mind seeing something larger replace Chapters and reopen Chapters in a larger location either in the same spot or somewhere else in the Freiman complex. The building 45 Rideau is historic, built by the Blackburn brothers sometime before the 30s and designed by Noffke (1907-1916 Ogilvy architect). I think it creates a good balance with the Transportation building across the street (ultra ornate vs. clean and conservative). Note that some features, like the cornice, were lost over the years. Check out the top picture of this link; it shows 45 Rideau and the buildings pre-dating the Woolworths/Chapters, both 3 floors.
[[Image:Freimans.png|thumb|200px|right|The former Freimans department store on Rideau Street in Ottawa]]

Otherwise, I would like the George Street façade of the Bay to be restored to brick walls with windows and all other hidden Rideau Street windows uncovered (on the inside).

How big is: a) Chapters in its current location, and b) the vacated movie theatre on the 4th floor of the Rideau Centre? Perhaps Chapters can move into that upper space? It is dead space without a niche tenant, so that might be the best use for it.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

How big is: a) Chapters in its current location, and b) the vacated movie theatre on the 4th floor of the Rideau Centre? Perhaps Chapters can move into that upper space? It is dead space without a niche tenant, so that might be the best use for it.

Current Chapters is 42,200 sqft and according to this (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/rideau-cent...150150697.html), the theatre is 15,000 square feet. Good thinking, but these two are a bit to far apart.

Another idea, although it might be a long shot, would be to keep Chapters open and build a few floors over it (à la Ogilvy 1930s or Blackburn building).

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

But, shhhh, it's great for buying a little sumthin-sumthin when you take your lunch out to Major's Hill Park. Why else do you think they stock cold beer and demi-bouteilles?

I work in Gatineau with booze available in just about every store. I wouldn't know anything about picking up a drink to go with my meal.

[J.OT13]

No attached documents, but here is the application.

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__9LUINP

[J.OT13]

It's here!!! It"s finnaly here!!!

DevApp with attached docs;

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__9LUINP

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

It's here!!! It"s finnaly here!!!

DevApp with attached docs;

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__9LUINP

This is so exciting! When the BIA said they envisioned Rideau as a high street it sounded like a long shot, but this definitely looks like one. Has a bit of a Bloor Street look to it.

[AuxTown]

They can do whatever they want with the mall as long as they fix those walkways!

Gonna be some serious construction but looking good for Ottawa's future.

[J.OT13]

Weird that they show H&M in two spots; on Rideau Street, next to the new mall entrance and on the second floor of the Ogilvy corner.

[eemy]

For those interested, the planning rationale document includes detailed floorplans for the expansion.

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...0Rationale.PDF

[Shalaby]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

That rusted metal finish is going to look awesome.

[archie-tect]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Weird that they show H&M in two spots; on Rideau Street, next to the new mall entrance and on the second floor of the Ogilvy corner.

Perhaps it has a smaller street level entry with most of its space above, like the Forever 21