Ottawa:things seem to be happening downtown!

ty7er · #1 Posted **May 8, 2009, 3:43 PM**

Hello everyone,

I'm a first time poster; I just found the site a few days ago. I have always been interested in city planning and architecture, (especially in Ottawa since it's my home), but I have been living out of the country for the past few years and have found it really difficult to get any information, and especially pictures, of what's happening in terms of building projects in Ottawa. Well, when I found this website I almost peed my pants. It's great; there's tons of pictures and information that I couldn't seem to find anywhere else. I've learned a lot in the past few days, and I'd like to thank everyone for their contributions to this site. I know as an Ottawan living abroad, who can't see these things himself, this site has been great. Thanks a lot!

I also just wanted to comment on all the development that seems to be happening downtown now. There seems to be a lot happening. There's 90 George, Claridge Plaza, as well as all the buildings that seem to be going up in Centretown now. I remember from the late 90's to when I left Ottawa in 2005, development in the city seemed to be fairly slow; there were buildings going up now and then, but the pace seems to have picked up a lot recently. I think that's great. I was always kind of dissapointed in the city, and the pace of development downtown; nothing ever seemed to change. I have to admit; I was starting to lose faith. I was kind of starting to think that Rideau Street and Centretown were going to stay more or less the same forever. But, now with all this recent activity I'm starting to change my mind and become optimistic. Does anyone else feel this way? Or do you think all the activity going on now is just a little two or three year boom and the city will go back to it's former self shortly? Geez, I hope not. I love Ottawa, and I really want to see it grow and improve.

Anyhow, I just want to thank everyone who has contributed to the site, and let me know what you think about the city's prospects, in terms of construction and development, over the next 5 to 10 years.

Thanks,

Tyler

Rathgrith · #2 Posted **May 8, 2009, 11:14 PM**

I assume you are not referring to the proposed LRT tunnel downtown?

Nevertheless, welcome to the board!

Jamaican-Phoenix · #3 Posted **May 8, 2009, 11:52 PM**

Welcome to the board.

Kitchissippi · #4 Posted **May 9, 2009, 1:09 AM**

I don't think things have changed much in the last four years, but I do think that we will see a difference in the future.

Number one reason is that more people will be living downtown with all the residential units being built. Also, I think the transit tunnel and the eventual switchover to an LRT spine will change the psyche of this city. Why? When rail stretches from Kanata to Orleans (and it will someday) it will encourage people to linger downtown instead of taking a rush hour-only express bus. It will also accelerate TOD with easy access to downtown, which in turn will create a critical mass for shopping and entertainment demand in the core.

ty7er · #5 Posted **May 9, 2009, 5:01 AM**

Hey everybody, thanks for the welcome.

Really Kitchissippi, you don't think the pace of change has picked up recently? I mean, it's not changing like Toronto or Calgary, but for Ottawa, things seem to be moving faster now than they had previously. From what I've been reading on this site, more seems to have happened in the past two years than did in the five years 2000-2005. I remember a few buildings, although I don't know their names, going up from 2000 and 2005. I remember buildings at Sussex/Rideau, York/Dalhousie, Bronson/Queen, World Exchange Plaza, a condo near that little park on Slater between Bronson and Bay, an office tower on Queen, that oval University of Ottawa residence, and it seems to me there was a new condo going up on Lyon near Laurier. I'm sure there were others, but those are the major ones that I can remember. That's eight fairly major projects, that I can recall, in a five year period. But in the past year or two a lot of things seem to have happened, or be happening. I count 10 buildings having been built, or being built, since 2007. 90 George, Claridge Plaza, Mondrian, Hudson Park, Minto place 3, EDC, The Galleria, Telus Ottawa, Somerset Gardens, and the Desmarais Building. Now, I'm sure I missed some projects that went up between 2000-2005, and I have no doubt there were more than 10 in total, but in terms of the pace of development, from what I can see, the pace of development has definately quickened in the past two years.

Let me know what you guys think. Has the pace of development picked up in the past two years, or is it the same as it always was?

harls · #6 Posted **May 9, 2009, 11:37 AM**

Welcome aboard, tyler!

I've been living here for 3 years now, and I understand what you mean. In the area where I work, I have been lucky enough to watch at least 8 towers go up since 2006, so to me it seems like things are quite busy. I can't compare to earlier years, though.

Even Gatineau seems to have picked up the pace a bit.

Here's a collection of construction pics I've taken since I've moved here... there are probably more that I haven't had the chance to snap..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blix613...7601583693788/

ty7er · #7 Posted **May 9, 2009, 4:09 PM**

Either way, I'm just happy to find out there are other people who are interested in Ottawa development and construction projects; my parents and friends aren't at all. I used to talk to my friends about some of these things once in a while. A typical conversation would usually run like this.

Me: 'Hey, did you guys see that poster on Elgin Street for the big building they might build.' (150 Eglin)

My friends: 'What?'

or,

Me: 'Hey guys, you know that building they tore down on Rideau Street (90 George)? They tore it down two years ago, put up some fence and a big poster for a new building and since then it's just sat there.'

My friends: 'Huh?"

ect, ect...

Eventually I gave up, and I was starting to think that I was strange and that no one else really cared about what the city's doing. I'm glad to see I was wrong, or at least that there are other strange people in Ottawa besides myself. Haha!

Anyhow, what I'm kind of wondering about now is if anyone has any inside information about any future projects. I'm sure anyone who's spent any amount of time walking around downtown has seen a number of posters advertising future building projects. Posters and projects like the one at 150 Elgin Street for example. And I'm equally sure that anyone who has seen these posters has noticed that they seem to just sit there, month after month, year after year with seemingly no activity. My questions is, does anyone have any information about any of these projects. Are any of them going to get off the ground? If anyone has any information about the 'wheres' and 'whens' of some of these projects, I would definately be interested in hearing about that.

Tyler