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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 3:18 AM
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Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre Redevelopment | U/C

In whole or part, Lincoln Fields on demolition block

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 26, 2016 | Last Updated: June 26, 2016 5:31 PM EDT




Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre will likely be torn down in phases to make way for a major redevelopment, the mall owner admits.

In a candid interview, RioCan chief executive officer Edward Sonshine said the sprawling, two-level mall, wedged between western Carling Avenue and Richmond Road, “is not doing well.”

This assessment will hardly come as news to locals. The shopping centre lost its Walmart in January and the 120,000 square feet continue to sit empty, as do a handful of stores on the upper level.

The Lincoln Fields reimagining is part of a company-wide effort to update its old-style malls in major Canadian markets with access to transit, including four sites in Ottawa.

The firm, the country’s largest mall owner, is making a major bet on highrise rental, eying about 3,000 to 4,000 new units in the next five years.

Sonshine said two major trends are behind the company’s thinking. Pushback against urban sprawl has meant intensification is strongly underway in inner cities, leading to 50- and 60-storey towers in places once thought unthinkable.

And, he adds, traditional retail is flat or declining, partly due to online shopping, partly due to an aging demographic or simply an oversupply of space.

“When you put those two trends together,” he said one day last week, “what you’ve got is a lesser demand for retail space than historically has been the case but a much higher demand for residential space, if you’ve got your properties in the right places.”

Lincoln Fields fits the bill. It is big, at about 18 acres, and already has a major transitway link, to be converted to an LRT station in Phase 2.

RioCan executives have already met with Bay ward Coun. Mark Taylor. He said the initial talk is about taking the mall down in phases and concentrating on a link — by skyway or pathway — with the future transit station, off the eastern end of the property.

Taylor said Lincoln Fields is one of the few sites on the LRT route where a large-scale redesign — almost building a new neighbourhood — is possible.

He thinks a mix of mid- to highrise rental, possibly with office space, the retention of basic retail like food and community services, all meshed with improved transit, is probably the way to go.

“Right now, it’s kind of a concrete oasis,” said Taylor. “We’d like to see some green in there, maybe a link off the Pinecrest Creek corridor. It’s a great opportunity to correct some ’60s thinking, if you will.”

RioCan, in fact, is taking aim at its malls of that era. It is looking at as many as five towers on the Westgate Shopping Centre site, starting with a 22-storey rental on the footprint of Monkey Joe’s eatery.

Similar plans are underway for Elmvale Acres and Silver City, where a 30-storey building is proposed over a retail podium right next to Blair transit station, to be part of LRT’s Confederation Line.

“We’re rebuilding cities here,” Sonshine said he recently told an executive he was enticing to the firm. “Don’t you want to be a part of this?”

Sonshine said RioCan wants to engage the community in the process and, to that end, an open house on Lincoln Fields is being considered for this fall.

Change has been a constant at Lincoln Fields since it opened its doors in May 1972 as the city’s “third-enclosed shopping centre.” Initially, it had Ottawa’s first Woolco store, an Ogilvy’s department store outlet and, until 1984, a Loblaws.

It underwent a facelift in 1985 with the addition of a skylight court and rebranding as Lincoln Heights Galleria.

It now has a large Metro grocery store, a Rexall and an arm of the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre among its 40 or so outlets.

Taylor said it’s important to retain the grocery store as the area has a fairly high concentration of older adults who are transit-dependent.

Julia Goodman is president of the Lincoln Heights-Parkway Community Association. She said the neighbourhood misses the Walmart store and its absence has underlined the need to do something with the sprawling space.

“I think, in general, the reaction would be positive” to a redevelopment, she said. However, there would be concerns over the height and density of any new stacked rental buildings, plus concerns over added traffic, she said.

An improved link to the transit station would be welcomed, she said, as would improvements being considered in the “complete street” treatment of Richmond.

Malls as city builders? Sure seems to be today’s special.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email kegan@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...molition-block
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 6:19 AM
Urbanarchit Urbanarchit is offline
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Originally Posted by rocketphish View Post
In whole or part, Lincoln Fields on demolition block

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 26, 2016 | Last Updated: June 26, 2016 5:31 PM EDT


“Right now, it’s kind of a concrete oasis,” said Taylor.
Just to knitpick, he missed used the word "oasis". I think he meant to say desert, as an oasis is a spot (in the desert) where water and lush plants can be found (i.e. it's a good thing). Unless he loves hot, expansive parking lots; then, never mind. Also, while concrete is used, I think he is referring to the parking lot, which is made of asphalt.

Otherwise, this is good news. Hopefully it doesn't look like the Westgate redevelopment, but this could be nice. If only they could redevelop the entire area, and not just the Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre site. Richmond and Carling with everything in between would be so much better if the development looked similar to what was proposed for South Keys (or Zibi).
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 4:27 PM
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What has happened with the Heron Gate redevelopment has NOT been an overwhelming success.

Likewise, I am not happy with the Westgate proposal. Towers in a sea of parking is not what I call attractive.

The problem with the Wal-Mart departure at Lincoln Fields is that there is no competition for that marketplace that could possibly move in. It is not good that Wal-Mart has become so dominant that no other store can compete. It is far worse here than in the United States.
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 4:50 PM
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What has happened with the Heron Gate redevelopment has NOT been an overwhelming success.

Likewise, I am not happy with the Westgate proposal. Towers in a sea of parking is not what I call attractive.
Heron Gate went from an indoor mall to a big box esque 'power' centre. Lincoln Heights would be different because it would ALSO include residential.

The original drawing for Westgate was nice, because it had much more green space, but I am sure there was some push back from the city for more parking spots so they don't have to provide additional transit service.

I hope that the Lincoln Heights redevelopment really takes advantage of the transit station. Perhaps a climate controlled skyway that is wide enough for more than two people to pass. And all of the buildings on the site linked by either underground or skyways. Come on renderings.
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 6:44 PM
Urbanarchit Urbanarchit is offline
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Heron Gate went from an indoor mall to a big box esque 'power' centre. Lincoln Heights would be different because it would ALSO include residential.

The original drawing for Westgate was nice, because it had much more green space, but I am sure there was some push back from the city for more parking spots so they don't have to provide additional transit service.

I hope that the Lincoln Heights redevelopment really takes advantage of the transit station. Perhaps a climate controlled skyway that is wide enough for more than two people to pass. And all of the buildings on the site linked by either underground or skyways. Come on renderings.
Also RE: Westgate, the parking lot they're keeping along Merivale is because they can't (for whatever reason) get rid of the hydro towers. Otherwise, considering it's in an area not well-served by transit (the 85 is woefully unreliable) and is not easy to bike through, they would likely design it for people who could drive.

I'm sure if the City would build some SBL and some good transit to Westgate the redevelopment proposal could be a lot better. And who knows, maybe that would spur redevelopment and rejuvenation of all properties in the area and the Merivale commercial street.
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 9:28 PM
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Also RE: Westgate, the parking lot they're keeping along Merivale is because they can't (for whatever reason) get rid of the hydro towers. Otherwise, considering it's in an area not well-served by transit (the 85 is woefully unreliable) and is not easy to bike through, they would likely design it for people who could drive.

I'm sure if the City would build some SBL and some good transit to Westgate the redevelopment proposal could be a lot better. And who knows, maybe that would spur redevelopment and rejuvenation of all properties in the area and the Merivale commercial street.
If they really want to change the look of these developments, they need to improve transit and give transit more priority. This is really needed in the long term on Carling, Merivale and Baseline.
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 9:56 PM
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I agree - this will be a Herongate reboot - I don't see this as transforming this part of the city but anything is probably better than what is currently there now which I view as a deadmall wasteland
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 10:04 PM
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Also RE: Westgate, the parking lot they're keeping along Merivale is because they can't (for whatever reason) get rid of the hydro towers. Otherwise, considering it's in an area not well-served by transit (the 85 is woefully unreliable) and is not easy to bike through, they would likely design it for people who could drive.

I'm sure if the City would build some SBL and some good transit to Westgate the redevelopment proposal could be a lot better. And who knows, maybe that would spur redevelopment and rejuvenation of all properties in the area and the Merivale commercial street.
I don't know. I work on the Farm and I find the transit situation in the area alright. The 85 is very unreliable in the PM peak; however, the 101 is pretty much always reliable. I suspect that once the LRT opens and the 85 is shortened (post-LRT, it's planned to connect with the LRT at Pimisi Station then end in Gatineau) it will be a lot more reliable.

That said, with Westgate and Elmvale, the lack of rapid transit combined with the suburban location means the place will inevitably be somewhat car-oriented.

RioCan's projects at Blair and Lincoln Fields can and should be much more transit-oriented. The proposal at Blair is kinda ugly, but it's much more pedestrian focused than the other two. I suspect the same will come out of Lincoln Fields.
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 10:07 PM
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I agree - this will be a Herongate reboot - I don't see this as transforming this part of the city but anything is probably better than what is currently there now which I view as a deadmall wasteland
RioCan is a REIT; it's owned by a large number of investors, and so it generally seeks the highest cash flow possible. A simple power centre, like what Herongate has become, is not even remotely close to the most profitable use of this land, so you can bet Riocan will do a lot more with it.
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Old Posted Jun 27, 2016, 11:27 PM
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I don't know. I work on the Farm and I find the transit situation in the area alright. The 85 is very unreliable in the PM peak; however, the 101 is pretty much always reliable. I suspect that once the LRT opens and the 85 is shortened (post-LRT, it's planned to connect with the LRT at Pimisi Station then end in Gatineau) it will be a lot more reliable.
That said, with Westgate and Elmvale, the lack of rapid transit combined with the suburban location means the place will inevitably be somewhat car-oriented.

RioCan's projects at Blair and Lincoln Fields can and should be much more transit-oriented. The proposal at Blair is kinda ugly, but it's much more pedestrian focused than the other two. I suspect the same will come out of Lincoln Fields.
With the 85 going to Hull instead of downtown, expect a lot more seats to be available. I doubt this will be a popular change. We are trying to take too many buses out of downtown in my opinion. More central neighbourhoods should still have direct service.
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Old Posted Jun 28, 2016, 1:58 AM
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^ I don't know. From my many rides on the 85, I can say that downtown-bound riders are actually not all that prominent on the 85. In the west end, a lot of people from the westernmost parts of Carling actually get off at Lincoln Fields and transfer onto the Transitway to get downtown; and a lot of people get off at the major destinations on Carling (Westgate, the Royal, Hospital, the Farm, etc.).

There's also a lot of riders on the 85 who are bound for Gatineau, too; I use to notice when I rode it from the farm to downtown that the bus would be crush loaded until Lebreton, where a big chunk of the bus would get off.

The 85 is a very slow and often unreliable bus; people who live in its area probably avoid it like the plague. When I was travelling from the farm to downtown I would actually often take the 101 to Hurdman and then the Transitway back up to Laurier, instead of the direct ride on the 85. I imagine many downtown-bound riders along Carling already prefer to take north-south buses to the Transitway.
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Old Posted Jun 28, 2016, 2:02 AM
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^ I don't know. From my many rides on the 85, I can say that downtown-bound riders are actually not all that prominent on the 85. In the west end, a lot of people from the westernmost parts of Carling actually get off at Lincoln Fields and transfer onto the Transitway to get downtown; and a lot of people get off at the major destinations on Carling (Westgate, the Royal, Hospital, the Farm, etc.).

There's also a lot of riders on the 85 who are bound for Gatineau, too; I use to notice when I rode it from the farm to downtown that the bus would be crush loaded until Lebreton, where a big chunk of the bus would get off.
and if off-peak hours when people are not travelling to Gatineau offices?
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Old Posted Apr 5, 2017, 11:45 AM
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RioCan asks residents what they want to see at Lincoln Fields

Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 4, 2017 | Last Updated: April 4, 2017 11:01 PM EDT


More than 100 Lincoln Fields-area residents gathered in one of the vacant stores in the 45-year-old shopping mall Tuesday night night to hear what RioCan has in mind for the 45-year-old property.

The answer? The country’s biggest real estate investment trust doesn’t know yet.

RioCan has plans to reinvent its aging shopping centres over the next 20 years or so. Just last week, the city’s planning committee approved redevelopment for Westgate Shopping Centre, which is to include five mixed-use towers ranging in height from 24 to 36 storeys, as well as privately owned public property to be used as a gathering space.

Rumours have been circulating that something similar is afoot for Lincoln Fields, which has a prime location close to the coming LRT. Residents who rely on Lincoln Fields for their essential shopping are wary and anxious about the future of the mall. Walmart, the mall’s largest tenant, left Lincoln Fields in January 2016 for Bayshore, leaving a vacant store, a large empty parking lot, and a hole in the retail ecosystem of the neighbourhood, which has one of the highest concentrations of older adults in the city.

RioCan’s vice president development Stuart Craig said there are no firm plans so far. He urged residents to tell the company what they want to see in terms of retail over the next five to 10 years. Feedback is to be integrated into a draft plan, which will come back to the community for more input.

“Just because that’s what we’re doing at Westgate, that may not apply here,” Craig told the crowd. “The good news is that we haven’t committed to anything yet.”

One thing is certain: don’t expect another large retailer like Walmart, which had occupied 120,000 square. RioCan believes that retail is alive and well, but with the shift to Internet shopping, he said, tenants aren’t looking for that kind of space anymore.

In an interview before the meeting, Craig said RioCan wants the redevelopment to have a retail core but the company might change the mall’s configuration. There is also room for residential development.

“The LRT will be the catalyst,” said Craig. “It may look like Westgate. But it may be a long way away.”

Some residents said they were worried about stores and services leaving the neighbourhood to make room for residential development, and about what would happen in the interim while the property is being redeveloped.

“We have enough condos around here,” said Lisa Lamoureux, who has shopped at the mall for 15 years. “We need services. People come here to socialize. If it’s not here, where will the elderly go?”

Irina Kudryashova, who doesn’t drive, said the Metro food store at the mall is the only supermarket within walking distance. “I don’t want it to disappear. We’ll be left with no place to go for food, for a pharmacy.”

Store owners are also wondering about where they fit in the future of the mall.

Sam Olszynko, owner of Jewellery Encounter, said there are five vacant stores in the mall besides Walmart and he has seen little interest from potential new tenants. He has been at Lincoln Fields for 19 years and will tough it out to the end of his three-year lease. But traffic has slowed since Walmart left, and a lot of merchants are struggling. He feels he’s stuck in limbo while decisions are made about redeveloping the mall.

“Customers tell me they don’t want apartment buildings here. They want shopping.”

Bay ward Coun. Mark Taylor, who was at the meeting, acknowledged that residents were worried when Walmart left. “RioCan has said it has no firm plans. But they want the public to help guide the process. They want to make sure what’s needed is here.”

jlaucius@postmedia.com

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...lincoln-fields
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Old Posted Apr 5, 2017, 4:37 PM
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Some residents said they were worried about stores and services leaving the neighbourhood to make room for residential development, and about what would happen in the interim while the property is being redeveloped.
Amazing: try and put commercial into other parts of town, and residents freak out; here, the worry is that commercial will leave.
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Old Posted Oct 18, 2017, 7:06 AM
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It's funny. Some folks are thinking that it's an either/or type situation with retail versus residential, but it's more of a both/neither. They no longer have a tenant big enough to draw people from outside the neighbourhood so they need to increase the nearby population or their stores will starve from lack of customers.

Adding 4,000 residential units (8,000-10,000 people?) would go a long way toward ensuring the area has a thriving retail scene.

I'd love to see them to a small street grid of 3-4 storey buildings with glass spanning between the roofs. Retail on the ground floor or two, and office space/services on upper floors. Put that shopping area in on the eastern edge of the property and connect it with an enclosed walk-way to the LRT station. And surround the shopping district with tall residential towers with indoor connections to the mall. Configure the towers with enough spacing to allow natural light to reach the shopping mall. Maybe ensure the northern towers have a light-coloured exterior on their southern facing to provide some reflection.

If you have a little tic-tac-toe board of retail blocks each of about 40,000-50,000 sq.ft. then the Metro (or equivalent) could take up a whole "block". Rexall and Moores will each anchor another block. Leave the central block open for food court seating, programmable space/pop-up stores, and a few larger kiosks.

I bet third and fourth floor offices above those shops would be attractive to startup companies looking to draw from Kanata and downtown talent. Who wouldn't want to work in an office with an interesting setting at an LRT junction, with road access to the Parkway, Carling and Richmond, and great bike trail access east, west, and south.
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Old Posted Oct 18, 2017, 1:11 PM
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Doesn't 4000 units refer to Riocan's broader efforts rather than specifically for Lincoln fields? I couldn't seem them putting 4000 units at Lincoln Fields.
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Old Posted Oct 18, 2017, 3:03 PM
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RioCan should partner with Sidewalk Labs.
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Old Posted Oct 18, 2017, 3:40 PM
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Doesn't 4000 units refer to Riocan's broader efforts rather than specifically for Lincoln fields? I couldn't seem them putting 4000 units at Lincoln Fields.
If you build tall enough and with bachelor pads... think Toyko. lol
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Old Posted Oct 18, 2017, 4:17 PM
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Doesn't 4000 units refer to Riocan's broader efforts rather than specifically for Lincoln fields? I couldn't seem them putting 4000 units at Lincoln Fields.
Agreed. I do agree with RTWAP that mixed residential/comercial would be a good fit for Lincoln Fields, but I think they will need to reduce the amount of retail space.

It will be a tough slog for Lincoln Fields though. With Walmart gone and Sears closing up shop down the road in Carlingwood there will be a lot of empty retail space to fill in the region.

The LRT certainly creates an opportunity for Lincoln Fields, especially if they reconfigure their land use. Connectivity to the transitway was always discouraged as their parking lot is much closer to the station than the mall entrance, so they didn't want people to use their parking as a park and ride without ever stepping foot in the mall. Putting a building with retail in the south-east corner with a bridge to the station, would make for convenient retail access and help discourage P&R use.
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Old Posted Oct 18, 2017, 6:21 PM
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Agreed. I do agree with RTWAP that mixed residential/comercial would be a good fit for Lincoln Fields, but I think they will need to reduce the amount of retail space.

It will be a tough slog for Lincoln Fields though. With Walmart gone and Sears closing up shop down the road in Carlingwood there will be a lot of empty retail space to fill in the region.

The LRT certainly creates an opportunity for Lincoln Fields, especially if they reconfigure their land use. Connectivity to the transitway was always discouraged as their parking lot is much closer to the station than the mall entrance, so they didn't want people to use their parking as a park and ride without ever stepping foot in the mall. Putting a building with retail in the south-east corner with a bridge to the station, would make for convenient retail access and help discourage P&R use.
...or they could partner with the City to include a park n ride at this location.
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