The Our Lady of the Condos project by Ashcroft on Richmond Road was controversial when revealled in the spring of this year. There has been very little coverage of the results of the review panel, which tinker with the site but don’t reduce the density. Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos revisited
The city has set up a stakeholders group to contribute to its process of finding how the LRT will get from Bayview (or Tunney’s) to Lincoln Fields. Options include the Ottawa River NCC lands, the Otrain-Carling route, the Churchill-Carling route, and the transitway-Byron route. All options have very different features for transit users and the adjacent communities. Continue reading Western Leg, LRT (from Bayview to Lincoln Fields via ???)
No, this is not a story from The Friendly Giant. Charlesfort is an Ottawa builder of deluxe condos. His exteriors have character, drawn from past architectural styles. He built The Gardens at Bronson/Albert and one at Bronson near Carling in the MacIntosh style (not Apple, nor Steve Jobs, but in the style of a Scottish architect). Their latest projects are in the art deco style. Shown above is the roof line of the Hudson in downtown Ottawa on Kent Street. The style attracts the eye upwards, only to be distracted by a large silver chiller unit mounted on the roof. … Continue reading Look up, way way up…
No, this is not a story from The Friendly Giant. Charlesfort is an Ottawa builder of deluxe condos. His exteriors have character, drawn from past architectural styles. He built The Gardens at Bronson/Albert and one at Bronson near Carling in the MacIntosh style (not Apple, nor Steve Jobs, but in the style of a Scottish architect). Their latest projects are in the art deco style. Shown above is the roof line of the Hudson in downtown Ottawa on Kent Street. The style attracts the eye upwards, only to be distracted by a large silver chiller unit mounted on the roof. … Continue reading Look up, way way up…
The pictures above show the Claridge proposal for three residential (condo) towers in downtown Ottawa. As noted in a post a few days ago, they are to be built on the lot between the Crowne Plaza Hotel and 151 Bay condos. The current parking lot location abuts Barabarella’s dancing establishment, which will remain after this project is built. The two 28 storey and one 22 storey towers will have approx 481 apartments. They are located directly above the proposed west downtown LRT station which is under Albert Street. Perhaps those delighted looking ladies in the photomontage just exited the LRT … Continue reading 383 Albert, transit oriented parking requirements
The pictures above show the Claridge proposal for three residential (condo) towers in downtown Ottawa. As noted in a post a few days ago, they are to be built on the lot between the Crowne Plaza Hotel and 151 Bay condos. The current parking lot location abuts Barabarella’s dancing establishment, which will remain after this project is built. The two 28 storey and one 22 storey towers will have approx 481 apartments. They are located directly above the proposed west downtown LRT station which is under Albert Street. Perhaps those delighted looking ladies in the photomontage just exited the LRT … Continue reading 383 Albert, transit oriented parking requirements
The Ashcroft proposal for redeveloping the Sr of the Visitation site on Richmond Road got a rough hearing the first time out. I am not a great fan of public meetings where dialogue and idea sharing is replaced by sound bites, but hey, it takes all types. And it does serve for some people to vent. The proposal had many reasonable elements, such as keeping the wall along the sides and back, additional setbacks for the 4-5 storey structures in the back half. It had some I didn’t like too much: the height and size of the middle building (a … Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos, archly
The Ashcroft proposal for redeveloping the Sr of the Visitation site on Richmond Road got a rough hearing the first time out. I am not a great fan of public meetings where dialogue and idea sharing is replaced by sound bites, but hey, it takes all types. And it does serve for some people to vent. The proposal had many reasonable elements, such as keeping the wall along the sides and back, additional setbacks for the 4-5 storey structures in the back half. It had some I didn’t like too much: the height and size of the middle building (a … Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos, archly
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) owns a number of apartment buildings and other units in the centretown and centretown-west areas. They acquired this small apartment building on Primrose at Arthur Street during the winter. It contains small bachelor units. CCOC intends to upgrade the building with federal grants, including new windows, new insulated roof, and other energy upgrades. As neighborhoods in the west side undergo gentrification, many rental units are lost. Mostly these are inside homes, which were converted or subdivided into smaller units. These converted units deliver affordable units, but also accelerate the wear and tear on elderly wood frame housing, … Continue reading CCOC expands
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) owns a number of apartment buildings and other units in the centretown and centretown-west areas. They acquired this small apartment building on Primrose at Arthur Street during the winter. It contains small bachelor units. CCOC intends to upgrade the building with federal grants, including new windows, new insulated roof, and other energy upgrades. As neighborhoods in the west side undergo gentrification, many rental units are lost. Mostly these are inside homes, which were converted or subdivided into smaller units. These converted units deliver affordable units, but also accelerate the wear and tear on elderly wood frame housing, … Continue reading CCOC expands
Ashcroft is proposing a wide two or three storey arch on the north side of its convent development in Westboro. They are proposing an “arched” arch, rather than the very square ones at 200 Lett St (Claridge’s project on LeBreton Flats). The photos above show their north arch. Notice that the road surface and pedestrian walking surface are undifferentiated with so much as a curb or coloured paver. At the midpoint of each Claridge arch is the entrance to the parking garage, so this passageway is sometimes busy with cars. The length of the passageway through the building seems short enough … Continue reading Archways
Ashcroft is proposing a wide two or three storey arch on the north side of its convent development in Westboro. They are proposing an “arched” arch, rather than the very square ones at 200 Lett St (Claridge’s project on LeBreton Flats). The photos above show their north arch. Notice that the road surface and pedestrian walking surface are undifferentiated with so much as a curb or coloured paver. At the midpoint of each Claridge arch is the entrance to the parking garage, so this passageway is sometimes busy with cars. The length of the passageway through the building seems short enough … Continue reading Archways
Last night I had the pleasure to attend the public meeting held by Ashcroft to unveil their proposal for developing the Soeurs de la Visitation site on Richmond Road, just west of Island Park Drive. This is a five acre site, still occupied by the cloistered convent buildings even if the nuns are leaving. The meeting was well attended (about 300 people) in a very hot church basement. The Ashcroft slide show was a thorough review of the planning process leading up to the proposed plan. They then went through the plan in a lot of detail. It was good consultation, … Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos development
Last night I had the pleasure to attend the public meeting held by Ashcroft to unveil their proposal for developing the Soeurs de la Visitation site on Richmond Road, just west of Island Park Drive. This is a five acre site, still occupied by the cloistered convent buildings even if the nuns are leaving. The meeting was well attended (about 300 people) in a very hot church basement. The Ashcroft slide show was a thorough review of the planning process leading up to the proposed plan. They then went through the plan in a lot of detail. It was good consultation, … Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos development
[note: I’m back from some travels, and blog postings will resume on a near daily basis] The gods of planning wars have unleased their dogs in Little Italy, Chinatown, and West Wellington, key areas in the west side action beat. Lets examine several of the beasts in the pack: Note how the “common, recognizable” names of the former neighborhoods (Dalhousie, Hintonburg, Mechanicsville) are being replaced by the marketing names of the Business Improvement Associations. These groups — funded by city taxes levied on commercial properties on their behalf — plaster their monikers on lampposts and decorative arches. They ensure the benches, lampposts, … Continue reading Gentrification
Mastercraft-Starwood acquired the Aquerello site on Champagne Avenue at Hickory some months ago. This site is immediately north of the Arnon proposed office towers at 853 Carling, and immediately south of the current and soon to be redeveloped humane society site. The new condos will border the OTrain on the east side of their site. Their proposal is for high condo buildings positioned to view Dow’s Lake. Recall that Hickory Street is likely to be continued across the Otrain corridor cut as a pedestrian street, which will also improve access to the Otrain station there for all the new developments … Continue reading Hickory-Champagne Condo Site
Recall the previous post showing the very trendy mod front and rear exterior shots of the new infill project proposed for Elm Street west. What looks from the front and the rear like two houses on the double wide lot is very deceptive. There are actually four houses in total. There are two back to back units on each lot. Front garages are forbidden by the city in this area. The driveway comes down between the two front houses and there are four carports inbetween the front and rear houses. The houses cantelevor over the carports or have a carport … Continue reading Making Infill Work – details
About two years ago a developer bought the lot directly behind my house. The lot faces Elm Street. It is a double lot, about 56′ wide x 100′. The current tiny house on the lot is shown in the photo, directly behind my 28′ lot. I love the little house because it has no windows on the back. I have total backyard privacy. I immediately contacted the developer and insisted that he hear me out when it came time for him to redevelop the lot with infills. So earlier last summer he sat in my backyard and I waved my … Continue reading Making Infill Work
This boutique-scale condo is proposed for the corner of Scott and West Village Private. Yesterday’s post dealt with the conflicting planning documents, and how each party relies on the document (level) that best suits their arguments. I was surprised at the hearing how often the proponent was asked extremely detailed questions about the building. Would the side bedroom windows of the condo have a view across park and then obliquely across the street into the second and third floor windows of the houses on WVP? Did the proponent have a detailed traffic plan from a consultant showing the impact of … Continue reading 1946 Scott Street condo and house prices
For edutainment, I went to the Committee of Adjustment hearing on this condo a few weeks back. The six storey condo is proposed for the corner of Scott at West Village Private (WVP). Also at the intersection is Lanark Avenue. Directly across the street is the Metropole condo, the tallest in the city. The proponent wanted several variances. For example, reduced side yards and building the structure closer to the street. It turns out that the builder was being forced to ask for these by the City, because the zoning requires certain setbacks but the Community Design Plan (CDP) for … Continue reading 1946 Scott Street condo
This picture was posted earlier in fall 2009 of a house demolition on Willow, opposite St Anthony school. The lot is phonominally deep, but narrow. New house under construction. I was really surprised at how far set back on the lot it was. As shown, it is set well behind the line of the existing houses on the street, violating one of the key design characteristics in the city’s infill housing guidelines. I was also surprised to see a garage at the front, since other projects in the Preston area have been turned down if they have front garages. Continue reading Infill on Willow
Foundation forming boards still in racks as delivered into the hole by crane. Note the footings are in place around the perimeter, and part of the back concrete wall forms and re-bars have been put in place. west side The building will have a round corner facing the Balsam/Booth intersection. The square elevator base has been poured, with rebar in place to support the elevator shaft walls. Continue reading Laying the foundations for Z6 Condo on Booth St
Canus Plastics, on Lisgar, half block east of Bank Street, is slated to become another condo tower as residential infill and intensification continues in the downtown. The building is by Starwood Mastercraft, who are also building condos on Parkdale and 125 Champagne (the latter being the Acquerelo site) near Carling OTrain station. Click on the map to enlarge for readability, or go to their site http://www.sohovipclub.com/. Continue reading Lisgar street condo coming
The renovated house in the top picture is on Armstrong Ave in Hintonburg. I love tiny houses, there is something so doll-house-like, so intimate, so cute about them. Maybe it’s the little-child in me wanting to curl up in a cupboard. Hidden behind the renovator’s trailer to the right of the blue and white house there is a foundation in the ground for another thin house infill. I hope the vacant lot, now for sale, gets some more tiny infill houses rather than a McMansion. I would love to see more tiny houses built in the city. I feel there … Continue reading Small Houses
The issue of Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) out this past week has a major story on the development pressures along the Carling-Bayview OTrain corridor, parallel to Preston’s trendy Little Italy. They interviewed me (tiny bit, amongst more illustrious others) following my postings about developments at the Champagne/Hickory/Carling area. You can read their story at http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/295971895949675.php Last week I attended the Civic Hospital Neighborhood Assoc meeting. First item was the new development by Domicile at the corner of Hickory and Champagne Avenue (shown below). The site is now a one storey industrial building, and is zoned for 4 storey redevelopment. A month or so ago, … Continue reading Condo mania on OTrain corridor
