500 Preston, Claridge, condos, housing policy, infill, intensificatioin, LRT, O-Train, Uncategorized

What condo buyers see

There’s a big flurry of condos going in around the Preston – OTrain corridor. There are obvious attractions, such as shopping and dining on the traditional main streets (Preston and Somerset/West Wellington). And easy access to the numbers one and two employment centres (downtown, Tunney’s Pasture) and minor ones such as NRCan, Agriculture, or Gatineau. And being on one or both of the  two major passenger rail transit lines, and Carling Avenue/Queensway for motorists.

But what will the residents see? Alas, I am unable to hold my camera up 23 stories, let alone 42, but here are some pictures from the top of the Adobe building at +/- 333 Preston, about 12 floors up. The views are interesting.

These pic were taken by a reader (thanks David !) in 2008, so a number of things have changed. Enjoy looking for the evolution of the neighborhood.

view northwards, adult HS playing fields and Qway in the foreground

(above) Preston is still four lanes, no fancy streetscaping, and maybe after this drought no trees or shrubs either since neither merchants nor residents seem inclined to spend even 50 cents watering anything

a closer view north, including Gatineau offices
the view that some will consider the “money shot”: the bright lights of the downtown high rises; but don’t forget the Qway is in the foreground
the other “money shot”: Dow’s Lake and the forest of the arboretum.

(above) The NRCan office tower is on the left, it is the equivalent of about 25 condo stories high. While slimmer, the 42 storey Claridge tower at 500 Preston (corner of Carling) will dominate the skyline, albeit with a more exciting exterior. The Feds are talking of twinning the existing office tower, hopefully with a better exterior. Not visible in the immediate foreground is a one block vacant lot owned by Arnon, ripe for a mixed use development similar to the Preston Square project. They also own the huge parking lot at 853 Carling — look for all the cars in the pic below, just in front of the John Carling building.

view southwest, including the soon-to-be-demolished Sir John Carling building, which (once asbestos is removed) should be refitted as a condo. Note that all the green grass in the foreground of the SJC building is already zoned mixed use development (NOT parkland)

(above) the two Domicile towers on Champagne are not yet built, nor the HOM building, or the two Soho towers or the Ashcroft towers, or Soho Preston, or the Dow Motors site (which has no height limit) nor 853 Carling which is currently zoned for high rise development.

view west: the large lot on the left side of the qway is already new housing, and the adjacent blocks are experiencing a feeding frenzy of infills

If any reader works in the NRCan highrise, or knows someone who does, I’d love to get some pic taken from the top floors of that building.

One thought on “What condo buyers see”

  1. HI Eric,

    I’m in the towers at Carling/Champagne (875 Carling) if those pics would interest you?

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