World Exchange Plaza - Page 7

kwoldtimer · #**121** Posted **Jan 11, 2014, 5:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by acottawa

I think I read recently that parking is part of the development agreement with the city (i.e. it as to be free if downtown parking is free on weekends).

Every time I've been there the garage is full to the 3rd or 4th level, many people going to the market, Rideau centre or elgin park there.

Indeed. And many of them would, in good Canadian fashion, go to the ends of the earth looking for someplace else to park if it weren't free.

c_speed3108 · #**122** Posted **Jan 11, 2014, 6:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by acottawa

I think I read recently that parking is part of the development agreement with the city (i.e. it as to be free if downtown parking is free on weekends).

Every time I've been there the garage is full to the 3rd or 4th level, many people going to the market, Rideau centre or elgin park there.

My understanding is that free weekend parking is in exchange for the use of the lanes on Metcalfe and O'Conner.

S-Man · #**123** Posted **Jan 11, 2014, 8:52 PM**

Projecting personal lifestyle choices onto others is the new Ottawa pastime.

That, and expressing offence on behalf of others in a group they don't belong to.

It's called tolerance, dammit, and we'll tolerate the shit out of you if you don't step in line!

DEWLine · #**124** Posted **Jan 11, 2014, 11:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by defishel

What wasn't the fault of Nicholas Hoare closing because the NCC raised their rent by 73% or something?

Close enough, and that was for the first year of the lease renewal as proposed by the NCC if memory serves...?

DEWLine · #**125** Posted **Jan 11, 2014, 11:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-Man

If anything, not enough condos were built in a timely manner to allow the theatre to continue operations.

I'm sure WEP would have drawn some of the hundreds of residents of the Tribeca complex who will be moving in over the next year, as well as Soho Lisgar. Had those projects (and others) gone up 5 years ago, who knows if things would have been different, but it couldn't have made the situation worse!

Agreed on this point in particular.

Further point: I live in Orléans, but have enough other reasons to regularly visit the downtown neighbourhoods as it is that the occasional movie viewing at WEP was a pleasant prospect. Fair Game (the docudrama about Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson), at least one of the Raimi-directed Spider-Man installments, Iron Man 3...and I'd hoped to see The Rocket and Young Triffie (the Mary Walsh murder-comedy film) as well, but for the issue of Can-con movies being habitually pulled in favour of US product too early.

The transitway running past WEP was useful to those goals. The Confederation Line isn't expected to change that if they find a new operator for that cinema.

loga0082 · #**126** Posted **Jan 15, 2014, 2:35 AM**

Silvia Logan
loga0082
January 14, 2014

I do have a membership card at the Bytowne. I wanted to see Mandela at the Bytowne in the early afternoon on New Year's Day, but it was freezing cold and I did not feel like waiting in the lineup. I do not want to go at 6 or 9 something in the evening. As the weather improves in the spring, I will go more often there. I want to see the Invisible Woman at the Bytowne next month. If the Rainbow repeats Mandela or Lewis, I will go there to see it because Rainbow is so cheap. If Mandela or Lewis come early afternoon in the spring at the Bytowne, then I will go see it. I might want to see Frozen at the Rainbow, since it is coming soon.

J.OT13 · #**127** Posted **May 24, 2026, 4:47 PM**

Just gonna put this here even though it's not related to the old cinema. Walked through the newly renovated WEP last week. It's just so sterile and boring. The WEP before renos was a big, open bright space with cool whale sculptures. It's just soulless now. The plaza is also pretty dead. Fairly nice, but no better than it was, and now we have the big wooden structure that, again, while nice, seems unused.

TransitZilla · #**128** Posted **May 24, 2026, 9:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Just gonna put this here even though it's not related to the old cinema. Walked through the newly renovated WEP last week. It's just so sterile and boring. The WEP before renos was a big, open bright space with cool whale sculptures. It's just soulless now. The plaza is also pretty dead. Fairly nice, but no better than it was, and now we have the big wooden structure that, again, while nice, seems unused.

The plaza redevelopment was supposed to include a video screen but I guess it was dropped... too bad.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9265097&postcount=48

FutureWickedCity · #**129** Posted **May 25, 2026, 12:54 PM**

I agree 100% It is so dull now. The only improvement is thew new entrance/lobby on Queen. The food court is also dwindling; it seems to have far fewer tenants than before the renovation. Likewise at "One 60" [old Bell Building], the post-renovation look is meh and the food court is also dying. Green Rebel just moved out last month. Really makes you wonder what the point of spending all that money was.

J.OT13 · #**130** Posted **May 25, 2026, 2:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FutureWickedCity

I agree 100% It is so dull now. The only improvement is thew new entrance/lobby on Queen. The food court is also dwindling; it seems to have far fewer tenants than before the renovation. Likewise at "One 60" [old Bell Building], the post-renovation look is meh and the food court is also dying. Green Rebel just moved out last month. Really makes you wonder what the point of spending all that money was.

Same with Place de Ville. PdV I lobby lost its pink marble for bland white panels. The concourse level too, it was tacky 80s, but somehow the modern new look makes it worse.

Building owners in this city don't seem to understand that well maintained (as WEP and PdV were, can't remember Place Bell) retro looks actually makes their buildings better over generic modern looks.

J.OT13 · #**131** Posted **May 25, 2026, 2:08 PM**

Updated this thread from World Exchange Cinema to World Exchange Plaza to get more life out of it, and moved it Downtown.

J.OT13 · #**132** Posted **May 25, 2026, 2:10 PM**

Some images of the renovated outdoor plaza from summer 2024.

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanforest

Here, I’ve got some photos I meant to share earlier this month. Taken July 1.

Uhuniau · #**133** Posted **May 25, 2026, 3:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FutureWickedCity

I agree 100% It is so dull now. The only improvement is thew new entrance/lobby on Queen. The food court is also dwindling; it seems to have far fewer tenants than before the renovation. Likewise at "One 60" [old Bell Building], the post-renovation look is meh and the food court is also dying. Green Rebel just moved out last month. Really makes you wonder what the point of spending all that money was.

Right?!?! Two massive self-owns.

Bring back the whales!

Uhuniau · #**134** Posted **May 25, 2026, 3:49 PM**

The Downtown Business Association and the Nightmare have low-hanging fruit in the former of that woefully underused plaza.

I still say the design sucks, and it should have more consciously been made into an ampitheatre-style space. But it's still got huge, unrealized potential for animation and use.

Same with the Bank of Canada plaza.