General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[S-Man]

This is true. The barriers have been up for months.

[teej1984]

That building could totally be repurposed into a great small condo space... dunno what this landlord's problem is... he could probably even add a few more floors to make it better!

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by teej1984

That building could totally be repurposed into a great small condo space... dunno what this landlord's problem is... he could probably even add a few more floors to make it better!

There's a story behind this property and others like it. The landlord (Claude Lauzon Group in this case) just sits on the property for years hoping to sell them at a huge profit later down the road. They don't even bother renting them out to recover carrying costs either.

[S-Man]

I would hazard a guess that this building's days as an easy convert to condo living are long behind it.
Maybe in the 90s, but not after so many years spent open to the elements.

[J.OT13]

In the City's infinite wisdom, they've approved the demolition as long as 2 walls are saved and incorporated into a new development. They're looking at the same idea for the building that suffered a fire last September in Stittsville.

[citizen j]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

In the City's infinite wisdom, they've approved the demolition as long as 2 walls are saved and incorporated into a new development. They're looking at the same idea for the building that suffered a fire last September in Stittsville.

Did they specify which two walls?

[J.OT13]

Must have been south and west walls, but I can't say for sure. I heard that about 2 months ago.

[Marcus CLS]

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

There's a story behind this property and others like it. The landlord (Claude Lauzon Group in this case) just sits on the property for years hoping to sell them at a huge profit later down the road. They don't even bother renting them out to recover carrying costs either.

Not knowing the history behind this property, I remember seeing this property 5 or more years ago on a walking stroll and I thought being on the edge of the By-Ward market it could be renovated for a new night club with the architecture intact. Call me Crazy but I was thinking, Dan Akroyde's House of Blues franchise.

So much for my visionary thinking when you are just Joe Blow on the street. Now that it is beyond saving what a shame!

[Urbanarchit]

I was walking by taking pictures of stuff, and noticed this lot on Cambridge across from the Falunggong meeting place thing was up for sale (by John Phan for Remax). They would never put a high-rise here, would they?

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by defishel

I was walking by taking pictures of stuff, and noticed this lot on Cambridge across from the Falunggong meeting place thing was up for sale (by John Phan for Remax). They would never put a high-rise here, would they?

Depends how you define high rise. I can see a devellopper wanting to build a 10-12 storey building. There's already some nearby on Bronson, Arthur and Empress.

[OTSkyline]

Heard from some sources that "The National", the large hotel complex that just closed down in DT should be renovating and changing.

It will apparently become a Hilton or Starwood-brand Hotel.

[citydwlr]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Heard from some sources that "The National", the large hotel complex that just closed down in DT should be renovating and changing.

It will apparently become a Hilton or Starwood-brand Hotel.

That'd be good! We could use one of those chains in Ottawa (not including the Garden Inn or four-points). Even though I haven't heard anything regarding exterior changes, I hope there will be some in an effort to modernize the exterior a bit, so it has some "curb appeal".

[citydwlr]

Does anyone have any info on the closing of the Bank Street Roots store? I was just informed it is no longer in business. Has it left Bank Street for good? Is it moving to a larger space at Lansdowne? What's going in it's place?

[McC]

Originally Posted by citydwlr

That'd be good! We could use one of those chains in Ottawa...

There already are two hotels from the Starwood chain in Ottawa, a Westin and Sheraton. Not that that excludes another one from the chain, but it would be "another one", not "one".

(you defined out the Four Points and Hilton in Hull by saying "Ottawa", but I think that the should region still get partial credit for them)

[citydwlr]

Originally Posted by McC

There already are two hotels from the Starwood chain in Ottawa, a Westin and Sheraton. Not that that excludes another one from the chain, but it would be "another one", not "one".

(you defined out the Four Points and Hilton in Hull by saying "Ottawa", but I think that the should region still get partial credit for them)

Good call! That's very true. Actually, I completely forgot about the Sheraton on Albert :S Not sure how the Westin didn't come to mind either as being a Starwood hotel...Figured they wouldn't open another (or a W for that matter) in the Ottawa region, I guess; unless they open one of their "element" hotels. Aloft is another solid choice, I think. I've mentioned them in the "Architecture for Ottawa" thread before, and I generally like their current offerings.

I don't venture over to Hull as often as I should, though I do know of the Hilton Lac Leamy. I can't remember there being a Hilton (apart from a Garden Inn) located on the Ontario side of the Ottawa region in recent years. So, it would be nice to get one.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing what moves in.

[Urbanarchit]

I don't know what this is called and I don't think we even have a thread for these, but below is the progress on the homes on Booth, by Somerset. They went up quickly! I could see them being built from the Civic Hospital (they had green... wrapping? on them, so they stuck out like a sore thumb from a distance).


Booth Street infill by Shel DeF on Flickr


Booth Street infill by Shel DeF on Flickr

[Luker]

Pretty interesting....

PHOTOS: What Snow Tells Us About Creating Better Public Spaces

http://www.thisoldcity.com/advocacy/phot...ic-spaces-e-passyunk-avenue#.UvLtSrTPW9S

[rocketphish]

Aga Khan Foundation applies to rent out part of former war museum as office space

By Michael Woods, OTTAWA CITIZEN February 10, 2014 6:02 PM

OTTAWA — The Aga Khan Foundation has officially applied for permission to rent out office space in the former Canadian War Museum on Sussex Drive, where it’s planning to house its Global Centre for Pluralism.

The building at 330 Sussex Drive has been vacant since the war museum moved its exhibits to LeBreton Flats in 2005. The plan is for the Aga Khan Foundation — whose national headquarters are down the street — to open a not-for-profit international research and education centre in the building.

The centre is expected to expand over time, but “will not need the full space of the building in the short and medium terms,” said the application prepared by Lloyd Phillips & Associates, a planning consulting firm.

The application to the city asks that the property be rezoned to permit office space as an additional use for the building. The former museum is currently zoned for cultural uses, but not for commercial office space.

The request is to have “additional and compatible tenants” rather than have part of the building sit empty.

The address, 330 Sussex Dr., is designated as a federal heritage building and is located along what the National Capital Commission calls “Confederation Boulevard,” a set of streets with ceremonial importance because of all the national institutions they connect.

Coun. Mathieu Fleury said the proposal contains everything that was presented to him when a lobbyist for the foundation met with him in October. He said the plans got a pretty good reception when presented to the Lowertown Community Association.

Fleury said while there’s no certainty about who the tenant would be, the foundation has “reassured us that they’re looking for a partner that complements what they do.”

“They won’t rent to just anybody,” he said. “They want to bring in a partner that fulfils their mandate and their goals.”

The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims. He is a frequent visitor to Canada, having come in 2008 and 2010, when he was granted honorary Canadian citizenship. Last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office announced that he will visit Canada again later this month.

[email protected]

twitter.com/michaelrwoods
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa...r+museum+office+space/9491371/story.html

[mac_junkie1]

I'm starting to wonder WHO or WHAT inspects these buildings.... For the past 2 years, this city, in their infinite stupidity has made a HUGE fuss about this building, deeming it unsafe and said IT WILL COLLAPSE.... WELL, here we are 2 years later, and not so much as 1 brick has fallen off the place. I'm starting to wonder. Claude Lauzon is a troll who needs to be HEAVILY fined for what he does, and Ottawa should take shame on how its treated this issue. They've known this troll has owned the place since what, 1974, and it has just been "abandoned" since then... Shame on you City of Ottawa, and out absolutely useless council and to an extent mayor. He makes this big fuss about doing something about derelict buildings, yet this one is still as its sits for the past 40 years. AMAZING. Only in Ottawa. Ya, its up the street from a mission, but still, REVAMP IT. If they were SOOOO worried about this building collapsing for all this time, the city or whoever would've had the 2 "walls" braced up (like the condo far far far down on Sparks that saved a house front), and the rest of the building and the attached town homes (school attached to houses, dumb) would've been demo'ed... The city makes big deals for nothing. Poor ol building. Just like the old Theater on Sparks that is "also unsafe".... Please.... Its sat vacant for years and nothing has changed on it. If efforts from people mattered, shit would get done in this city, but were a city with NO PRIDE in its past (look at the state of west block), a city who's at the mercy of the useless NCC who have NO BUSINESS in buildings... They are also trolls who, at the end of the day ONLY care about MONEY!! It sure shows they don't have any, as they're moving away from the core because they can't afford their own building.... GO AWAY NCC... Turn over ALL BUILDINGS of heritage nature to Ottawa (CITY) and have our council go away and replaced with intelligent people and not money hogs. This doesn't apply to Mathieu Fleury though. For someone his age, he has A LOT on his plate and seems to be orchestrating things in a pretty decent fashion while attempting to keep peace as well. Oh well... Its a shame we loose so much and only get "something" in return most of the time. We need more "compromising", but its not likely to happen.

Originally Posted by Harley613

Barrier's have gone up around the Murray/Cumberland montrosity! I can't remember what the plan is here, do we know?

[J.OT13]

It's amazing how straight and solid that building looks. If I had to pick a building that might be "unsafe", this one's my number one candidate. Still occupied no less;



http://www.flickr.com/photos/drummondwilson/9338099001/

Haven't heard a thing about this one, but it sure seems like a historic building going to shit!