1649 Montreal Rd & 741 Blair Rd | 84m | 25f | U/C

[waterloowarrior]

A site plan application has been submitted, and this has also been appealed to OLT
https://v2.ottwatch.ca/devapp/D07-12-22-0132
https://jus-olt-prod.powerappsportals.co...?id=25d80b5e-5df2-ec11-bb3c-002248ae4c8f

[rocketphish]

Updated (September 2022)

The updated proposal consists of a 26-storey (88 metres), mixed-use building. In total, the project will contain 217 residential units (including a mix of one and two-bedroom units) and 526 square metres of commercial space at-grade. The proposal provides 376 bicycle parking spaces within the parking garage and at-grade. A 200 square metre privately owned public space (POPS) is proposed in the north-west corner of the property abutting Blair Road and the north property line. A total of 317 underground & enclosed at-grade parking spaces are proposed.

Changes:

• Updated building footprint, lay-by area, and interface with the public realm,
• Revised podium articulation and amenity space fronting Montreal Road,
• Reduced commercial/retail space at-grade (773m2 to 526m2),
• Reduced tower floorplate (827m2 to 793m2) & refined design,
• Reduced residential unit count (243 to 217),
• Increased bicycle parking spaces (240 to 376),
• Refined landscaping plan.

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D07-12-22-0132/details


Siteplan:






Renderings:

[Harley613]

[J.OT13]

Still terrible. Maybe even worse. The original proposal had a kind of a lantern on top.

And man, why so much parking? City should have a bus route that goes down Blair to the O-Train. The 12 should be every 5 minutes and every third bus should go down Blair, an "express" if you will.

[Harley613]

Imagine coming to Ottawa for the first time in ten years and touring around. 'Hey, I could have sworn I just saw that building....' Every five minutes for the rest of the day 'Ok, I'm definitely going around in circles here....'

[waterloowarrior]

5 day OLT hearing April 2023
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onlt/doc/2022/2022canlii95938/2022canlii95938.html

[Corey1981]

Apologies if this was already posted, don't recall seeing it.

Applicant’s Proposal
A Site Plan Control application seeking permission to develop a 26-storey mixed-use building on a four-storey podium. A total of 217 dwelling units are proposed together with 526 square metres of commercial/retail space on the ground floor along Montreal Road.

Proposal Details
The subject site is composed of two parcels of land, 1649 Montreal Road and 741 Blair Road. The site is at the northeast corner of Montreal Road and Blair Road in eastern Ottawa. The subject site has a combined lot area of 4,903 square metres with 40 metres of frontage along Montreal Road and 74 metres of frontage along Blair Road. Surrounding land uses include a mix of low density residential to the north and assorted commercial uses to the east and south, whereas there are federal uses to the west and southwest. The proposed new development consists of a 26-storey (88 metres), mixed-use building. In total, the project will contain 217 residential units (including a mix of one and two-bedroom units) and 526 square metres of commercial space at-grade. A total of 317 underground and enclosed at-grade parking spaces are proposed. The proposal provides 376 bicycle parking spaces within the parking garage and at-grade. A total of 200 square metres of privately owned public space (POPS) is proposed on-site in the northwest corner of the property abutting Blair Road and the north property line.

Development application:
https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D07-12-22-0132/details

Renderings:


Bertone http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%...20Views%20Plans%20-%20D07-12-22-0132.PDF

[waterloowarrior]

OLT decision
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onlt/doc/2023/2023canlii64021/2023canlii64021.html

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

OLT decision
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onlt/doc/2023/2023canlii64021/2023canlii64021.html

I heard about this decision from a Senior City Planner last week and it appears as though Angular Planes and Design Guidelines are items that City Planning want to rely on but they don't have the implementation tools to enforce them but hope that applicants will adhere to the 'guidelines'

[originalmuffins]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

OLT decision
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onlt/doc/2023/2023canlii64021/2023canlii64021.html

Tribunal slapping the ZBA is a great sight to see. All that talk about density and 15 minute neighborhoods, yet they offer the path of most resistance when someone wants to provide that. I know this one is a grey slab, but the silver lining is the better designed ones being held up won't be stuck by our ZBA and the likes of Leiper anymore. Thanks OLT.

So I hope all the projects they're slowing down continue to go to tribunal and go through. We are legitimately so behind on housing, that even if everything proposed is approved and built now, we still wouldn't have made half of what we need because every year the number keeps piling up as Canada keeps growing.

[J.OT13]

Now it's approved. Let's see if it actually gets built.

Hope this project will push the City to complete Montreal Road and Blair transit priority projects.

[rocketphish]

Updated again (September 2023)

[J.OT13]

RLA making slight revisions to all of his copy-paste projects, I see.

Ultimately, I don't care too much what this one looks like. Just hope the City gets a move on to complete Montreal and Blair transit and cycling improvements. Blair Station is a straight shot, but transit makes quite the detour, and cycling/walking is quite uncomfortable.

[movebyleap]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Updated again (September 2023)

Oh GOOD LORD! Noooooooo! Yet another clone of the exact same building which is popping up all over town! What is going on?!?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Oh GOOD LORD! Noooooooo! Yet another clone of the exact same building which is popping up all over town! What is going on?!?

Rentals is what's going on. Property owners want basic buildings that are cheaper to construct (hence devoid of character by minimizing articulation, curvature, other non-functional elements, and building it from common readily-available materials), cheaper to heat and cool (hence smaller windows), and low maintenance materials and design (it's easier to wash the windows on a slab wall). And when that's your goal as a building owner, you go to the king of soulless buildings for your design... RLA.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Rentals is what's going on. Property owners want basic buildings that are cheaper to construct (hence devoid of character by minimizing articulation, curvature, other non-functional elements, and building it from common readily-available materials), cheaper to heat and cool (hence smaller windows), and low maintenance materials and design (it's easier to wash the windows on a slab wall). And when that's your goal as a building owner, you go to the king of soulless buildings for your design... RLA.

But why just Ottawa? Every other major city is nearly exclusively building rentals today that aren't soulless modern commie-blocks.

Curious to see how the rents compare between RLA/Ottawa specials and those with more thought and investment put into them (SoHo Italia, M+M, Dream, The Met, for example).

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Rentals is what's going on. Property owners want basic buildings that are cheaper to construct (hence devoid of character by minimizing articulation, curvature, other non-functional elements, and building it from common readily-available materials), cheaper to heat and cool (hence smaller windows), and low maintenance materials and design (it's easier to wash the windows on a slab wall). And when that's your goal as a building owner, you go to the king of soulless buildings for your design... RLA.

Inexcusable for the amount they are charging in an era with no rent control. Doug Ford gives his developer pals an unlimited free money printing machine and they are double dipping: charging exorbitant rents while building as cheaply as possible.

[J.OT13]

Has this been approved? demo is ongoing.

Throwing this out there, Tierney made a passionate speech during the first Planning meeting about the towers on Carling that will throw shade at the Farm. "We're in a housing crisis, and this must be approved". Funny how he didn't care about the housing crisis when he corralled his colleagues to vote against this one.

Called him out in an email. Never responded.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Oh GOOD LORD! Noooooooo! Yet another clone of the exact same building which is popping up all over town! What is going on?!?

What is going on is the same thing that has always gone on.

Housing designs have always been copied and pasted.

I don't see the problem with "exact same building" situations. We already have hundreds of "exact same buildings".

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

What is going on is the same thing that has always gone on.

Housing designs have always been copied and pasted.

I don't see the problem with "exact same building" situations. We already have hundreds of "exact same buildings".

You would really love dystopian former Soviet Bloc countries and Chinese suburbs.

I drove by this site today, it looks like soil remediation, not excavation.