Montreal Road Revitalization Project [N. River Rd to St. Laurent Blvd]

[Truenorth00]

One thing that bugs me about the Montreal Rd renewal is the fact they didn't bury power lines.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

One thing that bugs me about the Montreal Rd renewal is the fact they didn't bury power lines.

Agreed. Ottawa is so inconsistent on this. Every second project, they don't bury the lines. I guess, it's because it is only Vanier.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

One thing that bugs me about the Montreal Rd renewal is the fact they didn't bury power lines.

I think they will be: https://mathieufleury.ca/hydro-pole-...-montreal-road.

After many meetings and broad community support, the hydro infrastructure will now be buried between North River Road and De L’Eglise.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I think they will be: https://mathieufleury.ca/hydro-pole-...-montreal-road.

They should have done it right till St-Laurent. That block along the cemetery is annoying. But this is actually good news.

[Lakeofthewood]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I think they will be: https://mathieufleury.ca/hydro-pole-...-montreal-road.

Between this and the agreement to bury the lines on Hawthorne Ave, hopefully this is the start of a new consistency in always burying hydro lines on urban street reconstructions

[roger1818]

Not really transportation related, but it is related to the renewal of Montreal Rd. (moderator, feel free to move this post if it would be better somewhere else). Glen Gower's website has an explanation of the Porsche dealership.

NOTEBOOK: ABOUT THAT PORSCHE DEALERSHIP
by Team Stittsville | May 27, 2021 | Notebook

---

Yesterday, City Council approved a Montreal Road Community Improvement Plan application to support a $17-million investment in an auto dealership in Vanier. Increased property taxes for the redeveloped site are anticipated to deliver more than $970,000 in additional net tax revenue to the City in the first 10 years, and more than $5 million in the subsequent decade, for a total of approximately $6 million. Council committed those revenues to fund affordable or social housing initiatives across the city.

This was a complex file and based on some of the emails I’ve received, not all of the information is being shared accurately. In particular, why the CIP was set up in the first place, and the mechanics of how the grant works.

Some background:

• Two years ago, City Council approved a “Community Improvement Plan” (CIP) to encourage redevelopment and renewal on Montreal Road in Vanier. All Councillors voted in favour of this plan.
• This is a common economic incentive program that many cities and towns in Ontario use – in fact we are looking at the pros/cons of implementing such a program to encourage development on Stittsville Main Street.
• Ottawa has several CIP areas including Montreal Road, Orleans, and Bells Corners.
• On Montreal Road, businesses that redevelop a property are eligible for a tax grant, representing 75% of the difference between their property tax after development, compared to before development. Any business that invests a minimum of $50,000 in their property is eligible to participate in the program.
• In this case, Mark Motors is investing $17-million for a Porsche dealership on an under-used property on the street that currently has a large parking lot and car sales building.
• Once the property is redeveloped, the property tax will jump from about $25,000 per year to approx. $355,000 yearly. Over the 10-year lifespan of the CIP project, the City will receive approximately $3.9-million in taxes, and the project can receive $2.9-million back – so the City is still up $1 million over those 10 years. (After 10 years, no more grant applies.)
• This is not a cash advance. The applicant must develop the property, realize the increased assessed value and pay their taxes. Only then do they receive the grant, on a yearly basis. If they go out of business in the next 10 years, the grant stops. If their property value does not rise as much as anticipated, their grant gets reduced.
• Mark Motors is the first company to apply for the grant, and there are about half a dozen additional businesses that are expected to take advantage of the grant in the next few years.
• Council has directed that the tax proceeds be directed to affordable housing initiatives.

As I mentioned, a CIP is something I’m interested in exploring to encourage development in Stittsville Main Street. (Note: The zoning on Stittsville Main does not allow for a car dealership; but it does on Montreal Road.)
Nearby in Bells Corners, a similar CIP has attracted both a Hyatt hotel, and a smaller strip mall development that’s home to a bike shop and a Suzie Q donut shop. This mix of types of businesses and investment can be very good for economic activity in the community.

The intent of the CIP was to stimulate business investment, urban renewal and property upgrades in this part of Vanier – and the proposal from Mark Motors does exactly what the plan intended.

Both the Vanier Business Improvement Area (BIA) as well as Councillor Rawlson King are in full support of the project as important to renew and revitalize Montreal Road. They see it as an investment that creates jobs, brings more visitors to the street, and contributes to city-wide tax revenue.

This proposal has drawn a lot of attention, especially due to the nature of the business involved. It fits the criteria of the CIP, and I voted in favour based on the net financial gain for the City, economic gain for the community, and the resulting investment in affordable housing.

https://www.glengower.ca/notebook/no...he-dealership/

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Lakeofthewood

Between this and the agreement to bury the lines on Hawthorne Ave, hopefully this is the start of a new consistency in always burying hydro lines on urban street reconstructions

This. I absolutely hate that so many lines are up everywhere. Can't be good for grid reliability. And absolutely ruins streetscapes. Functionally and aesthetically.

[J.OT13]

• Video Link

[rocketphish]

By the way, here's the project website:

https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/publi...revitalization

[rocketphish]

Montreal Road construction taking toll on businesses
Major revitalization project won't be finished until next summer

Natalia Goodwin · CBC News
Posted: Oct 13, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 4 hours ago



Some businesses in Vanier that have already been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic say another challenge is taking a bite out of their bottom line — disruptive construction on Montreal Road.

The nearly $70-million revitalization project started about five years ago, but the heavy construction began in the summer of 2020, part of a citywide plan to upgrade aging sewer and water infrastructure under Ottawa's main streets.

"It's been affecting us a lot, especially ever since they started doing our side of the road. The traffic is very low," said Michelle Dahdah, co-owner of Quelque Chose Pâtisserie at the corner of Lajoie Street.

"The Uber Eats drivers, they always complain because they have to go around and it takes a lot of time for them to get to the store," Dahdah said. "And the customers, they complain about how hard and how difficult it [is] to get to [the] store."

Dahdah said she's had to subsidize her Vanier location with revenue from her other two stores.

The construction project involves 2.1 kilometres of Montreal Road between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.

Eastbound lanes between St. Laurent and Marier Avenue have been closed since April and will remain shut until the end of the year, according to the city's website. The revitalization project is expected to be completed by next Canada Day.

"It's been disruptive during the whole period. It's too bad it couldn't have been done a year quicker," said Drew Dobson, owner of Finnigan's Pub at the corner of Granville Street.

"It's hurt the businesses on Montreal Road. It's really limited the walk-in traffic and it's limited parking. A lot of businesses, they depend on street parking, and there just is none right now," Dobson said.

Dobson said it's difficult to say how much revenue his business has lost due to the construction versus the pandemic, but he suspects it's been a bit of both.

"We have a big patio, but with the construction there's a lot of dust and noise out of Montreal Road, so it's not always the ideal dining situation," he said

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury is urging businesses to continue being patient, saying the revitalization project will be worth the wait.

"We're burying the hydro wires and we're doing a full streetscaping where we're bringing a standard sidewalk look and feel, where we're bringing in new lighting, benches, trees [and] a cycling track in both directions east of the Vanier Parkway to St. Laurent," he said.

"There's public art, so there's a number of elements."

Fleury advises concerned merchants to contact the Vanier BIA, with whom he said his office has been working closely to help local business owners get through the construction.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ness-1.6205353

[J.OT13]

• Video Link

[SL123]

4 proposals for the artwork at the Vanier's Gateway at the corner of Montreal Rd and North River Rd

[J.OT13]

None really speak to me, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the first one (which someow has a partial Elgin Street skyline in the background).

[OTSkyline]

Meh.. If I had to pick I'd go with the second. This city needs color!

Everything is so cold, bland, colorless, metal...

[SL123]

I would pick the first

[Nowhere]

How is it going to work with the bus stops and the bikes lanes ? Will people have to walk over the bike lane to get on or off a bus ?

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by Nowhere

How is it going to work with the bus stops and the bikes lanes ? Will people have to walk over the bike lane to get on or off a bus ?

Yes

[Nowhere]

I'm sure that collisions between cyclists and people getting on or off the bus will happen. I would rather see the bike lane go behind the bus stop and shelter rather than in front.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by Nowhere

I'm sure that collisions between cyclists and people getting on or off the bus will happen. I would rather see the bike lane go behind the bus stop and shelter rather than in front.

That would be ideal, but there often isn't enough room (OC Transpo seems allergic to slim shelters)

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

That would be ideal, but there often isn't enough room (OC Transpo seems allergic to slim shelters)

Slim shelters are possible, and Rideau street has a number of them. The issue is that they are too shallow for a mobility device to enter, so they can't have glass on the front. Customers prefer the 4-sided shelter over the 3-sided ones and complain if the bigger ones aren't installed.