Category: little Italy

500 Preston, condos, intensificatioin, little Italy16 Comments

Soho slow to planning dept

Westsideaction

The Soho Italia project continues to interest people. I am interested in knowing what the city planners think (they are professional planners after all, and I like talking to the ones who are knowledgeable about what constitutes good urban design). And the project location  is within the design priority area, it is subject to the urban design review committee for review. A preconsultation with the urban design review committee is also required before the formal review of the design by the committee. And of course the developer has to apply for zoning, variances, and all those other things. But alas, despite … Continue reading Soho slow to planning dept

125 Hickory, 500 Preston, bike path, condos, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, Dows Lake, intensificatioin, little Italy, LRT, O-Train, pedestrians, Preston street, Soho Italia, Uncategorized20 Comments

Soho Italia – the developer’s proposal

Westsideaction

 Note: the land on the south side of Carling on each side of the O-train corridor is shown as green space. It is NOT parkland. The City’s Official Plan calls for this area along Carling to be developed as a high-density mixed-use centre, ie more condos and offices.  The facade of the podium facing Preston appears to have a fair bit of glass. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a Photoshop rendering of this facade. How the building relates to the street is very important for a livable street. In the background of the above picture you can spot the 125 Hickory … Continue reading Soho Italia – the developer’s proposal

Claridge, condos, Dows Lake, infill, intensificatioin, little Italy, Uncategorized18 Comments

Purely speculation, of course

Westsideaction

A sales office trailer showed up this week on Preston at Sydney Street, just a half block north of Carling Avenue. The photo above is taken from beside the CIBC, at the foot of the Little Italy Arch. The trailer belongs to Mastercraft Starwood, the condo builder. Readers may recall that they are building a glass box condo on Parkdale opposite Tunney’s Pasture, and on Lisgar by the former plastics store (theirs are the big adverts that show a lady sitting on a …). They also bought the Aquerello site on Champagne Avenue south, beside the dog shelter. It had been rumoured they bought the … Continue reading Purely speculation, of course

little Italy, Preston street3 Comments

Preparing for Winter (i)

Westsideaction

Sculptures were installed on Preston and West Wellie this past fall. What would the City do to protect them from winter damage? I suggested adding 2×6 curb of boards about a foot out from the sculpture to protect it from errant sidewalk plows. Instead, the City opted for yellow fibreglass poles to alert snow crews not to “back stop” their plows (ie, don’t bang into these things, they are expensive!). Note to Randall: the yellow poles are not part of the sculptures, and were not added to confuse you or make them less understandable. The Preston BIA still has interpretive leaflets that … Continue reading Preparing for Winter (i)

little Italy, Preston street3 Comments

Sidewalk dining

Westsideaction

Caffe Italia used to offer a blank wall to Gladstone sidewalk users. The wall is much banged up and patched as motorists periodically fail to make the turn. These cracks and patches are now so frequent that they make an interesting old-world texture on the building. Recently, they added a row of pictures to the wall. Neatly framed, they mimic windows, with a viewpoint  that changes as you walk along the sidewalk and see the bar and dining areas “inside”. Clever, simple, and very well done, they successfully enliven the sidewalk experience. Just another reason Preston deserves it’s destination reputation. Continue reading Sidewalk dining

bike path, cyclopiste de preston, little Italy3 Comments

Highway to nowhere

Westsideaction

The city’s roads department has its signals branch located on Gladstone on either side of the O-Train cut. The yards are full of signal poles and light fixtures. Mostly these lights are “out” at night; but one recent evening there were multiple heads cycling through red-yellow-green.  Immediately behind them is a dense patch of bush, through which a ped path winds that will someday become the cycling path along the Otrain corridor. Continue reading Highway to nowhere

bike path, cyclopiste de preston, little Italy

Highway to nowhere

Westsideaction

The city’s roads department has its signals branch located on Gladstone on either side of the O-Train cut. The yards are full of signal poles and light fixtures. Mostly these lights are “out” at night; but one recent evening there were multiple heads cycling through red-yellow-green.  Immediately behind them is a dense patch of bush, through which a ped path winds that will someday become the cycling path along the Otrain corridor. Continue reading Highway to nowhere

little Italy, Preston street, streetscaping1 Comment

Toronto Late

Westsideaction

The latest issue of Toronto Life magazine arrived. In it is a major article on the many reasons to love Toronto. Number 24 is the proposed building of an underpass art gallery. Upon closer reading, it consists of putting 24 mosaics or painted panels onto the walls of an underpass. This is definitely trendy and  cutting edge nifty stuff … for Toronto. For local West Side residents, it should seem familiar as the Preston underpass has had both painted panels (some with 3D elements) and murals showing the immigration process with a ship arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, and … Continue reading Toronto Late

little Italy, Preston street, streetscaping

Toronto Late

Westsideaction

The latest issue of Toronto Life magazine arrived. In it is a major article on the many reasons to love Toronto. Number 24 is the proposed building of an underpass art gallery. Upon closer reading, it consists of putting 24 mosaics or painted panels onto the walls of an underpass. This is definitely trendy and  cutting edge nifty stuff … for Toronto. For local West Side residents, it should seem familiar as the Preston underpass has had both painted panels (some with 3D elements) and murals showing the immigration process with a ship arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, and … Continue reading Toronto Late

Chinatown, little Italy, pedestrians, Plouffe Park, Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping

Somerset Streetscaping – can it get back on the road?

Westsideaction

The first meeting of stakeholders got together on Tuesday evening to discuss the streetscaping project on Somerset Street. The 2010 portion is from Preston to West Wellie. The portion shown above is in the Preston BIA catchment area. The portion beyond the bridge is in Hintonburg (Kitchissipi ward) and the Hintonburg BIA. In 2011 the section from Preston to Booth will be done. That is the area behind the viewer in the above picture. It falls in the Chinatown BIA. Yup, in a territory walkable in barely five minutes, there are two wards, 3 BIAs, 2 community associations, and other stakeholders. A nice streetscaping project might be do-able … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping – can it get back on the road?

little Italy, Preston street

Corso Italia meets Via Marconi

Westsideaction

As part of the Preston streetscaping project, major changes will be coming to the intersection of Preston/Gladstone. The pavement pattern has been approved. It will be installed and maintained by the Preston BIA. The planned use of brick pavers has run into technical snags, however, and alternative paving materials are being examined. The BIA is also planning a celebratory sculpture arrangement at the corner. The draft concept sketch shown above is of 24′ high soccer players  made of concrete, metal,  and stained glass.  There would be benches along their feet. Continue reading Corso Italia meets Via Marconi

little Italy, Preston street

“Elegant, Romantic” and Christmasy

Westsideaction

These photos on Preston Street south of the Qway overpass were taken by Rachel Pereira. They highlight what a huge change has come over this street as it has been renovated by the City and the BIA and individual merchants. In case you missed the pun, the Elegant Romatic terms come from Sunday’s Citizen story by Maria Cook on the rejuvenation of Preston. Here’s the photo link: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/photos/Gallery+Preston+Street/2335008/story.html; and here’s the story link: http://www.google.ca/reader/view/?tab=my#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fcommunities.canada.com%2Fottawacitizen%2Fblogs%2Fdesigningottawa%2Frss.aspx; which is to Maria Cook’s on-line edition. Continue reading “Elegant, Romantic” and Christmasy

little Italy, Preston street, streetscaping

Corso Italia

Westsideaction

One of the delights of the Preston Street rehabilitation has been the Preston BIA’s remaking of the Queensway underpass into an interesting highlight of the street. Instead of the former dark and dreary underpass, the framed murals and background murals are great eye candy. The west side is Preston Street yesterday and today; the east side is the immigration story. In the spring, the east side sidewalk will be further developed into a place to linger, with special sidewalk light fixtures and paving. The north end of this zone opens onto the parking lot at 301 Preston, which is converted into … Continue reading Corso Italia

little Italy, parks, Plouffe Park, Preston street

Sk8ers UnStoned on grass …

Westsideaction

Plouffe Park can be found behind the Plant Recreation Complex. Part of it runs along Preston street. Part of it used to run along Somerset street too, but the City found it convenient to convert the kiddie playground into a parking lot so motorists don’t have far to walk so far to the Complex to get their exercise …. Along the Preston side, pedestrians parambulating the Little Italy wide landscaped sidewalks are presented with numerous opportunities to rest their derrieres on benches. There are also several planter sections that double as benches along the sidewalk. Naturally, skateboarders will sometime discover these concrete edges … Continue reading Sk8ers UnStoned on grass …

little Italy, Preston street

Writ Big

Westsideaction

Signs appeared recently on the Queensway overpass over Preston Street. On both sides — facing north, facing south — have appeared these large channel letter signs. While not lit up when I saw them, they look like they could be lit up. Real estate speculators and condo buyers will have no problem knowing when they are in trendy (according to Ken Gray at the Ottawa Citizen)  Little Italy. Continue reading Writ Big

Bayview, Bayview-Carling CDP, bike path, little Italy

Bayview-Carling CDP Re-Activated !

Westsideaction

Along the OTrain corridor is this hidden gem. After a long struggle by residents and the neighborhood associations (the Dalhousie Community Association and the Hintonburg Community Association), and with much behind-the-scenes pushing by the concerned Councillors Holmes and Leadman, the Bayview-Carling Community Design Plan has been reactivated by the city. The focus of the plan is Bayview Station to Carling Avenue, along the OTrain track, which is currently the subject of a development frenzy by condo and office developers who feel the time is right for the rebirth of this former industrial zone. No doubt some of the “time is … Continue reading Bayview-Carling CDP Re-Activated !