West Wellington in Hintonburg is a traditional main street (TMS). The community design plan allows for new buildings up to six stories “as of right” along the active shopping and commercial street. It also permits taller structures, upon application, at … Continue reading Another distinctive landmark?
On Tuesday evening a most strange and wonderful event occurred on the west side. A developer called a meeting of neighbours and area residents, and then listened. And listened hard. Mizrahi Developments builds luxury custom homes in Toronto. Some of these homes are in a mid-rise condo format. They have bought the Joe’s Audio and Bella Restaurant site on Richmond Road at Island Park Drive. The site is zoned for six stories, with planning direction to go up to 9 at the corner to make a gateway statement. The planning therefore envisions a nine storey building right at the corner, with a six storey … Continue reading News Headline: Developer listens first …
Many west siders will be familiar with this, reputed to be the oldest house in Ottawa: It is located a half block east of the Westboro Loblaws. Work has been going on for a while to stabilize and repair the structure. Like a lot of building restoration work, or art restoration, much effort goes into undoing the previous version of restoration. In this case, the previous work involved adding a smooth coat of mortar between the stones. Alas, that mortar dried hard and waterproof. This trapped moisture between the stone inside the wall, which then liquified/eroded the sand-lime mixture inside … Continue reading Heritage repair
Annie Hillis of the West Wellington BIA (WWBIA) sent me the following data. They conducted a four-day survey in June, asking 830 people found along their typical older-city main street how they came to the street, their post code, and their shopping habits. The WWBIA main street runs roughly from Bayswater westwards along Somerset & West Wellington to Island Park. The modal split numbers surprised me. Forty six percent of those found along the street got there by walking; 26% by car; 13% by bike; twelve percent by bus (numbers throughout this story are rounded off). Only 26% by car? That’s pretty low. And … Continue reading Main street’s modal split
The City sets aside a certain small percentage of its major capital projects budget (such as road reconstruction) for art installations. West Siders know the ones: Preston Street granite postcards from the piazzas, West Wellie’s marble veggies, the red chairs in the Glebe. The just-getting-completed reconstruction of Somerset between the OTrain tracks and Booth had a very small art budget. One that had to cope with three distinct areas: Chinatown, the bit of Little Italy around Preston, and the OTrain viaduct-bridge. With public consultation, the decision was made to have two installations: one on the Chinatown hill, and one on the viaduct … Continue reading Chinatown Art Installation
I am always dating myself by referring to things by their old name, or to things that no longer exist and so no one (except other older people) knows what I am referring to. Are you old enough to remember the Friendly Giant on CBC TV? I could hear the phrase “Look up, look way way up” when I saw this condo building on West Wellington near Island Park. I do wonder just how well that concrete overhang will shelter the entrance a number of floor below. Or if it will simply feel like it is about to come crashing … Continue reading Look up, way way up Jerome
A strip of stores in Hintonburg was somewhat attractive before, with a row of bay windows on the second floor, a built-out cornice line, and green-painted brick storefronts below (the block is obviously the result of earlier renovations). But with the explosive gentrification of the neighborhood, a property owner decided the place needed a re-do, one that “modernized” the look. (I do wonder what it might have been like if he had gone for a faux-heritage look…does anyone have a heritage photo of the previous storefronts pre 1960’s??) The first phase to be redone was the west side, facing St Francois Church … Continue reading But is it better?
Claridge is proposing a six and nine story condo buildings at the corner of Richmond and Kirkwood, opposite the Real Canadian Superstore: The lot is currently occupied by a three storey industrial building, with strip-mall type retail on the Richmond side; with undefined street/parking lot on the east side where Kirkwood sort-of runs northwards from Richmond; and with loading docks and a very industrial frontage on the north side, Wilbur Street. The current industrial building is zero lot line on the west, where it abuts the rear lot lines of homes. This is quite similar to my own home, and I greatly … Continue reading Proposed condo, 175 Richmond Road
The City has been sporadically doing up a CDP (Community Design Plan) (which is a plan of dubious effectiveness under the Official Plan) for the O-Train corridor running from Bayview Station to Carling Avenue. Residents frequently ascribe its tardiness to a desire on the part of the City to see all the developable land purchased and rezoned before the plan is drawn up. In that way, the city won’t have to continually amend it. The City is committed to having CDPs done for all the stations along the OLRT. Having seen some of the in-progress ones I’d have to say they are better than nothing. At least they … Continue reading Sim-City model: Bayview-carling CDP
The City has a “percent for art” whereby a percentage of capital (construction) costs of projects is to be spent on public art. West siders will be familiar with public art sculptures on Preston (postcards from the piazzas), West Wellie (marble fire hydrants), and Bank Street (the bike racks). So now it is the turn for the current Somerset construction projects running from Bayswater to Preston, and the Preston to Booth Street sections. The City combined the two projects in order to afford a larger art installation. The City encouraged artists to employ lighting. Community input suggested that the slope eastbound up from Preston into Chinatown … Continue reading Public art for Somerset Street
There have been no end of critics for the Our Lady of the Condos site on Richmond Road; or for the Franciscan site in Overbrook (www.saveoverbrook.com). The Dominican fathers on Empress have talked about selling their property. Now there’s a second chance (second coming?) for Hintonburg-Westboro too. The Salvation Army operates Grace Manor on West Wellington. Immediately east of the modern low-rise Hobbinesque nursing home is an elderly manor on a large lot. Here’s a Google streetview (before the streetscaping was installed): The red-brick manor house shows up just left of the bus. On the nearest left of the picture is the Rosemont Library. The parking lot … Continue reading Planning for salvation
About 3 dozen orange balls appeared at the newly renovated park behind Parkdale market. Are they art? or play structures? If play structures, how do little kids play on/with them? Any ideas?? Continue reading Parkdale Plays Ball
A number of cities keep peastone beds around trees in the sidewalk neat and tidy. Ottawa is not among them. Toronto and Vancouver are. The peastone shown above is glued down to a porous mat which is cut to shape for the tree well. Moisture runs in; weeds do not grow out. The stones stay in place. Wheelchairs and strollers roll right over them. Little boys are frustrated. Dogs continue to pee on them. Smokers find one less spot to dump their butts. These mats are commonly available at stores for use as a foot mat on your front doorstop. On the other hand, while … Continue reading Tidy peastone vs au naturel
The redevelopment of the Soeurs de la Visitation site on Richmond Road is a great opportunity for infill development and intensification. The City had the chance to buy the site for a park, and passed on it. An eight to twelve storey building along Richmond and 4-6 storey buildings behind it is appropriate. Some aspects of the current design are not my first choice, but then I am not building it. Previous posts featured the Rowe’s Wharf project in Boston. See http://westsideaction.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/our-lady-of-the-condos-archly/ I thought it was a good inspiration for the Richmond facade of the project here in Ottawa. I like the idea of keeping the convent “cloistered”, ie … Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos, more Archly
I last posted about St Francoise d’Assise school in August, showing the new playstructures installed but lacking finishing details to permit the kids to play on them. I figured they would be open by time school opened … or shortly thereafter … but a recent cycling trip detour to see the finished structures revealed them in virtually the same condition as August. Are contractors waiting until Dec 31st? In delightful contrast, two small enclosed playyards are open right beside the daycare LeCarrefour. They are surfaced in a soft material that cushions falls, drains well, and reduces the tonnage of sand dragged into the school in shoes, … Continue reading Slow Miracles worked here
Sculptors took Ottawa residents on walking tours of the Wellington Marbles and Postcards from the Piazza. Continue reading Walking and talking sculptures
It’s sculpture mania in Ottawa: the first of the Wellington Marbles sculptures are now up. Continue reading Of Alley Pots and Marbles
Occasionally the City does make the pedestrian sidewalk more pleasant for pedestrians, but this is far from common. Sometimes the city uses planters to separate speeding traffic from peds. These work really well. Continue reading Making sidewalks safer
The Our Lady of the Condos project by Ashcroft on Richmond Road was controversial when revealled in the spring of this year. There has been very little coverage of the results of the review panel, which tinker with the site but don’t reduce the density. Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos revisited
precast block awaiting its hole Shown above is a precast foundation block for urban sculpture. When planted into a hole, only the top portion shows. Upon this plinth will be mounted civic art work. On Preston, these will be Italian-style columns. On West Wellie will be sculptural renditions of fire hydrants. The Preston art pieces will arrive mid-August, according to city officials supervising the final touches on the street. precast block inserted in hole, surface pavers relaid I really look foreward to seeing these art pieces, as they will be the first of their type for an Ottawa main street, as … Continue reading Arty mainstreets
precast block awaiting its hole Shown above is a precast foundation block for urban sculpture. When planted into a hole, only the top portion shows. Upon this plinth will be mounted civic art work. On Preston, these will be Italian-style columns. On West Wellie will be sculptural renditions of fire hydrants. The Preston art pieces will arrive mid-August, according to city officials supervising the final touches on the street. precast block inserted in hole, surface pavers relaid I really look foreward to seeing these art pieces, as they will be the first of their type for an Ottawa main street, as … Continue reading Arty mainstreets
The foundation/parking garage hole for the 101 Richmond condo. Continue reading A hole grows in Westboro
The foundation/parking garage hole for the 101 Richmond condo. Continue reading A hole grows in Westboro
A few posts ago, the lighting store on Richmond in the heart of Westboro was featured. It is moving to Spruce Street. The Signman is also moving from its location opposite Loblaw’s Real Cdn Superstore to Laurel Street. There are few vacant storefronts on the western portion of the Somerset-West Wellie-Richmond Road strip, and more storefronts being constructed. The further east one goes, the more vacancies appear, for longer periods. As Westboro prices continue to climb, there will be adjustments in the retail market and eventually the condo market too. Continue reading Signs of the times
A few posts ago, the lighting store on Richmond in the heart of Westboro was featured. It is moving to Spruce Street. The Signman is also moving from its location opposite Loblaw’s Real Cdn Superstore to Laurel Street. There are few vacant storefronts on the western portion of the Somerset-West Wellie-Richmond Road strip, and more storefronts being constructed. The further east one goes, the more vacancies appear, for longer periods. As Westboro prices continue to climb, there will be adjustments in the retail market and eventually the condo market too. Continue reading Signs of the times
