Alayne McGregor
The Ottawa Board of Trade is proposing an action plan to restore downtown that could increase the number of residents in Centretown/Dalhousie, Lowertown, and Sandy Hill by 54 percent.
Its plan, called Living Capital: An Agenda for Aligned Action, was prepared in conjunction with the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and released May 22. It builds on the work of the previous Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force, which released its report in January.
Its aim is to make downtown affordable, walkable, and amenity-rich, less dependent on the federal government for jobs, and safe and secure for workers, residents, visitors, and vulnerable people.
Four “big moves” form the core of the plan:
- adding 40,000 new residents to downtown by 2034, a 54 percent increase;
- attracting 50,000 jobs to downtown by 2034;
- establishing a joint $500 million fund to kick-start action, with money from government, institutional, and private sector sources;
- focusing on “catalytic anchors” for downtown including investment in the Sparks Street and ByWard Market public realms, and creation of a business incubation district and an arts/culture corridor.
Adding residents will benefit Somerset Ward, Sandy Hill, Lowertown, report argues
It identifies downtown as including Lowertown and Sandy Hill as well as Centretown/Dalhousie, all of which are already more densely populated than average. It estimates that these areas include 74,000 people. City statistics show that Somerset Ward (Centretown/Dalhousie) had 47,960 residents at the end of 2023.
Adding residents will make downtown become “a truly daytime and nighttime community,” the plan says, with some residents working downtown and some commuting to suburban jobs.
More residents living downtown will “generate a higher return than simply absorbing the current office stock in a ‘return-to-normal’ scenario,” it argues.
Supporting small and new businesses
It also recommends supporting small businesses by promoting retail on ground floors, construction mitigation, and providing data to track and link businesses with opportunities.
A business incubation district in the area bounded by Sparks, Bay, Gloucester, and Elgin Streets could diversify and drive the downtown economy, it says. The district could allow post-secondary and government research institutions, start-ups, cultural organizations, design community, Indigenous organizations, and established companies to collaborate and innovate.
Fast action needed, including transit support
The plan has a short time frame with even the long term being defined as three years out. Immediate actions identified in its implementation plan include evaluating progress on housing, transit, homelessness, mental health, and addiction, as well as getting funding for the plan.
The predominance of federal buildings downtown “for years one of our greatest assets … is now one of our most challenging liabilities,” the plan says. It calls on the federal government to rethink how these buildings are used and in particular convert many to housing.
Addressing OC Transpo’s continuing deficit, it says federal and provincial governments should provide transit gap funding, incentivize transit and boost ridership in low-use periods, institute employee transit passes, build the Gatineau-Ottawa tramway, and invest in active transportation. It estimates its overall plan of adding more residents and jobs could add 15,000 to 20,000 new transit riders.
A pilot study to convert one-way streets to two-way in key areas of downtown could enhance commercial opportunities and increase public safety and comfort for pedestrians, it says.
It also calls on all levels of government to fund programs to address homelessness, mental health and addictions challenges. It recommends boosting supports including emergency and permanent affordable housing, community health centres, transitional housing supports, and necessary wrap around services.
More amenities needed for residents – and to attract tourists and businesses
More amenities are needed downtown to meet the daily needs of residents – schools, groceries, social services, health care, jobs, active recreation, culture and entertainment – which will not only support residents but also attract tourists and businesses, the plan says.
Possibly referring to a hockey arena, it says that “major recreational and sporting facilities are also landmark buildings and tourism attractions with significant economic spin offs.”
Downtown’s public realm could be improved with small-scale “capital works” that are easily implementable, low-cost, scalable and all-seasons, and unique to downtown environments, it says, which could be done through design competitions and in partnership with universities. It recommends a design charette to explore a renewed vision and programming for the current main library building on Metcalfe Street to consider incubator or cultural uses and create a “beacon” in the core.
Downtown cultural and arts district envisioned
A cultural and arts district including consistent wayfinding, branding and promotion is also part of the plan. Besides current city initiatives, it suggests recurring arts-related programs to bring people downtown off-hours and off-season, such as a late-evening “First Friday” or “Nuit Blanche” events, and building new outdoor performance infrastructure such as lighting, permanent stages, public restrooms, and beautification.
New sources of revenue
In order to fund these amenities, it asks the federal government to maintain its payments in lieu of taxes at the current level even with fewer government offices downtown. It also suggests using part of downtown parking revenue for public realm improvements (not currently allowed), and dedicating one percent of the HST generated in downtown to downtown revitalization.
Centretown Community Association President Mary Huang, who had served on the revitalization task force, said her priority for downtown restoration was to convert at least one federal building into affordable housing.
Huang also liked the idea of a business incubation district that could create an ecosystem to support startups. She also suggested taking advantage of Ottawa’s bilingualism to make connections with European companies.
“We have a very highly skilled bilingual workforce. Let’s leverage that as much as we can.”
You can read the report at livingcapitalottawa.ca .