The three famous bronze sculptures, which sat in front of the British High Commission on Elgin Street for the last 25 years, were recently packed up and moved.
The famous Nature Girl statues have left Centretown
Category: Development
Ottawa Community Housing developments to transform Dalhousie
Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) has started construction on two major developments which will add thousands of residents to the western end of Somerset Ward.
Troster proposes Ottawa investigate an anti-renoviction bylaw similar to Hamilton’s
Councillor Ariel Troster is proposing city staff investigate an anti-renoviction bylaw similar to the one recently introduced in Hamilton.
Skyline: Office-to-residential conversions? Slow but steady progress
Robert Smythe looks at the latest office to residential conversion downtown, and the heritage designation for The Bible House.
Site of tragic Chinatown fire to be redeveloped?
A Chinatown lot, which has sat empty for more than 17 years after a tragic fire that cost five lives, may finally see occupants again.
News shorts
Urbanism Book Club April 29; Repair Cafe April 20; and city consultations on tree planting and climate resiliency.
Comment: 267 O’Connor Street: “Never demolish, never remove”
Erwin Dreessen points out that two architects who just won architecture’s top prize are proponents of always reusing rather than demolishing buildings.
Somerset Ward: Progress on community safety and downtown revitalization
Councillor Ariel Troster writes: “You can’t rely on bringing people downtown, you have to put them there.” That quote is from The Death and Life of Great American Cities, the seminal work by the great Jane Jacobs.
DCA report: Parking, trucks on Booth, Canada Day, 989 Somerset, AGM
330 Gilmour: Housing potential meets political will
In the heart of Centretown sits a parcel of land going to waste. 330 Gilmour Street is an example of wasted potential in the midst of a housing crisis.
Downtown office building to be converted into transitional housing
The City of Ottawa will rent an empty office building at 230 Queen Street (at Bank) to convert into transitional housing – a space for people to sleep while they find permanent housing.
Ottawa hasn’t met targets for affordable housing – or defined what that is
A just-released report from the city’s auditor-general has confirmed that the city has not come close to meeting its targets for creating affordable housing – although it’s getting better. And it needs to figure out what it means by “affordable.”
DCA report: Plouffe Park, Booth complex, community gardens, new tower
MP report: helping to build more homes, faster
MP Yasir Naqvi announces money coming to the city from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, the federal agreement with Ontario for health care fundig, and the Canada Dental Care Plan.
Planning primer: Not-so-minor adjustments in Centretown
What is the Committee of Adjustment? It sounds like a gathering of chiropractors, but it’s actually an important quasi-judicial administrative tribunal which decides how buildings can be redeveloped. Robert Smythe examines three recent cases before the committee.
DCA report: parks and parking, buses and buildings, safety and security
While Plouffe Park was still top on the Dalhousie Community Association agenda, other issues including traffic, parking, parks, transit, a new high rise, and street crime are also on the DCA’s radar.
MP report: Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force: Final Report released!
After a year of dedicated effort, the Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force has released its comprehensive report with recommendations to reimagine our downtown to become a vibrant and people-first space.