Downtown West Precinct

Streetscape Infrastructure Programme

The Downtown West Precinct should follow six strategic directions:

• Increase accessibility through the precinct by expanding the street grid to reduce block lengths via the creation of new public streets. A new north-south street or pedestrian connection could be introduced between Laurier Avenue and Albert Street on the School Board property. Street connections between the upper quarter and the lower quarter need to be strengthened.
• Reconfigure the street network at the base of the escarpment to allow for the creation of a usable green space. Escarpment Park will form a key link of a continual public space network stretching from LeBreton Flats through the Interface District to the Central Canal Area Precinct.
• Re-image the western end of Sparks Street and the northern portion of Bronson Avenue to link directly with LeBreton Flats' residential and commercial proposals.
• Restore the historic neighbourhood streets in the north-west corner of Cathedral Hill. Streetscaping and public realm improvements should capture the historic importance and grandeur of the churches in this location.
• A focus north of Laurier on a supportive public realm for residential intensification with more public green space and fewer underutilized lots.
• Promote the City's Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES) options for introducing Light Rail through the precinct.

Parks and Open Space Strategy

While this precinct has yet to be fully realized, it is important that the Strategy helps ensure that this corner of the downtown is fully integrated with surrounding established neighbourhoods, proposed new developments and the Business Precinct. The developments at LeBreton Flats, including the new Canadian War Museum and related public gathering spaces, will create a new destination within the downtown area. The establishment of strong and direct pedestrian, cycle and transportation linkages between these areas is critical.

Although this precinct benefits from a wealth of potential development parcels, it is important that the City differentiates between those parcels that are more suitable for new residential developments and those that are more suitable for park spaces. Not all sites should be earmarked for new condominium and/or rental developments. The Strategy identifies a number of available sites across the precinct and specifically proposes the development of three major park spaces, much of which are already in public ownership. Each of the three parks is strategically located to reinforce the City's emerging network of open spaces and bring benefits to the wider community. The Strategy calls for investment to be made to those park areas that are already used as informal open spaces - the Ottawa Technical High School site and the base of the Escarpment - to bring them up to a more usable quality.

At present, the potential of Bronson Park is not fully recognized. The view from Bronson Park is spectacular and there are opportunities to provide a staircase or movement system from Bronson Park to the lower levels of Escarpment Park.

Built Form Guidelines

The Downtown West Precinct will play an important role in expanding the downtown area westwards and into the area below the escarpment. The availability of land, as well as the precincts proximity to downtown, established neighbourhoods and the scenic Ottawa River makes the Downtown West Precinct an ideal location for residential-led intensification. Due to the precinct's natural topography and the existing nature of the built form (primarily high-rise), new development could potentially be taller than in many other downtown precincts.

Care will have to be taken when introducing any new developments along the southern edge of the precinct, as these will have a direct impact on the well-established adjacent neighbourhoods. Along the southern edge, the height and scale of any new developments should be built to create a transition to the existing residential neighbourhoods. In addition, the block bound by Sparks Street, Queen Street, Bronson Avenue and Bay Street should be protected from inappropriate infill projects that may damage the existing historical character of the block. The cluster of beautiful historic churches located in this block gives a special character to this location that is not found in many other areas outside the Market. This collection of impressive heritage properties is a highly desirable asset that should be preserved and maintained. New buildings in this area should support a podium base and be setback from the sidewalk to allow for streetscaping and planting.

Emerging trends for downtown living, coupled with the precinct's desirable geographic location, have created a renewed interest in this area for new residential development. Consequently, it is important that the City have a clear idea of the longer-term vision for this precinct and what its development options are. The Downtown West Precinct would benefit from the development of a scale model and a detailed exploration of the area's potential to cement the City's vision for the site and guide future development.

Parts of the precinct require a new direction for higher density infill and strategies for key development sites, such as the Ottawa Technical High School site and parcels already under redevelopment. More general streetscaping and public realm improvements for existing developments are critical to improving the image of this precinct. To achieve this, the following targeted precinct strategies are suggested:

7. Escarpment Park

The escarpment is a wonderful natural feature of downtown Ottawa that lies hidden beneath overgrowth and locked into an inefficient road network. The Strategy proposes to downsize and realign the existing transportation routes and introduce major public realm improvements to reclaim the escarpment as a community asset and a destination feature of the downtown that exploits the site's natural topography. Once completed, Escarpment Park would effectively bridge the upper part of the escarpment with the lower areas and directly link to the open space network proposed for LeBreton Flats.

Escarpment Park

By reworking and relocating the streets at the base of the escarpment to the west, an expanded and usable green space would be created in this location. As well, it will be important to ensure that any future proposed light rail transit alignment does not negatively impact on this future park. A programme of both hard and soft landscaping is required to bring this space up to a usable standard. The open space at the base of the escarpment will form the main greenspace for Escarpment Park and will be one of the primary entry points to the new LeBreton community.

At the top of the escarpment, pedestrian movement along Sparks Street should be extended to link directly through to LeBreton Flats from Bronson Park. This is the natural continuation of Sparks Street and will help to alleviate the notion that Sparks lacks a destination at its western tip. The introduction of a stairway, ramp system or elevator will remediate the dramatic change of levels at the escarpment. The required infrastructure should be part of the City's programme of Public Art.

This proposal would effectively create a linked route of park spaces from LeBreton Flats and the proposed Canadian Museum of War, through to Sparks Street, down to Confederation Park and into the Market Area. In addition to creating a new amenity for the local community, the Park can also be easily accessed by office workers and visitors to the city as part of a tourist route.

To allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross from Cathedral Hill into the upper park area, intersection treatments are required at the Albert Street, Slater Street and Bronson/Commissioner Road junctions.

The creation of an expanded public green space at the escarpment would be a relatively inexpensive and very high profile project for the City. It would yield a high return in terms of community benefit and act as a catalyst for new private investment to the area. This project has great partnership potential between the City and the NCC. This project should be an early priority.

8. Escarpment Park District

As identified earlier, the escarpment is a unique geological feature within the downtown. At present, this spectacular feature is bisected by the transitway, split over two routes leading to and from Slater and Albert. Consequently, large amounts of valuable urban land have been made residual. With the proposed new transitway system and possible tunnel option, there are opportunities to reclaim this land and reinvent the site as a premier downtown address. To maintain this opportunity, it is critical that the City's Environmental Assessment for the proposed transit tunnel ensures that the agreed alignment and entrance to the tunnel does not restrict future development of this site.

Escarpment Park District

The Strategy identifies a number of major development parcels between Cathedral Hill and the LeBreton Flats development. These parcels are owned by the City (with parts under the control of the NCC) and currently operate as parking lots. Each parcel overlooks LeBreton Flats, the historic Fleet Street Pumping Station and the Ottawa River. As the site is located on an incline, it is ideally located below the City's height controls. This allows for the introduction of higher-density residential developments. New residential units in this location will help to integrate LeBreton Flats with adjacent neighbourhoods to the south and east and add vibrancy to the northern end of Preston Street. To realize the creation of these new development parcels, the Strategy identifies the following requirements:

1. As a priority, extending the street at the base of the escarpment to restore the street grid system in this location. This street will act as the front door for three of the four proposed development parcels.
2. Introducing two new north-south streets to divide the parcels into more manageable and marketable development plots.
3. Intersection treatments at Albert/Slater and Bronson/Commissioner junctions.
4. Undertaking a comprehensive programme of streetscaping and public realm improvements along each of the new streets.

The Escarpment Park and District would effectively link downtown Ottawa to the exciting opportunities unfolding in LeBreton Flats. In addition, significant investment in the built form, public realm and community amenities of this area will help to balance the attraction of the new LeBreton Flats development, ensuring that residents, businesses and other amenities remain in the Downtown West Precinct. Redevelopment of key parts of this precinct would allow LeBreton Flats to be integrated with the rest of the city and complement downtown Ottawa, rather than compete with it.

9. Redevelopment of the Former Ottawa Technical High School Site

The two large city blocks bound by Albert Street, Bronson Avenue, Bay Street and Laurier Avenue provide a major redevelopment opportunity for the City, and in particular, the School Board. Within this site, the Strategy identifies several potential development parcels and major new green spaces. At present, much of the site is owned by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and houses the former Ottawa Technical High School and related grounds.

Redevelopment of the Former Ottawa Technical High School Site

The goal for this large site is two-fold. First, the Strategy proposes the creation of a major new park for the city, Cathedral Hill Park, as the natural extension and the community anchor of Escarpment Park that reaches down the hill to LeBreton Flats. Second, as this precinct has been identified as a residential intensification zone, the Strategy recommends preparing the Ottawa Technical High School site for new high-density residential mixed-use developments (to also include a new educational or office facility). The City should work in close partnership with the School Board to ensure that all interests are addressed and that the value of this significant redevelopment opportunity is fully realized.

To realize the creation of these new development parcels, the Strategy identifies the following requirements:

1. Restoring or removing the historic Ottawa Technical High School structure and consolidating any existing or proposed institutional uses.
2. Redeveloping the site into a mixed-use development where institutional uses, if required, are fully incorporated into a restored high school or a new building.
3. Repairing the urban street grid by introducing a new north-south street or pedestrian connection between Laurier and Albert, through the blocks between Bay and Bronson. This will sub-divide the site into more manageable development parcels.
4. Introducing a programme of streetscape improvements and street tree planting along Laurier Avenue and Slater Street between Bronson Avenue and Bay Street. This programme should also include the Bronson and Bay street edges.
5. Constructing Cathedral Hill Park as a new city park, bounded by the new north-south extension, Bronson, Laurier and Slater. A major new park in this location will help offset potential impacts of the new large-scale residential development proposed for parts of this site. Cathedral Hill Park will anchor the northern portion of the Escarpment Park and create direct links through to the base, LeBreton Flats and the Ottawa River.