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Location: Canada Total Likes: 65 likes
| | | Redevlopment plan < on 10/13/2006 2:19 AM > | Reply with Quote
| | | Just thought I'd drop this in... Largest undeveloped site within greenbelt could become 4,500-home development Kristin Goff The Ottawa Citizen November 10, 2004 The Department of National Defence is about to take the first step in selling the former CFB Rockcliffe to Canada Lands Company in a deal that could lead to a massive redevelopment of an area that's twice the size of LeBreton Flats. The property, which the Department of National Defence declared surplus five years ago, is by far the largest within the greenbelt. Under one development scenario that suggests 4,500 homes could be built there, it could hold enough housing for the population of a town the size of Smiths Falls. It could take years for that to roll out in phased development under a master plan to be developed by Canada Lands Co. but completed by private developers, who ultimately would buy the land. The crown corporation has already held preliminary talks with city planning officials this year on concepts for developing housing, retail and other uses on the site. It has also done some surveying on portions of the land to identify underground pipes that would be removed, if and when the property becomes its to develop. Gordon McIvor, vice-president of public and governmental affairs, is cautious in his comments because the transfer of the 144-hectare site still has more steps to go through in the bureaucratic approvals process. "If we are lucky enough to purchase the property, then we would begin the planning process in earnest," said Mr. McIvor, adding that Canada Lands has done most of its planning internally since it didn't want to be seen as acting as though it already owned the property. "The opportunities are significant," says Dennis Jacobs, director of planning policy in the City of Ottawa's planning and growth management branch, who has been in preliminary discussions with Canada Land officials. "I guess overall it would be the largest piece, inside the greenbelt, of vacant land that we have." Just how many homes would be built and how many people would live in the community depend on what plan for the site is ultimately chosen, he said. A recent city report on potential housing sites estimated 4,500 housing units could be built on the site. DND spokeswoman Tina Crouse says the department will "fairly soon" complete its plan to transfer ownership of the property to Canada Lands, with a smaller part to go to the National Capital Commission. Once completed and endorsed by the minister of defence, the plan must be submitted to Treasury Board, which ultimately decides disposition of a property as large as CFB Rockcliffe. The process, including transfer of title by the Justice Department, "could take several months," assuming the plan was approved, said Robert Makichuk, a Treasury Board spokesman. Because Treasury Board is a committee of cabinet, the government won't disclose details of the proposal, what sale of the property might be worth, or when it might be scheduled for consideration. All that falls under "cabinet confidentiality" rules, according to Ms. Crouse and Mr. Makichuk. The NCC cited the same rules in declining to comment on its plans for the portion of the base to be transferred to it. About 200 people continue to live on the base. They would continue to live there if ownership were transferred to Canada Lands and gradually moved out over five years as their leases expire, said Ms. Crouse. The base has been shifting military housing of former occupants to CFB Uplands for a number of years. The huge property has been on the radar of developers for years, because of its size and its location, minutes from downtown and near the Aviation Museum, where some buildings will have a view from a bluff overlooking the Ottawa River. "There's an opportunity like no other opportunity, in terms of doing something creative with a large piece of property," said Brian Card, president of Corporate Research Group. He also thinks Canada Lands has a good reputation for building mixed-use developments of housing, retail and other uses, with plans that encompass a range of incomes and social needs. Canada Lands was formed in 1995 to sell "strategic" properties for the federal government that are no longer needed. It has already purchased 11 properties from DND, some even bigger than CFB Rockcliffe, said Mr. McIvor. The development of Calgary's former Currie Barracks into the urban community of Garrison Woods has won more than a half-dozen real estate awards, including the Canadian Home Builders Award highest award for housing, for its approach. That mixed-use development, which offers a range of housing choices for various incomes, features front porches on homes and pedestrian walkways, and encourages a sense of community in its design, said Mr. McIvor. If Canada Lands does get CFB Rockcliffe, its first priority would be to consult with members of the community, city planners and, ultimately, city council, in developing a master plan that would not only meet zoning requirements, but satisfy other objectives, Mr. McIvor said. In a business plan for Rockcliffe developed by Canada Lands a year ago -- which Mr. McIvor says reflects only preliminary concepts of what might emerge -- the crown corporation promised a range of choices in housing, commercial and institutional or leisure activities, as well as an emphasis on walking, cycling and transit use. About 60 per cent of the residences would be single-family, semi-detached, or duplex homes and the rest would be multiple dwellings, according to the business plan obtained by the Citizen last spring.
| "The extraordinary beauty of things that fail." - Heinrich von Kleist |
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Location: Ottawa, ON, CA Gender: Male Total Likes: 0 likes
| | | | Re: Redevlopment plan < Reply # 1 on 11/27/2006 3:41 PM > | Reply with Quote
| | | Date: November 26, 2006 Source: The Ottawa Citizen Byline: Maria Cook Page: A6 Section: News Rockcliffe - An eco-town starts to take shape Sustainability is finally sexy. Vanity Fair, Vogue and Elle magazines devote glossy pages to climate change. Luxury eco-resorts beckon. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio makes a point of driving a Prius. And sustainability may finally be a reality for ordinary folk here, too, as plans to build a model ecocommunity at the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe are set to blossom. At an open house on Wednesday, the public will get a glimpse of what it would be like to live in a more environmentally friendly way. Canada Lands Company, the Crown corporation in charge of the project, will unveil its community design plan for the vast area to be developed during the next 12 years. Spread over 135 hectares (320 acres), the area will likely be the largest eco-community in Canada. The proposal shows eight distinct neighbourhoods made up of stores, offices and 4,500 to 6,000 houses and apartments. It also identifies roads and natural areas (see map, right). Ten acres will be set aside for a national museum or a federal institution. Construction is to start in late 2008, with the first residents moving in 2009. But what does it actually mean to live green? It means designing streets and buildings as though you believe global warming, climate change and oil shortages are for real. In an urban sustainable community, buildings are close together and streets are designed so people can walk easily or cycle instead of driving everywhere. Good public transit is essential. Buildings are designed for maximum energy efficiency. Alternative energy systems lend a hand. Recycling and composting gets serious. "We want to do as much as we can to reduce the actual number of trips in a car," says Ed Loans, the project's Ottawa-based sustainability consultant. "It's relatively easy to make changes in buildings. Getting people not to use their cars as much is a more difficult challenge. "This is the nation's capital," says Mr. Loans. "We want to demonstrate to people who visit Ottawa in an official capacity that we can show significant leadership in creating a sustainable community. It's something that Canada is trying to export. "What the consumer is getting out of it is a lower energy bill, a lower water bill and much nicer biological surroundings," says Mr. Loans. "The overall vision is built on the existing ecology and topography of the site because it's exceptionally rich. It has fabulous views. It has nice flowing topography, a couple of little cliffs and a natural water course. These are the kinds of things that people look for in an ideal setting." The plan aims to protect the escarpment, the existing landscape and create green corridors that link the Montfort Woods and the National Capital Commission lands toward the Ottawa River, adds Ottawa architect Barry Padolsky, who is in charge of public consultation. Mr. Lowans, who suffers from environmental hypersensitivity, hopes to create a less-allergenic environment for people with allergies, asthma and environmental sensitivity. "If we can change the way that we do landscaping in the urban environment, we can have a major impact on the health of the population," he says. He points out that during the past 50 years there has been a trend toward selecting male trees that didn't produce messy nuts or seeds. But they do produce pollen, a culprit in seasonal allergy miseries. "We'd like to use trees and bushes that don't generate pollen," says Mr. Lowans, adding that they expect to grow replacement trees in an organic, pesticide-free nursery in the community. Canada Lands and its consultants have given the Citizen an inside look at some of the eco-friendly thinking that will shape the massive Rockcliffe redevelopment. What makes Rockcliffe special are the number of sustainability measures and its large size. "Most demonstrations have one or two technologies at a time," says Mr. Lowans. "We will look at hundreds of innovations. We're trying to demonstrate this can be done on a wide scale." The Rockcliffe team have yet to establish targets, but, for example, they hope to make buildings at least 25-per-cent more energy efficient than required by the Ontario building code. Houses built in this way may cost "anywhere from a few thousand dollars more to $10,000," Mr. Lowans says. "But you've got significantly reduced energy bills. The payback is within three or four years." Neighbours of the airbase are expected to participate. The National Research Council, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology are all involved in sustainability and energy-efficiency research that could be applied -- and demonstrated -- in the houses and commercial buildings at Rockcliffe. - - - Imagining a new Rockcliffe Planners are proposing eight different neighbourhoods to be built on the former air base. Photos from other cities show the character of buildings and streetscapes they envision Centretown The town centre would include a "high street" with shops, offices, public transit and a market square. There will be apartments and offices above shops as well as residential buildings looking out over a network of linear parks. Research City Connected to Centretown on the east side by a main street, this area is beside the current National Research Council campus. It would be a mixed-use district of housing, office and retail with an emphasis on employment related to research. Montreal Road Gateway Currently vacant lands owned by National Research Council would be developed as a mixed-use area fronting onto Montreal Road. It would include offices, retail stores and a mix of low to mid-rise apartment buildings. Public transit would enter the site through here. Forest HousesThe northeast corner of the site, currently occupied by the former residences of officers, could be redeveloped as a showcase for custom designed houses within a treed landscape. Hill Town Located on top of the escarpment, this is a sloped area that overlooks the Ottawa River. It would be mostly residential, likely a mix of single-family houses, rowhouses and apartments. North, South and West villages Located at the west end of site, these areas are currently occupied by military housing, which could be renovated and updated. It is potentially a mixed-use area, but not one of high density. Open house this week When: Wednesday. The public may view displays starting at 5.30 p.m. Formal presentations and a public forum take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Where: Canada Aviation Museum More at ottawacitizen.com o An interactive map with more images, views and examples of the types of communities being considered. o More images from the innovative Stockholm neighbourhood of Hammarby Sjostad. o Read previous stories by Maria Cook about the Rockcliffe redevelopment.
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