By Jennifer Pak
Preston Street is spicing up its appearance to reflect its image as Ottawa’s Little Italy.
“It’s to the benefit of everybody in the city of Ottawa for this street to become what we want, which is a grand boulevard outside of the central core,” says Peter Harris, a representative on the steering committee for the Preston Streetscape study.
The purpose of the study is to improve the image of Preston.
In the 1970s, the provincial government saw people moving out of city centres across the province in favour of the suburbs.
A fund was set up to help cities renew their main streets to combat this trend. But by the time Preston was ready to make improvements, the fund had dried up, says Harris. Streets like Bank, Sparks and Richmond, all benefited from the funding.
After consulting individual businesses on Preston, Harris found an overwhelming concern with the appearance of the street.
He says there are proposals to make sidewalks bigger and to dress up every major intersection by incorporating an Italian cultural theme like fountains and interesting light fixtures. Both the city and business owners will fund the projects.
Individual businesses should also take initiative in developing a creative European image like Pub Italia, a restaurant and pub on Preston, says Harris.
“If everybody on the street did something creative like Pub Italia, we wouldn’t need a streetscape study,” he says.
Architecture students at Carleton worked with businesses to draw up designs that bring out the character of the community. Students in the urban studies and heritage conservation workshop, led by Jim Mountain, teamed up with the commonwealth consulting group working on the streetscape study.
Tony Rota, owner of Nikktinna’s Cafe and Deli, says the students’ ideas brought a modern flair, while preserving Preston’s Italian culture and traditions.
Though it is too early to know how much of the students’ work will be incorporated on Preston, Mountain says it will definitely encourage businesses to take action.
Gulie Savignac, one of Mountain’s students, says working with Preston business owners was a great experience.
“[There is] a certain vitality and quality about that street that you can’t find anywhere else,” she says.
Preston is an ideal location, says Harris, because it links Dows Lake Pavilion at one end to LeBreton Flats, which will be home to the new war museum. From there, Wellington Street leads into the downtown core, connecting to the Rideau Canal and back to Dows Lake.
“Preston Street is very lucky to be able to include itself on this major destination circle that covers the feature points of the city of Ottawa,” he says.
The streetscape study will be completed this year. Then it is up to the city to approve the study’s proposals.
Residents can look forward to curbside patios and improvements to facades within the next two years, says Harris.