By Sandra Oey
Residents and business owners on Preston Street will not have to worry about their basements flooding during storms for much longer as plans for the street’s redevelopment began this month.
However, the redevelopment could cost up to $30 million.
On Oct. 10, the City of Ottawa and the Preston Street Business Improvement Association held an open house for the Preston Street Rehabilitation Project.
The information session was a chance for the public to ask questions, view initial construction plans and blueprints, as well as give opinions and feedback.
Four more informational open houses for the public will be held before and during the construction period.
Construction is set to begin next summer along Preston Street stretching from Albert Street to Carling Avenue.
The project will take about three years to complete, according to Ravi Mehta, a senior engineer for the City of Ottawa.
“We want [the residents] to let us know what are [their] concerns, ideas and worries,” he says.
“[The plans] are very general right now.”
As for the $30 million price tag, Mehta says it is just a preliminary estimate and will most likely change as plans for the redevelopment continue.
One of the main goals of the project is to reconstruct the old sewer lines along the street. The city and the BIA hope to put in a new sewer system in Little Italy that will protect from flooding for 100 years.
Mehta says the old sewer lines are prone to leaking during heavy rain causing basements in the area to flood.
Along with the sewer construction, plans are also in place to improve the overall appearance of the street.
The association wants to widen the sidewalks as well as add more trees, decorative street lamps and patios.
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes says the city and the BIA want to change the image of Preston Street to more of a promenade where people can spend their day.
“We want to create a much more pedestrian-friendly street where people want to stop and have dinner, or sit out and have a cup of coffee,” says Holmes.
Lori Mellor, president of the Preston Street Business Improvement Association, says to achieve this promenade image, the association is putting in $600, 000 into the rehabilitation project.
The businesses on Preston Street will be taxed for the amount, but it will be spread out over the next 20 years.
Mellor says the city has a standard on the amount of street lamps or trees they can put into an area. Anything extra is financed by the BIA.
“It’s a huge compromise and you have to negotiate a lot about money when you have this many businesses in one area,” she says.
“But every business here is interested in expanding the street and adding more color.”
According the Mehta, the city and the BIA are currently working out ways to make construction run smoothly so it does not place a burden on the businesses and residents.
Kristen Dolenko, who lives on the corner of Rochester and Elm Street, says she is concerned the construction will cause more noisy trucks to divert to quieter streets.
“I’m hoping [the city] will have the graciousness to put up a residents only sign in my area because the noise and the increase traffic will be a problem,” she says.
Mehta says one option is to follow what Westboro did during their rehabilitation project. Construction was done on part of the area while leaving the other side open.
Once the first half was completed, construction began on the second half.
“Three years is a long time to do construction, and the BIA is concerned it will effect businesses and residences so we are trying to find ways to minimize disruption,” says Mehta
Despite the inconvenience the construction will cause, Mellor says the end results will be worth it.
“We’re very excited; this is going to make Preston Street more of a destination where people will want to be.”
The next information open house on the Preston Street rehabilitation project will take place in December.