The Booth Street complex is fenced off for soil decontamination. The project is to be completed in March.
A makeover of some federally owned property is under way in the southwest corner of Centretown, where a long-term plan to sell one site is moving forward and a soil remediation project is underway next door thanks to funding from the federal economic stimulus program.
Earlier this month, a new round of soil cleanup work began at the sprawling Natural Resources Canada property bordered by Booth, Norman and Rochester streets.
And next to NRCan’s Booth Street complex, at the northeast corner of Carling Avenue and LeBreton Street, demolition work is expected to begin soon on an abandoned building once owned by the Federal District Commission, forerunner of the NCC.
With the low-slung, dilapidated structure now surrounded by a blue fence and scheduled to be torn down this winter, the land would become prime real estate for the government to sell.
Lori Mellor, executive director of the Preston Street BIA, says that because of its location beside a number of large government buildings, the site’s ideal future would be as a high-rise, high-density residential or office complex.
“I can see a high-rise condo development, apartments, offices, any of those – high-rise and dense because you won’t be shadowing anyone’s land,” she says.
Other neighbours in the community agree.
“I like the idea of a potential high-rise,” says Sarah Anderson, a neighbour living directly across the street from the potential site.
Anderson says a major real estate development would really help the area grow.
Caysha Saddleback, another neighbour near the Booth Street complex, also says a high-rise would be a good idea, but thinks a school would be an even better option.
Some residents say they are opposed to a major residential development.
Christine Necsulescu has been living in the area with her husband for about 13 years and says that a high-rise development would not be welcomed in their community.
“A couple of floors is one thing,” she says. “But a high-rise — that’s another.”
Meanwhile, at the adjacent Booth Street complex, a 1,600-sq.-m area of contaminated soil is to be removed from one section of the property and safely deposited at a separate provincially approved site.
The work marks the final step in a three-stage process to clean up contaminated land amid the NRCan buildings along Booth Street north of Carling Avenue.
The first stage started in December, with work in the southeast quadrant of the complex between Booth and LeBreton streets.
That project included the excavation and disposal of 35,000 square meters of contaminated soil, more than 20 times the amount slated for removal this fall.
The second stage began in February, with another 5,000-sq.-m section of dirt sent for disposal.
In 2001, a series of environmental assessments indicated that land in the area contained varying levels of contamination.
Chemicals included petroleum hydrocarbons (gasoline), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (a by-product of coal processing) and heavy metals, according to NRCan’s website.
Historical records show that the land was previously used as a rail-and-lumber yard as well as for various gas stations, all of which are being blamed by the federal government as the prime contributors to the land’s current contamination problems.
Despite being aware of the contamination nine years ago, the levels of toxicity were considered low and not harmful to the health of the public or the environment.
Mellor blames lack of funding for the long delay in completing the soil remediation project.
But with the Conservative government’s announcement last year of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, funding was earmarked for a new program designed to help federal departments deal with contaminated properties.
“They haven’t had money to fix these properties up and now they do,” says Mellor. “So that’s encouraging.”