Thanks to a development boom in Ottawa, millions of dollars are waiting to be spent on St. Luke’s Park in Centretown as well as other green spaces in the city.
St. Luke’s Park and Jack Purcell Park, both near Elgin Street, have about $525,000 set aside for improvements, and the money is coming from an unexpected source – property developers.
It might be difficult to imagine how new buildings of concrete and steel could make Jennifer Simm’s trips to St. Luke’s with her two-year-old daughter, which they take about four or five times per week, more enjoyable.
“Overall, it’s a great park,” Simms says. “It’s got different areas. It’s enjoyable too. And I love the tennis courts.”
At almost any time during the day there are youngsters on the playground, a pickup game of basketball or pairs out on the tennis court.
But the park could use some improvements, say locals who joined Simms at Jack Purcell Recreation Centre one Wednesday evening. The 25 or so neighbours met to talk walking paths, fencing, park seating and basketball nets, providing input to Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes.
Still, deciding exactly how the money will be spent takes some time. Consultations for improving St. Luke’s and Jack Purcell parks began in 2007 and are just winding down now.
“We have to go through a whole process of working with the public to determine what they want to see in their parks,” Holmes says. “It does take time.”
Holmes adds that it usually takes about a year to work with communities and determine what parks need. Improvements for St. Luke’s Park and Jack Purcell Park are being finalized now only because the city’s development boom made money available.
Under Ontario law, communities should benefit when property developers increase the density of neighbourhoods. To meet this requirement, developers whose projects increase density must contribute money to the city and a percentage of this money goes towards improving green spaces.
There’s also Ottawa’s so-called “cash-in-lieu of parkland” fund that requires developers to set aside land for parks or give cash to the city instead.
From these sources, Somerset Ward had nearly $2.5 million at the start of 2012.
About half is going to upgrades at Primrose Park and Chaudiere Park in the west end of the ward. The remaining money, about $1 million, is allocated for McNabb Park, at Bronson and Gladstone.
Holmes says the housing boom and the resulting funds, is particularly beneficial for Centretown.
“We have the least amount of green spaces than any other ward,” she says. “We certainly are short of children’s playgrounds, so if we want to bring families downtown, we have to improve the quality and the number of our children’s playgrounds.”
McNabb Park community consultations, as well as construction at Primrose and Chaudiere parks, are all set to start this November.
Construction in St. Luke’s Park and Jack Purcell Park is expected to begin next spring.