A proposal for high-rise buildings in Little Italy is making residents and business owners fearful that the buildings will overtake the low-rise areas, but the project’s designer says the proposal will encourage growth in the neighbourhood.
George Dark, an urban designer from Urban Strategies Inc. in Toronto, wants to build new roads along the O-Train tracks, construct nine-storey buildings along the tracks west of Preston Street, build 40-storey high-rises along Carling Avenue and 18-storey high-rises along Rochester Street.
He says building high-rises and new roads will make Little Italy a “very intriguing place” for people.
He says the plan will make the area “a place in the city that’s very ripe.”
But residents and business owners are worried that nine-storey buildings could overtake the low-lying residential areas and that roads could be built near the O-Train tracks.
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes says Little Italy does not need more roads.
“There’s the ability for hundreds of new residents to come into the area,” she says.
This means public transit needs to be encouraged to keep cars off the road.
“In theory we would want people accessing that transit station by walking, cycling and transit,” Holmes says.
Joe Cotroneo, vice-chair of the Preston Street BIA and owner of Pub Italia in Little Italy, agrees.
“Here they are preaching they want no more cars in the core, yet they are going to build more roads,” he says.
Another concern is constructing nine-storey buildings just west of Preston Street. While Cotroneo says he doesn’t mind high-rises on Carling, he says building in the residential area could “spoil the district.”
Constructing nine-storey buildings will “undermine the residential community.”
It is a significant part of Little Italy. It has a cultural and historical importance to the area, Holmes says
Michael Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, says a main drawing factor to the neighbourhood is the low-rise feel.
Cotroneo says having high-rises anywhere in the neighbourhood will create a “tunnel of shade” and will “discourage patios and pedestrian traffic.”
While designer Dark has faced much criticism about his plan, he says he has taken the concerns into account.
“I wouldn’t see the entire area get converted randomly into high-rise buildings,” he says. “That would be the last thing I would do.”
Dark says he has carefully considered where to put the high-rise buildings, but more important, where not to put them.
Despite worry from residents that Dark is from out of town, he says he has worked in Ottawa for the last 15 years and is in the city almost every week.
“I don’t usually bring a Toronto-based response to the cities we’re working in, because it wouldn’t work,” he says.
Cotroneo is more skeptical, saying Dark’s plan could be the end of Little Italy.