The Central Lawn Bowling Club has sat empty for about 10 years.
The landmark lawn-bowling green at Bronson and Gladstone avenues will be replaced by a skateboard park as part of a planned redevelopment of McNabb Park – and local skateboarders are working to ensure the most is made of it.
Residents had the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal, which will also include a new play structure and community garden.
“It’s going to be a renovated, rejuvenated park,” says Patrick Legault, the city’s project manager. “It’s repurposed in a way to meet contemporary needs. The skate park, the community garden – these things are in demand today.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact date when the Central Lawn Bowling Club officially closed its doors. Legault says the club, which had been experiencing a decline for decades, shut down sometime within the last 10 years: “It just sort of petered out I guess.”
Nonetheless, its tall rusted fence has remained a constant presence on Bronson Avenue. The unsightly barrier is to be replaced in order to make the park more inviting for pedestrians.
An artist's rendering shows a much lower fence dotted with trees along the busy street. Complementing this will be a special “art fence” entrance near the corner of Gladstone Avenue.
The artwork will be created by Ottawa’s Tim Desclouds, the same artist responsible for the red chairs perched on tall poles at street corners in the Glebe. His all-steel tree artwork will invite pedestrians intothe park.
The city’s proposed design has allotted what is now a vacant pitch – approximately 13,000 square feet – to a new outdoor skate park.
Kyle Robertson, manager of the Antique Skate Shop on Florence Street, says there are few options for skaters in the area. “There’s never been a permanent (skate) park anywhere in the downtown area, not just Centretown.”
Now, Antique is banding together with other skateboarders in the city to make the most out of this proposal through the Ottawa Skateboard Community Association.
Aaron Cayer, who owns the store, says the city was very receptive when they began lobbying for a new facility for their sport. However, with the current budget of $300,000, the skate park will only be able to cover about half of the space allotted to it. In response, the organization launched a program called “1 square foot,” encouraging community members to donate enough to create the second half of the park.
“We’re trying to sell the skate park one square foot at a time,” Cayer says. By breaking their larger $200,000 goal into smaller chunks – namely $40 pieces that each equate to one new square foot of the park – they have faith in accomplishing their goal.
By giving skateboarders more space than the city can afford, planners have allowed for an expansion if the group finds the funding. Cayer says this ensures “every dollar actually makes a difference.” Until the time that goal is reached, the park will be smaller but still functional.
The skateboard association, which collects donations through its website www.1sqaurefoot.ca, has already raised $10,000. However, Cayer says “the biggest push” is just beginning. The association is forming an alliance with Rotary Ottawa in order to give out tax receipts to donors, giving more incentive for large corporations (and larger donations) to get involved.
In addition, a fundraiser is planned the first weekend of November at the restaurant Town on Elgin Street, and another event on Nov. 30 at the Fall Down Gallery on Bank Street.
The city hopes to begin work on the park this spring.