The National Capital Commission is extending the deadline for proposals to the Lebreton Flats redevelopment after its invitation to “imagine a world class destination,” caused some developers to ask for more time.
The deadline, originally set for Dec. 5, has been extended to give developers an extra month to re-envision the huge swath of downtown real estate, which is the size of about 40 football fields.
Mike Powell, president of Dalhousie Community Association, says he hopes the NCC receives “fulsome competition that attracts real ideas for the area.”
He adds: “I’m glad to see that the NCC is finally moving forward on the redevelopment of the rest of LeBreton Flats, which for too long sat neglected. Rarely does a city have this much vacant land sitting centrally in its core; rarer still do we see it take decades to get moving on developing it.”
The NCC encourages developers to dream big and envision a space that would add a “unique public experience to the nation’s capital,” according to the invitation on the federal agency’s website.
The extensive bike paths and the future arrival of the LRT to LeBreton Flats are certain to attract many more people to the area, says Shirley Liu, an urban designer for Fotenn Consultant Inc., a land use planning and urban design company with experience in Centertown. The daily influx of cyclists and commuters makes this a particularly attractive location to developers.
“It’s for sure important to consider what is already going on in the area too,” says Liu. The large highrise condominiums, festival grounds and the Canadian War Museum leave LeBreton Flats lacking in community atmosphere, she says.
“It’s great that this whole site will really be used now,” she adds, “but it’s important to maintain that local, friendly and approachable feel that you see in surrounding areas like Little Italy and Chinatown.”
And that is exactly what the NCC says it is looking for. The previous plan for LeBreton Flats was to build a mostly residential area. The new vision is changing that up. The NCC now says they are looking for primarily non-residential space that “fosters public access and experience, at least within the ground floors of buildings.”
While Mario Tremblay, spokesperson for the NCC, says the agency cannot comment on any submitted proposals, the recent closure of the Canada Science and Technology Museum has sparked rumours about the possibility of its relocating to LeBreton Flats.
Other ideas include the construction of a new Ottawa Public Library – and idea touted by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson – or the relocating the Ottawa Senators from Kanata’s Canadian Tire Center to a downtown location, though no official statements have been made.
The new deadline for proposals is Jan. 7. The NCC will invite the public to comment on the selected design proposals next February.