Much like the original occupants of Little Italy, the community’s current residents are quick to welcome new neighbours, but are adamant that they will not tolerate any potential harm to their heritage-designated neighbourhood.
Nearly a dozen highrise projects are either proposed, approved or under construction along the community’s periphery, which will add more than 2,500 new residential units to the neighbourhood when completed.
The city’s approval of Richcraft Homes’ proposed three-building condo complex last week, including what would be Ottawa’s tallest building at 55 storeys, is expected to bring around 1,100 units to the Dow Honda site at Preston Street and Carling Avenue alone.
“Of course we welcome new neighbours,” says Mike Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association. “Bringing in new people, increasing the density and increasing the attention this area receives, has a lot of benefits.”
“However, we need to ensure that our community’s needs are being met with so many people coming in.”
He says one of the biggest concerns is the shared use of public amenities, such as parks, libraries and community space.
“Little Italy already has the lowest green space per capita among communities in Ottawa,” says Powell. “To have to share that with so many new neighbours, when we are already fighting to get more, is an issue.”
Another issue is the allocation of community funds – as part of an agreement with the city for necessary zoning amendments to accommodate the buildings’ height, Richcraft agreed to pledge $3.4 million towards improving the community. However, Powell says about a third of this money is being used to bury hydro wires that, given the development’s planned design, will need to be buried anyway.
Roman Zakaluzny, a member of local advocacy group Save Little Italy, says he is also comfortable with having new neighbours, no matter who they are.
“I’m actually looking forward to seeing a bigger mix of young people who may not have families, students, anyone, in this community,” says Zakaluzny.
But like many others, he is also quick to point out a concern that has plagued residents and reached a boiling point last summer when the city approved a nine-storey building on centrally located Norman Street.
“One thing we will not allow are highrises in the centre of Little Italy, especially on the quiet, residential side streets,” he says.
According to Zakaluzny, allowing vertical development in Little Italy’s heart would wreak havoc in the narrow streets, many of which are one-way with zoning bylaws that dictate a maximum building height of four stories.
But the issues don’t just end there – allowing developers the freedom to build on any property they can get their hands on can have a “cancerous” effect on the community.
“It will pressure residents into selling their properties at much less than they end up being worth,” says Zakaluzny. “Once the tumour has been planted – a developer grabbing one property – it will spread from one property to another as they continue building.”
It’s a cancer that can affect both residential properties and local businesses as well. Joe Cotroneo, vice-chair of the Preston Street BIA and owner of Pub Italia, says he believes the highrises could impact the walkable nature of the community.
“It’s definitely not a good thing to walk down the street and see these towering buildings,” he says. “One of Little Italy’s best features is the fact that you can walk all along and enjoy Preston Street.”
“It will be interesting to see how Little Italy develops over the next few years,” says Powell. “We will definitely be watching very closely what plans the city has for the community over the next 20 years.”