City council tabled a draft of its official plan only this month, but it has already begun work toward the plan’s goals for the downtown core.
The city plan describes the downtown as the economic and cultural heart of the city, but suggests the area will be enhanced with increased residential development.
Anyone who has walked down Sparks Street after 5 p.m. could attest the neighbourhood virtually shuts down once government employees go home to the suburbs. Pedestrians are few and far between. Except for the traffic on the cross-streets between Bank and Elgin, an eerie silence pervades.
Few businesses remain open and residents look elsewhere to find entertainment, do their shopping and meet friends.That realization in itself is a strong enough reason to consider changes to the downtown.
Any improvement for the downtown community will require action, and judging by the 2003 budget this council is not planning to take a wait-and-see attitude.
As part of recent budget deliberations, council decided to end a four-year moratorium on commercial building permit fees downtown, which would raise commercial development costs to $10.50 per 1,000 square feet.
A number of downtown merchants and the federal government suggest the decision will have a negative effect on business development and the downtown economy. While it certainly will cost more to build a commercial development in downtown Ottawa, one must consider the alternatives it provides.
With higher fees associated with commercial developers, an increased number of downtown high-rise developments will probably be given multiple uses, including residential condominiums. Each of these developments brings potential consumers into the downtown core, by virtue of those people returning or staying in the core at night.
As development continues, downtown business will have to diversify and change to accommodate the residents. Of course, this diversification could come with a cost of government and corporate offices being built beyond the Greenbelt, potentially directing current business away from Centretown merchants.
That appears to be the price of change, one that will have to be weighed carefully by politicians and businessmen alike. Ultimately, is the status quo better for business? The simple answer is yes, but those who buy into the vision of a diversified downtown community can see economic benefit in the long-term.
In many ways though, this budget decision is just one step toward renewing the downtown community. It will take a full commitment from council and core businesses to embrace residential development and adapt to the services they require.
If they don’t take that commitment seriously, the official plan is for naught.
— Adam Bramburger