This empty lot on Bank Street will likely remain empty until at least spring.
An empty courtyard on Bank Street is most likely going to stay empty until at least the spring, says Gerry LePage, executive director of the Bank Street BIA.
LePage says the BIA has not seen any activity in the space since last summer, and the cold of winter will likely prevent any until next year.
Morguard, one of Canada’s largest integrated real estate companies, owns the courtyard located on Bank Street in between Laurier Avenue West and Slater Street.
The lot is between two high-rise buildings, with an interlocking stone ground and decorative light posts placed to keep the area lit and visible at night. It looks charming and inviting except that it is surrounded by gates that are padlocked shut.
The company originally planned to put a park in the space, but LePage says the BIA suggested that might not be the best idea.
“We’ve noticed that pocket parks of that nature often attract pan handlers, vandalism, drug use and syringes and things like that,” says LePage. “It would probably require security during the day and at night.”
At that time, Northam Realty Advisors owned the space and LePage says the BIA recommended the company liven up the area with a café that would provide animation and that would offer security by virtue of having someone operating the café.
He says this is why the original restaurant was put in a few years ago. He says it was supposed to be a covered restaurant during the day and a club at night.
But the restaurant fell short of the expectations of the BIA and Northam.
LePage says the restaurant either went out of business or didn’t want to renew its contract. Either way, nothing has been built in the space since then.
Morguard purchased the lot from Northam in 2006.
Stan Wise owns Rings Etc. Jewellers across the street from the empty courtyard. He says he isn’t sure what has kept the lot empty, but he hopes something will be built there soon.
“They said two years ago they had a building and they were going to go ahead with it but now two years have passed and it’s still empty,” Wise says. “I really don’t know, it’s just taking a long time and I wish they would just go ahead and build.”
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes says that within the last year there was a request from the federal government for proposals to build an office building. She says Morguard submitted a development application to develop a third tower for the space but the company was not selected as the successful bidder. Since that time, the company has not been interested in renting the courtyard.
LePage says last summer the space was used to host salsa dancing lessons, aerobics classes and the Centretown Outdoor Theatre. He says the BIA wants to see some liveliness around that area.
"If you look at the amount of pedestrian and office workers around there it's very high density and it really lends itself perfectly to an outdoor café or some other use," says LePage. "We've always thought that it should be animated."
A representative from Morguard was not available for comment, but Holmes agrees that the street could use some energy.