By Leah Hendry
Just when we thought the National Capital Commission’s idea of creating a grand boulevard leading up to Parliament Hill by widening Metcalfe Street was dead, someone removed the “do not resuscitate” order.
Last February the NCC dropped its outlandish plan after vehement objection from concerned businesses, municipal politicians and urban planners. But it appears the NCC hasn’t forgotten the idea.
This time, the NCC has suggested a revised plan which included moving the former U.S. Embassy west toward O’Connor Street to widen Metcalfe and turning Sparks into a residential development to bring people and life back into the downtown.
Feel like déjà vu?
Well, sort of, but this is the Coles Notes version.
Rather than widening Metcalfe all the way down to the Canadian Museum of Nature, the NCC proposed just picking up the U.S. Embassy, a heritage building, and plopping it somewhere else to create a breathtaking vista of Parliament Hill.
If tourists want to see Parliament Hill so badly they can walk up to Wellington Street, stand on the sidewalk and click a couple of pictures.
Now the NCC is saying the U.S. embassy is staying put and other heritage buildings probably won’t be moved.
Probably? The U.S. Embassy and the other heritage buildings shouldn’t be touched.
The only good idea is the residential aspect of Sparks Street, but that may be easier said then done. If it involves knocking heritage buildings down, forget it.
Perhaps businesses and a residential project could co-exist like what is set up in the market but the NCC hasn’t ironed out those plans.
Condos and rental units won’t make any sense if there aren’t bars and restaurants. The two must go hand in hand in order for the NCC to bring an urban ambiance to the area.
While the NCC’s revised plan is still in the works, its weakness was evident when Bob Chiarelli, regional chair for Ottawa-Carleton, was asked how far down Metcalfe the street would be widened. He declined to answer.
That sounds like the NCC is waiting to see how this idea goes over, try to win people on side with the Sparks street idea and then drop the bomb.
Bye, bye buildings, bye, bye businesses, bring in more construction to screw up traffic yet again.
Wake up NCC. We don’t want your idea, we never did.