LeBreton Flats do-over starts with clean slate

The National Capital Commission (NCC) is shuffling how it plans thelatestdevelopment of LeBreton Flats.

Unlike the previous attempt, whenit asked the public what it thought of ashort list of proposals for the former industrial land just west of Ottawa's core, the NCCis going to the people earlier.

Nearly 300 people attended the NCC'sfirst public consultation on redeveloping LeBreton Flats Tuesday night at the Canadian War Museum, just months after the deal with the Ottawa Senators-backed RendezVous LeBretonGroup fell through.

The director of theproject said theyfirst wantto understand what Ottawans wantto see atthe site.

"From that we're going to be creating this master concept plan for the whole site, which is going to guide development over the years,"Katie Paris said.

TheNCC wants to get the cityto approvethatmaster plan in2020, which woulddesignateareas of LeBreton Flats fordifferent uses such as housing, office space, parks, plazas and open spaces,Paris said.

It could then request proposals and be ready to start construction in 2022 a year after its goal to start building on a specific section of land near Albert and Booth streets.

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The NCC has also drafted a set of guiding principles to help steer the site'sdevelopment over time.

"Bringing a new signature useto LeBreton Flats [and] not wasting the opportunity that this amazing site offers," Parissaid.

"Valuing nature [and]putting in place really high sustainability goals Building a neighbourhood that's going to be resilient to climate change over time [and] creating community, which means a diverse community."

The site covers23.9 hectares and will beserved by light railat Bayview and Pimisi stations.

'Right mix of people and jobs and shops'

Michael Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, attended the consultationand said he thinks the NCC's approach will allow for a more "gradual development" process that doesn't cater to the needs of any one developer.

"What I want to see is an effective and functioning community what was replaced 55, 60 years ago. And I think ... what makes a place vital is the right mix of people and jobs and shops, so it's going to have to have residences, it's going to have to have good public space that works ... that will be connected to the rest of the community," Powell said.

"I want us to be ambitious, and I want us to try something that we have perhaps not seen in other places."

'We really want to get moving'

5 years ago

Duration 1:02

Michael Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, and Katie Paris, director of the NCC's LeBreton rebuild, say the public is ready to see development at LeBreton Flats.

Eric Darwin, who writesa blog about the surrounding neighbourhood,also attended the consultation. Hewas pleased to see the NCCdisplaying internationalmidrise and highrise developments as inspiration.

"We are no longer looking at urban developments that are centered around townhouses or stacked townhouses. You're starting with seven-storey apartment buildings and then putting towers in between them," Darwin said.

"In order to achieve things like energy efficiency and carbon neutrality and the sort of population density you want to make vibrant sidewalks, you're not going to get that building townhouses."

Community ideas

Ron Melchers lives in the area andsaid he's not interested in having an NHLarena atthe site, as was the plan last time around.

Instead, he'd like the redevelopment to be an extension of the community that already exists.

"I'd like to see the natural setting preserved to some extent and enhanced," he said.

Sarah Zaman also lives nearby anddoesn't wantanarena on the site either.

"I'm hoping that it's well integrated with the surrounding communities [and] that it doesn't just sort of stand alone on its own," she said.

Zaman said she'd like to see the site cater to young familiesas well as younger residents who are moving into the area.

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Westboro resident JaneLindsay said she wants the new development to reflectthe city and what the capital ought to representto the rest of the country.

"I would like if at all possible for it to be a model of green development," she said. "Canada needs to take a stand on this we're behind some other countries now."

Lindsay said althoughconsulting the public canbe challenging, it's important and necessary.

"I know there's tradeoffs, but I think it's vital to err on the side of the consulting, the over-explaining and being willing to honestly answer questions because that's what gets you buy-in," she said.

The NCC has also posted an online surveyfor residents to fill out until July 2 at midnight.