HERITAGE OTTAWA

The Glebe Community Association has filed an appeal of the proposed Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment to the Ontario Land Tribunal. Last fall City Council approved zoning and Official Plan amendments to allow the $419-million redevelopment with its private partner the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group to proceed.

The association is attempting to halt the $419-million Lansdowne plan based on two factors:

• The removal of greenspace from the public park; 
• The size of the proposed residential towers.

Under the approved plan, the redevelopment will relocate part of the new arena to existing green lawn used as part of the public park space. At the same time, the plan includes the addition of hundreds of new residents to the site with the construction of two residential towers that could be as high as 40 storeys. Lansdowne Park’s current residential buildings are 12 and 20 storeys in height. The appeal is arguing that the tower heights are “excessive” compared to other buildings in the larger Glebe neighbourhood. 

The Glebe Community Association Planning Chair, Carolyn Mackenzie, expressed their concern about shadowing cast by the towers over patios and other public spaces at Lansdowne, including designated heritage buildings important to the history of the site. The lack of any plan to improve transportation along Bank Street, one of only two roads that access the Park, is also a concern. 

“We just don’t feel [the proposal] is appropriately scaled for the site,” said Mackenzie to the CBC. 

Read the CBC story here.