A week ago, I asked what spaces in Vanier you would identify as great public spaces – either ones that already are, or that hold the potential to be. The question was framed through a ‘placemaking’ lens, an approach to creating vibrant places that emphasizes (1) listening to the needs and desires of all who live, work or play in a given space, and (2) drawing on a space’s amenities (e.g., play structures, cafés, heritage buildings) to create places that are accessible, comfortable, social and filled with activities.
As noted, the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) refers to the Power of Ten -- the importance of creating ten great places in any neighbourhood, each with at least ten things to do. So, what places might make up Vanier’s Ten? Each of the locations below, in no particular order, already offers a number of amenities on which to build. Some of these are already great places. With the community’s creative energy and the amenities we already see, others could be shaped into great places. Reactions?
1. Little needs to be said for Richelieu Park – already a great place. With its sugar bush, local library, play structure, sports field, community garden, museum, heritage designation, sculpture of the Virgin Mary and a host of outdoor programs in winter (e.g., Winter Carnival, Sugar Festival) and summer (e.g., Music Under the Stars, Movies in the Park, Boot Camps), this is a truly vibrant place. Could a pedestrian link to the Beechwood Cemetery be opened to enhance accessibility to the site’s many amenities for residents of Manor Park and communities north of Beechwood?
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2. The AEFO will soon begin construction of their office and commercial complex at 250 Montreal Road, the vacant lot between Begin and Dupuis – the heart of what had earlier been envisioned as the French Quarter (giving us today’s iron fences, traditional lampposts and red-brick sidewalks). At the ground level, the proposed development emphasizes the creation of a public plaza, with potential for a Farmers Market or other outdoor programming, and with a café and restaurant overlooking the space. The site lies adjacent to the former City Hall and elementary school (now converted to condominiums) at 297 Dupuis, and will lie below a green wall on the new AEFO garage. The pedestrianized Dupuis Street, adjacent to the site, has already hosted neighbourhood parties and may feature in this summer’s Festival of Nations and other community celebrations.
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3. A number of readers pointed to Optimiste Park as a great space, “always full of children and families playing together, regardless of the season.” Home to one of only two outdoor pools in all of Vanier, the park also contains a basketball court, play structure and outdoor rink in winter. It’s future is also promising, with Domicile having contributed towards its renewal in the years to come. The Beechwood Community Design Plan envisions linking the park to Beechwood Avenue by only slightly narrowing Ste Cecile – an idea that could enhance connections and activity in the park. Working with 8-80 Cities, residents of Centretown launched the Dundonald Park Initiative to “make a great park even better.” What might be our ideas for the future of Optimiste Park?
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4. Increasing amounts of street and sidewalk-level human activity will continue to shape this corner. In its planned development for 19 Beechwood (the “fire site”), Minto is intending to include ground floor commercial, with a small cut-out at the corner of Beechwood and MacKay for a café or restaurant patio. With small patios already on two other corners of this intersection (the Clocktower, Farb’s, Da Bombe) and adjacent shops, the corner could become a hub, with social activity at various sites bringing together communities north and south of Beechwood. The location is also expected to lie on the City’s east-west bikeway, with the City recently confirming in its report on the Minto development that “bicycle lanes will be integrated into the streetscape.” Already lying on the Ottawa Marathon route (a potential cheering station?), opportunities for social interaction are increasing. Could public art, here or at the entrance to Beechwood, be added?
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5. Located on the Rideau River, Vanier’s riverfront provides a significant greenspace for the neighbourhood. The play structures, sports fields, pathways and open spaces of Riverain Park, south of Montreal Road, already attract many residents and visitors alike. Located between the River and River Road, the park also draws a lunchtime crowd from nearby office towers. The NCC recreational pathways offer further connections north to Kingsview and New Edinburgh, south to Overbrook, and soon west (after construction of the pedestrian and cycling bridge at Donald Street) to Sandy Hill.
Several readers commented on the importance of this space. Inspired by Amsterdam’s Vondelpark, one raised the possibility of opening a café in the park, to be surrounded by a children’s playground. Others have considered this as a possible location for a skatepark (after Vanier’s only skatepark at Baribeau Park closed years ago). Riverain also lies across the street from the property currently known as the Eastview Shopping Centre – a space that could be redeveloped within the next few years (see below).
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Several readers commented on the importance of this space. Inspired by Amsterdam’s Vondelpark, one raised the possibility of opening a café in the park, to be surrounded by a children’s playground. Others have considered this as a possible location for a skatepark (after Vanier’s only skatepark at Baribeau Park closed years ago). Riverain also lies across the street from the property currently known as the Eastview Shopping Centre – a space that could be redeveloped within the next few years (see below).
6. The site holds potential now – and in the future. Readers pointed to the small, circular “square” on the southeast corner of the Montreal Road / River Road intersection, adjacent to the former Paul’s Esso. Could the installation of public art (where a statue of Georges Vanier was once to be installed), or the development of an outdoor café be imagined?
As noted, redevelopment of the Eastview Shopping Centre property is expected, and the current rewriting of the Site Specific Policy for this part of Montreal Road is expected to ensure that future development better aligns with the characteristics of a traditional mainstreet (e.g., buildings close to the street, ground-floor commercial spaces, such as shops or cafés and a focus on human-scale). Located across from Riverain Park and on Montreal Road, the site is well connected. A significant gateway to Vanier -- visible from the Cummings Bridge, for example – might the community consider the property an appropriate site for a “landmark building”? The idea was recently introduced in the Centretown Community Design Plan, with the City referring to those sites “that make both significant and exceptional contributions to the public realm and overall identity of [the neighbourhood].”
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As noted, redevelopment of the Eastview Shopping Centre property is expected, and the current rewriting of the Site Specific Policy for this part of Montreal Road is expected to ensure that future development better aligns with the characteristics of a traditional mainstreet (e.g., buildings close to the street, ground-floor commercial spaces, such as shops or cafés and a focus on human-scale). Located across from Riverain Park and on Montreal Road, the site is well connected. A significant gateway to Vanier -- visible from the Cummings Bridge, for example – might the community consider the property an appropriate site for a “landmark building”? The idea was recently introduced in the Centretown Community Design Plan, with the City referring to those sites “that make both significant and exceptional contributions to the public realm and overall identity of [the neighbourhood].”
7. St. Charles parish is a significant piece of Vanier’s heritage, having once served as a hub for the community’s francophone Catholic population (history piece). The church’s front lawn is a welcomed green space on Beechwood. With the closing of the parish, and the expectation of the property soon being listed on the market, this is the time for reimagining St. Charles. C’est Chill, held in December, 2012, with its outdoor concerts, food vendors and art on the lawn, offered a hint of what could be possible. Could the building itself be repurposed into an arts or cultural facility (link), or how else might the site enhance the Beechwood street environment?
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8. Between the Cummings Bridge and the Vanier Parkway, Montreal Road offers a mix of narrow storefronts and larger commercial spaces hugging the sidewalk. With the rewritten Site Specific Policy expected to emphasize a traditional mainstreet designation, and with the prospect of new pedestrian wayfinding signs facilitated by the Community Association and Art Benches being proposed by the BIA, the “walk appeal” or public realm here can only improve. Could small galleries enhance the space, or would organizations like Invest Ottawa or the Community Loan Fund be available to guide the development of new startups? Could a design or ideas competition be launched to find ideas for our vacant spaces?
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9. Renewed in 2009-10, the park contains a splash pad and new play structure, and hosts Viva Vanier each September, a one-day neighbourhood party that attracts hundreds of children and parents, including live music, food, a bicycle parade, games and a bouncy castle. Last summer, area residents hosted the park’s first Movies in the Park. The park’s renewal was informed by resident input, and financed in part by the redevelopment of an adjacent property, the St Denis development.
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10. As the PPS writes, “there’s no reason to get fixated on a particular number. What’s essential to keep in mind are the ultimate goals of variety and choice." Other Vanier spaces might also be considered. Assumption School’s grounds benefited from “Let Them be Kids” and hundreds of volunteers in 2012, resulting in new play structures, murals and gardens; the school also lies adjacent to a number of other large open spaces. Vanier’s Lourdes Grotto, adjacent to the expansive Notre Dame Cemetery, provides a quiet space for reflection and rituals mere steps from Montreal Road. Vanier’s cenotaph on Marier offers a quiet space connecting past and present, while Marier’s mixed uses could make the street a more pedestrian and cycle-friendly connection Beechwood and Montreal Road, with cafés, galleries and small shops, ending at Place Vanier / Dupuis Street. Throughout Vanier, the overlapping grids also create a number of triangular pocket-like parks – many with flowers already maintained by Vanier Beautification – that could become sitting areas or spaces for art.
In closing
Vanier’s diversity may be our greatest asset; this diversity needs to inform community conversation. “You know that you’re in a great place when you’re surrounded by all different sorts of people, but still feel like you belong…” the PPS writes. To reiterate last week’s question, how might we, as people who live, work and play in Vanier’s many spaces, participate further in the creation of public spaces that we can celebrate, that reflect our needs and aspirations, and that strengthen feelings of connection to one another? Our collective imagination and creativity is a great place to start.
(Mike Bulthuis)
In closing
Vanier’s diversity may be our greatest asset; this diversity needs to inform community conversation. “You know that you’re in a great place when you’re surrounded by all different sorts of people, but still feel like you belong…” the PPS writes. To reiterate last week’s question, how might we, as people who live, work and play in Vanier’s many spaces, participate further in the creation of public spaces that we can celebrate, that reflect our needs and aspirations, and that strengthen feelings of connection to one another? Our collective imagination and creativity is a great place to start.
(Mike Bulthuis)
Image:
Top left to bottom right: St. Charles Square during C’est Chill (VanierNow); Aerial view of Riverain Park (Google Maps); Vanier Winter Carnaval (VanierNow); Lumberjack competition (Cole Burston/Ottawa Citizen); Vanier Farmers’ Market (Tracey Gainforth); Vanier Community Garden (VanierNow); Les Mosquitos at C’est Chill (VanierNow); ‘My Beechwood Includes…’ chalkboard (VanierNow)
Top left to bottom right: St. Charles Square during C’est Chill (VanierNow); Aerial view of Riverain Park (Google Maps); Vanier Winter Carnaval (VanierNow); Lumberjack competition (Cole Burston/Ottawa Citizen); Vanier Farmers’ Market (Tracey Gainforth); Vanier Community Garden (VanierNow); Les Mosquitos at C’est Chill (VanierNow); ‘My Beechwood Includes…’ chalkboard (VanierNow)
Banner Images: Google Streetview (2012)