The Remaking of Ottawa's Byward Market
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8 - Barrie Advance, Thursday OCTOBER 16, 2008 WHERE YOU GO, FOR WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW VIDEOZONE BLOGS EVENT CALENDAR OTHER FEATURES It’s back to • Janis Ramsay looks for • Looking for something • Up-to-the-moment Ottawa for the perfect pumpkin pic. to do? Visit our Events news • Auctions • Photo Barrie MP • Glenn Perrett welcomes Calendar for a list of what is galleries • Real Estate • Patrick Brown. Indy, Iron Man on DVD. happening in our region. Classifieds • Goldbook • SPECIAL REPORT BARRIE COULD LEARN BY OTTAWA’S EXPERIENCE This fall, Barrie will be dealing with The discussion will hopefully focus Innisfil continues to look grim. There the future for Barrie and its downtown. the public in the process that redesigns how to revitalize its historic neighbour- on how the city should direct reinvest- are six neighbourhoods on the edge of They supply downtown with people and reinvigorates. hoods, as well as what to do with the ment and rebuild the blocks at the downtown which each offer tree-lined to shop, eat and possibly work down- Read on to find out about one old Allandale Station. The point of edge of the core, especially since the streets, their own sense of style and a town. Ottawa neighbourhood that went both exercises is to find ways to attract city is reaching its borders – and the sense of community. Ottawa has been a leader in plan- through its share of challenging years: investment into the city’s heartland. possibility of a border expansion with Together, these areas will bolster ning vibrant, core districts and including the ByWard Market. The remaking Ottawa used of Ottawa’s upside- ByWard Market down In the past 20 years, the city’s historic market area has grown, both geographically and culturally thinking By Laurie Watt the Westminster area of London, By Laurie Watt STAFF England. STAFF For Ottawa’s community planning The fruit and vegetable stands, the and design division manager Richard raditionally, mu- craft stands and the historic ByWard Kilstrom, the neighbourhood is close nicipal planning is a Market building were just all opening to his heart: his family had moved top-down activity: the up for the day as we walked westward into the area when he was in elemen- municipality creates from what was once the fringe of the tary school. Now as a professional an Official Plan (the market area. planner, he is one of the leading long-term guiding In the past 20 years, Ottawa’s his- players in revitalizing the area with Tdocument), refines a zoning bylaw to toric market area has grown, both historic homes that had been covered give some detail to its OP and then geographically and culturally. over with aluminum siding and fake developers propose projects that Once the place where Lowertown brick. either fit or require amendments to loggers and their families tended to With Ontario urging municipalities the OP or zoning bylaw – and public their daily needs, the market experi- to intensify, the area is ready to accept involvement is limited to comment- enced difficult decades of downturn. more people and jobs, thanks in part ing on those proposals. Ottawa turned Ottawa, however, has looked to build to Ottawa 20/20, a strategy to revital- that thinking upside down. on the market’s heritage and created ize the city’s core neighbourhoods. Envisioning the city’s core as be- a district that blends the flavour of ing a vibrant place locally, regionally New Orleans’ French Quarter with ARCHITECTURE / Page 8 and nationally, the city identified redevelopment opportunities for each of several downtown districts, includ- ing the ByWard Market. In December 2002, the city began consulting with the public on how to make the city’s core-area neighbour- hoods places where people would want to live and where employers would want to locate. The result is Ottawa 20/20. The first document, published in 2004, identifies several neighbour- hoods, general strategies for revital- For Ottawa’s community planning and design division manager Richard Kilstrom, izing the core areas and then targeted the neighbourhood is close to his heart: his family had moved into the area when he was in elementary school. Now as a professional planner, he is one of the leading precinct strategies. players in revitalizing the area with historic homes that had been covered over with aluminum siding and fake brick. ENHANCING / Page 8 10 - Barrie Advance, Thursday OCTOBER 16, 2008 The Barrie Advance news.barrieadvance.com Genealogy meeting Architecture is eclectic The Simcoe County branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society is meeting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18. Continued from Page 8 The meeting is at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Enhancing Day Saints, 79 Ferris Lane in Barrie. “Urban design is very tightly controlled be- Ruth Blair will be the guest speaker, talking about Do- cause it is a heritage conservation district. One ing Irish Research from Ontario. Everyone is welcome to guideline is the new shouldn’t imitate an old Ottawa’s attend. building, but it’s a statement of its own time. For more information, call 728-1170. It should reflect its own time, but look like its time and how it relates,” explained Kilstrom, heritage as we walked along Clarence Street, with its mix of old and new. Continued from Page 8 Clarence was once on the fringe; it’s now central, a blend of a new bed and breakfast Generally speaking, the city beside city housing and across the street from looked at streetscapes – how to historic homes. At 8:30 a.m., young profes- make them more appealing to pe- sionals headed to offices, others to the market destrians and cyclists, how to direct and to school. traffic to bolster economic activity “Ottawa was way ahead in terms of con- and livability, built-form sugges- servation. When the Heritage Act came out tions to enhance the heritage and in the late 1970s, Ottawa had already started. functions of each of the districts, It’s a good tradition. Now with the emphasis and an urban open space program, on intensification, redevelopment is taking to encourage community cohesion off. We’re putting more on the land, but not and enhance function. detracting from the neighbourhood,” Kil- “Smaller, well-designed spaces strom explained, as we walked westward and are often better candidates for enjoyed a view that featured the spires of the meaningful, active and safe park Parliament buildings against a clear blue sky, spaces than are larger open areas,” to see two of Kilstrom’s must-see sites, both the document suggests. Ottawa on Murray Street. One was an adaptive reuse 20/20 also touches on using these of an old building, the other an innovative park spaces not only as gathering infill building. places, but places where the com- Undoubtedly, the architecture is eclectic, munity can express itself through just as is everything about the market. public art and public performances. In its heritage districts, Ottawa sets the Available on Ottawa’s website, architectural standards high, but that doesn’t the document lays the foundation necessarily dictate a flavour; beauty is in the for good urban design. It embraces blend of eras, just as the area offers tastes several key principles: from around the world. New projects, Kil- • Encouraging more residential strom explained, could fit with the past but living in the downtown core: City acknowledge today and the future and its po- centre living is essential for creat- tential; that thinking encourages, rather than ing safe, animated, active and eco- stifles, creativity. nomically prosperous downtowns. We stop at 100 Murray, a modern building • Diversifying the retail sector. adjacent to an old pub, which undoubtedly • Creating usable, accessible captures the history and function of the area: and safe urban open spaces. a meeting place where the loggers and their • Protecting and celebrating families went for food or fellowship. The distinctive places: Blocks in these building continues to house a pub, adjacent to neighborhoods may reflect dif- yet another. The Carriageway, top photo, is an old townhouse ferent historical, land use and With a breathtaking entrance and lobby, the building. It’s wide and narrow – a difficult con- physical characteristics; the plan figuration to use today. Above, 100 Murray, is a building is set back into the property and liter- endorses allowing these locations modern building adjacent to an old pub, which ally flows from today into the past next door. undoubtedly captures the history and function of to reinforce their unique identity The site, for years, was a municipal parking the area: a meeting place where the loggers and and become a city-wide destination lot; it not only melds today’s goals of bringing their families went for food or fellowship. and anchor for development. more jobs to the area, but respects the past. • Preserving local heritage. “This one works quite well. It’s playful,” • Using city-owned land strate- said Kilstrom. “It’s a combination of a very SPECIAL REPORT gically. creative architect and an owner who wanted to Ottawa also recognized that ma- do (something special).” building, it’s wide and narrow – a difficult jor streets, highways, the Rideau It features main-floor retail, which blends configuration to use today. A new building Canal and the Ottawa and Rideau the function of the building into the specialty behind, which respected the shape and style rivers can connect or divide the shops in the area, and professional and office of the old, is connected to the old with glass city. Used properly, they can be suites on the upper levels offer a unique sense and chrome; from the outside, they blend.