Report to/Rapport au :
Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee
Comité consultatif sur la
conservation de l'architecture locale
and / et
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager / Directrice municipale adjointe,
Planning, Transit and the Environment / Urbanisme,
Transport en commun et Environnement
Contact
Person/Personne Ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire,
Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613)
580-2424, 13242 Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That
the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning
and Environment Committee recommend that Council approve the construction of a
new building at 170 Bank Street/324 Laurier Avenue West in the Bank Street
Heritage Conservation District in accordance with the plans by CORE Architects,
received on February 28, 2007 and that further design revisions be subject to
the approval of the Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals Branch.
(Note: Approval to Alter this property under the Ontario Heritage Act must not be construed to meet the requirements for the issuance of a building permit.)
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité consultatif sur la
conservation de l’architecture locale recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement de recommander à son tour au Conseil d'approuver la
construction d'un nouvel immeuble au 170, rue Bank / 324, avenue Laurier Ouest,
dans le District de conservation du patrimoine de la rue Bank, conformément aux
plans déposés par CORE Architects et reçus le 28 février 2007, et que les
révisions à la conception soient soumises à l'approbation du directeur de
l'Approbation des demandes d'aménagement et d'infrastructure.
(Nota : L’approbation de la demande de modification aux termes de la Loi
sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario ne signifie pas pour autant qu’elle satisfait
aux conditions de délivrance d’un permis de construire)
BACKGROUND
This report has been prepared to allow for the construction of a new mixed-use building (the Mondrian) located at 170 Bank Street/324 Laurier Avenue West which is within the Bank Street Heritage Conservation District, designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 175-2000). The Ontario Heritage Act requires that all new construction in a Heritage Conservation District be approved by City Council. A location plan is included as Document 1.
DISCUSSION
The Bank Street Heritage Conservation District was
designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act by City Council in 2000.
Following this designation, appeals were filed by a number of property owners and
the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) held two mediation sessions. Agreements were
reached regarding the overall district and specific sites, including the vacant
site at 170 Bank Street/324 Laurier Avenue West. A significant aspect of the
mediation as reported to LACAC, PEC and Council in March/April 2006 consists of
an agreement not to place a heritage overlay under the Zoning By-law on the two
heritage districts until 2021. While the proposed mixed-use building at this
location was not designed at the time of the OMB mediation in 2001, the current
development potential permitting a high building was recognized. The issues
discussed at that time relative to this site correspond to the guidelines
contained in the Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study and the
Summary Architectural Character Statement included as Document 2. In essence,
these issues dealt with the relationship of any new infill building to the
overall Bank Street streetscape and specifically the adjacent Bank of Nova
Scotia building.
The proposed mixed-use development consists of a 24-storey building
with approximately 249 residential units on the 6th to 24th floors (tower), 215
public parking stalls on the 2nd to 5th floors (podium level), and at grade
retail space along Bank Street and part of Laurier Avenue West. Residential parking for the condominium
tower is accommodated below-grade. The five storey podium is 16.6 metres above
grade and clad in a white, translucent glass.The glass panels are staggered to
allow for ventialtion of the parking levels.The residential tower rises above
the podium and is oriented closest to Laurier Avenue West. It is set back on
the sixth floor to provide a transition/separation from the podium as seen from
Bank Street. The tower, with the exception of balconies, is setback 1.5 metres
from the edge of the podium along Bank Street. Rooftop amenities, including a
swimming pool and landscaped area, are provided above part of the parking
structure. Drawings are included as Documents 5-8 of this report.
Specific aspects of the "Central Area West Heritage
Conservation District Plan" Guidelines for the Bank Heritage Precinct at
this location are as follows :
The key issue will be to attempt to preserve the scale and rhythm of the existing older buildings on Bank Street and to preserve good conditions of sunlight on that street.
Ground
floor space on Bank Street should continue to be retail, maximizing the number
of independent retail interests within the overall frontage.
New
building elements on the Bank Street frontage should have heights not exceeding
four storeys.
Elements
of building massing higher than that should be set back, and concentrated on
the portions of the building site facing onto Laurier Avenue West and Slater
Street.
Servicing
to new buildings on this site should also be off Slater Street or Laurier
Avenue West.
New building elements on the Bank
Street frontage should not exceed four storeys, and should take into account
the heights on the blocks north and south to accommodate an appropriate
transition to the lower heights of Centretown.
Elements of building massing
higher than that should be set back a depth not less than 10 metres.
The project as a whole covers a large parcel which extends west
along Laurier Avenue and to some extent on Gloucester behind the Bank of Nova
Scotia. The primary focus of the Central Area West Heritage Conservation
District Study guidelines and OMB discussion was on the relationship of a
future infill building to the overall Bank Street streetscape and specifically
the adjacent Bank of Nova Scotia building. In order to provide a more
comprehensive design review of the entire project, the design has gone through
a full review by the Urban Design Review Panel. This review has resulted in
several design changes including more glazing on the Gloucester Street
elevation to the east of the existing Bank of Nova Scotia as well as
improvements to the retail frontage on Bank Street.
The proposed Mondrian condominium apartment building respects many
of the guidelines contained in the Central Area West Heritage Conservation
District Study. The five story retail/parking podium along Bank Street is the
same height as 162 Bank Street to the north. A sun/shade study demonstrates
miminal impacts on the east side of the Bank Street Heritage Conservation
District north of Laurier Avenue at key times. Retail uses will be provided at
grade along Bank Street. Structural columns along Bank Street provide some
continuity at grade with the columns of the Bank of Nova Scotia. The massing of
the residential tower has been oriented towards Laurier Avenue rather than Bank
Street enabling a transition from the tower to the podium to the Bank of Nova
Scotia building and then to the Centretown Heritage Conservation District which
begins at Gloucester and extends south along the Bank Street frontage. The
Mondrian wraps around the Bank of Nova Scotia on the north and west sides and
the precast concrete walls of the Mondrian will match the buff colour of the
stone of the Bank. These blank walls will also be illuminated to provide a
background which will set off the Bank of Nova Scotia at night. The southern
elevation of the Mondrian will have some glazing at grade to ensure that the
five metre space between the Bank of Nova Scotia which is used for periodic
access to and egress from the bank is illuminated.
The Mondrian does not meet all the guidelines described in Document 2. The podium is one storey higher than requested at five storeys and the residential tower has not been setback to any significant degree from Bank Street at Laurier Avenue. Notwithstanding this, the Department has determined that the project has met many of the requested guidelines as noted above and warrants approval. It is anticipated that a project of this scope will require minor design adjustments as it proceeds through the various stages of development approval and this report recommends delegation of that approval to the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Approvals.
CONSULTATION
Adjacent property owners and local community
associations were notified by letter of the date of the Local Architectural
Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) and Planning and Environment Committee
meetings and were provided with comment sheets to be returned to LACAC. This is
in accordance with the City's public participation policies.
The Ward Councillor Diane Holmes is aware of this project.
The Centretown Citizens Community Association is aware of this
project.
The Bank Street BIA is aware of this project.
Heritage Ottawa is aware of this project.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS
This application has been processed within the 90
days specified under the Ontario Heritage Act.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 2 Summary
Architectural Character Statement
Document 3 Site
Photos
Document 4 Conclusions from Mondrian-Cultural Heritage Impact Statement. Full document distributed separately to LACAC and on file with the LACAC Coordinator
Document 5 Perspective
view looking southwest along Bank Street
Document 6 Perspective
view looking northwest along Slater Street
Document 7 Bank
Street elevation/streetscape
Document 8 Canopy
and streetscaping detail
DISPOSITION
The Corporate Services Department, Council and Committee Services Division, to notify the applicant/agent J. E. Ironside Consulting Ltd., 2055 Prince of Wales Drive, Nepean, Ontario, K2E 7A4, the architect CORE Architects Inc., Ste. 600, 317 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, Ont. M5V 1PG and the owner, Ambassador Realty Inc., 185 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, Ont., and the Ontario Heritage Trust (10 Adelaide Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of City Council's consent for demolition, new construction and reinstatement in the Bank Street Heritage Conservation District.
SITE PHOTOS DOCUMENT
3
Bank Street
PERSPECTIVE VIEW LOOKING SOUTHWEST
BANK STREET ELEVATION/STREETSCAPE DOCUMENT
7
CANOPY AND STREESCAPING DETAIL DOCUMENT
8
