Two wards, one ‘stroad’: How two councillors are ushering in an era of change for Merivale Road

Built originally as a transportation channel between the city’s core and its outskirts, Merivale Road has evolved into a busy shopping destination. Now, the two councillors who share this diverse strip of asphalt are working together to usher in an era of consistency, symmetry and change for Merivale Road and its many businesses.

The tale of Merivale Road is one of two wards, two councillors, and decades of conflicting visions.  Built originally as a transportation channel between the city’s core and its outskirts, Merivale Road has evolved into a busy shopping destination. Now, the two councillors who share this diverse strip of asphalt are working together to usher in an era of consistency, symmetry and change for Merivale Road and its many businesses. Before his election to city council, Sean Devine was a longtime resident of the Merivale area. He says he’s always seen this unique area of the city as an opportunity for growth, development and change. As councillor of Ward 9, Knoxdale-Merivale, he believes it’s time for his visions to start gaining momentum. “I’ve always wanted to grasp how Ottawa residents saw the future of Merivale. There are so many ideas about better ways to use parking lots and all of this land for more than what it is currently,” Devine told OBJ. In recent years, Merivale has turned into what Devine calls a “stroad”: a hybrid of a road designed “to get you from A to B”, and a street. The difference is fundamental, he says. “Merivale is, on one hand, designed to get commuters from, let’s say, Bayshore to Barrhaven and beyond,” he continued. “Thousands of vehicles use it and all along it are a thousand places you might want to stop. At any given time, you have cars that just want to get home and (others that want) to make stops.” This dichotomy creates congestion, Devine explains, which can mean that it can take over an hour to drive the length of Merivale. That’s part of why Devine has big plans to transform Merivale into something new. “What you have on Merivale is nothing but strip malls. They’re just one or two storeys, but in a lot of communities that are now designed from scratch, the retail has housing above,” Devine said. “Long story short, I’m trying to turn Merivale from simply a retail area into a mixed residential area where there will still be retail but also residential space.” But it isn’t just up to Devine; in fact, he only gets half the say. Merivale is shared by two wards: Knoxdale-Merivale and College. So while Devine has jurisdiction over the eastern side of Merivale, Councillor Laine Johnson is responsible for the western half. “It’s split right down the middle between our wards,” said Johnson, councillor for College Ward. “And until now, Merivale has been trying to be too many things to too many people. It’s a stroad.” Fortunately, Devine and Johnson share the same mixed-use vision and while they might have different approaches, Johnson said they make an excellent team. “We need people like Devine in this city. He has a vision and he pushes staff to dream big,” Johnson told OBJ. That vision involves a complete reinvention of Merivale Road. If Devine could “wave a magic wand,” he would replace the expansive parking lots with underground or hidden parking and bring buildings closer to the street, he said. The new buildings would offer retail and commercial space on the ground floor with housing above, densifying the area while creating a more walkable neighbourhood. “Merivale from Baseline Road to Viewmount Road is a massive retail parking lot,” explained Devine. “That way of using land was quite appropriate for a while, but it seems like it’s not the best land use right now –- certainly not with the way things are changing. “We’ve given a lot of prime real estate to parking spaces,” said Devine. “We also know that if you were to look at satellite imagery day-to-day 15 years ago compared to now, I’m confident that, even if the city is growing, a lower percentage of parking spaces are used. Retail itself is changing and the city is changing.”

The City of Ottawa’s Official Plan estimates that Ottawa’s population will surpass 1.4 million people by 2046. Devine would like to see many new Ottawa residents call Nepean home and to do that he said mixed-use residential and commercial development is the way to go. “With Ottawa’s projected growth in population, this is an opportunity to try to position Merivale as the heart of a growing and changing Nepean.” Devine’s ideas are more than dreams. He has been working with the city to build a secondary plan for Merivale, which he said will likely launch this summer and begin seeking approvals and community participation. “It’s an expensive thing to get done, because new secondary plans aren’t commissioned all the time,” he explained. “But we talked to city staff about the vision and now we’ll have more specific detail on what can and cannot be done in this area.” Since Merivale is zoned commercially, said Johnson, change won’t necessarily be swift. “Growth pays for growth, and that can be a tough pill to swallow as we ask our wards to absorb this kind of change,” said Johnson.  The key to the future largely hinges on introducing more transit options, she added, particularly the Baseline Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) facility between Bayshore Station and Heron Station. The BRT would introduce dedicated bus-only lanes, 25 new transit stations and new pedestrian and cycling facilities along the length of the 14-kilometre corridor. Additional cycling lanes and bus routes along Merivale would help with congestion, Johnson continued, and in turn bolster businesses. “Merivale is so geared to cars right now, and there isn’t much choice in transit. We can create an opportunity for small businesses, because people shop where they walk,” she explained. “This doesn’t happen on Merivale; there aren’t ‘pop-ins’ like in the Glebe. “When it comes to introducing multi-modal transportation, we’re trying to figure out, how do you support people in trying things that are so new?” Johnson continued. “We’re hopeful that since everyone hates driving on Merivale, they’d be willing to try something new.”

Johnson said it’s important to get private developers on board, as the “economic circumstances” must line up to see a new vision through. However, many of the major developments in the area have been stalled. For example, two developments, a six-storey Dymon storage facility and a high-rise apartment building, are under construction at the corner of Clyde Avenue and Baseline Road. The Dymon facility, which includes ground-floor retail, boardroom and office space, was opposed by the Copeland Park Community Alliance and shut down by city council in January 2020. But in November 2021, the Ontario Land Tribunal overruled the city and approved the development.

The residential development at 1537 Baseline Rd. is a mixed-use building, primarily a retirement home, which consists of a single podium and two towers that disconnect from a U-shape after the fifth storey. The development was originally a joint venture between SmartCentres and Groupe Selection but, after a long legal battle, SmartCentres is now the sole developer and the site has reopened.  The development technically falls in Councillor Riley Brockington's jurisdiction, River Ward. However, it is just one of the nearby developments that will impact Merivale Road.

A plan for Merivale Mall from First Capital Asset Management LP proposes redevelopment and intensification to the property, which currently houses retailers such as Farm Boy, Shoppers Drug Mart, T&T Tailors, Sport Chek, Marshalls and Tailgators.  The proposal includes the construction of at least two buildings beside the 220,000-square-foot shopping centre at 1642 Merivale Rd., with a multi-phased approach. The development would also include the construction of a 12-storey mixed-use building and a seven-storey residential building. But the development has been hitting private and logistical snags, said Johnson, that have delayed construction. Johnson also believes strongly in the small business part of the equation. She grew up in nearby Meadowlands and her first job was at the Wendy’s on Merivale Road. Small businesses are close to her heart, she says, and a future for Merivale that includes accessible transit and walkable streets offers opportunity for these business owners. Johnson said it’s important that any upcoming development doesn’t threaten the area’s small businesses, but rather supports and enhances them.

“I’m fortunate that on my side of Merivale we have so many great small businesses. There’s the Nicastro’s, there’s the tailor, cobbler and cafe in the CityView strip mall that have been there for over 40 years, there’s a Silk Road Foods and the European Delicatessen,” she said. “There are businesses that have been here for an eternity that want transformation. “We won’t get anywhere by ignoring it. Merivale is still a shopping destination, but we’ve created the monster,” Johnson continued. “Now we have to make sure people can actually go and enjoy small businesses and have an experience that isn’t full of exhaust.” A future Merivale that has fewer cars, more curb appeal, enhanced transportation and densified housing could renew the road’s reputation, creating a walkable, livable hub that would attract residents, thus bringing in “the new generation of customers” for local businesses, Devine said. It would also mean that, instead of avoiding the traffic-jammed road, shoppers and tourists might seek it out and spend a day perusing the retailers and, Johnson’s favourite, the diverse cuisine.  “It’s not easy because logistically we can’t just pedestrianize. We just need to modernize to make Merivale a pleasurable experience. I’m talking about bike lanes, treelining, public art …” she explained. “But it doesn’t happen all at once. It takes time. “It’s not easy. Is it positive? Yes. Uncomfortable? Also yes,” she laughed. “But by involving the community in these conversations, we make sure nobody, especially the many small businesses, are left behind.”