The city’s planning and housing committee has approved a plan to tear down and rebuild the Carleton Tavern on Parkdale Avenue as part of a larger proposal to build a 32-storey residential tower in Hintonburg.
Already a Subscriber? Log in
Get Instant Access to This Article
Become an Ottawa Business Journal Insider and get immediate access to all of our Insider-only content and much more.
The city’s planning and housing committee has approved a plan to tear down and rebuild the Carleton Tavern on Parkdale Avenue as part of a larger proposal to build a 32-storey residential tower in Hintonburg.
On Wednesday, city staff presented the updated proposal, which includes a handful of recent changes, such as lowering the height of the tower from 38 storeys to 32 and lowering the podium from nine storeys to five.
Multiple delegates came forward at the meeting to oppose the project, in part because of its 0.7 parking ratio, which would allow hundreds of parking spaces in an underground garage below the development. Residents expressed concern that the development would create too much traffic in an already congested area.
As a result, Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower introduced a motion to direct city staff to reconsider parking maximums for future developments near rapid transit stations. He added that the issue would need to be examined during the next term of council, after the municipal election.
While other councillors had similar concerns, the proposal ultimately passed unanimously.
Kanata South Coun. Cathy Curry said she was sympathetic to residents' concerns, but ultimately felt that the developer had done enough due diligence in consulting with the community and had been responsive to feedback.
“I would love it if this development was in Kanata,” she said. “What it’s going to do to that Parkdale Market — it’s going to be a beautiful thing when it’s all finished. And there are attempts to keep that Carleton Tavern. I know it isn’t exactly the same thing, but it is a nice thought. I think the community will love it. The changes that were made over time, I think, were thoughtful. Residents’ feedback was taken into consideration.”
Regarding parking, she added, “The people who live there will probably use transit, predominantly. They will. They’ll have amazing opportunities there. But they still might own a car and they need to store that car somewhere. And that is the reality of why you include parking. Often a unit will not be rented out if there’s no parking available.”
The proposal will now go to city council for final approval.
The proposed development, submitted by Taggart Group, would include a mixed-use residential highrise with a five-storey L-shaped podium — built around the Carleton Tavern building — and contain 386 units, down from 465. It would also include a four-level underground parking garage with 276 parking spaces.
The development would be located on a 38,072-square-foot property at 340 Parkdale Ave., just north of Parkdale Park and the Parkdale Market.
In the design brief, the applicants said the surrounding neighbourhood is “highly walkable” and “transit supported,” adding that the project would “meaningfully (contribute) to Ottawa’s housing supply by introducing a substantial number of new units in a range of sizes suited to diverse household needs.”
In addition to residential, the proposal calls for ground-floor commercial space, as well as an open plaza and courtyard.
According to the planning rationale for the proposal, the site is owned entirely by Taggart and is occupied by retail stores and a warehouse, as well as the Carleton Tavern, which the design brief describes as a “long-standing community landmark.”
Due to age, structural deterioration and required site remediation, the brief proposes demolishing the original tavern and rebuilding it entirely. It added that the tavern would be the “massing anchor” for the development and would remain a free-standing structure.
“The new Tavern will re-establish the prominent corner facade, while the northern portion, originally a simple stucco volume with limited openings, will be reimagined as a contemporary extension,” the brief said.
“This allows for improved activation, increased transparency, and opportunities for public art consistent with the artistic expression historically found on the block. The surrounding plaza and courtyard are organized to reinforce the Tavern’s place within the neighbourhood without overstating its architectural significance.”
The planning rationale added that, during pre-application consultation, city heritage staff confirmed they would not recommend that city council add the Carleton Tavern to the city’s Heritage Register or designate it as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
“The owner expressed their interest in commemorating the tavern through efforts to maintain a similar type use and presence on site,” the document said. “The proposed conceptual development includes a new two-storey restaurant building that will have a similar look and function as the existing Carleton Tavern.”
