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Portion of Westgate Shopping Centre could be torn down as soon as this fall, councillor says

March 1, 2024

A portion of Westgate Shopping Centre could be torn down later this year as development at the site proceeds, according to River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington.

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A portion of Westgate Shopping Centre could be torn down later this year as development at the site proceeds, according to River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington. Phase 1 of the development is complete, with a 24-storey apartment complex containing 216 units built on the former site of Monkey Joe’s restaurant, which closed in 2019. Shoppers Drug Mart, currently located in the mall on the west side of the site at the corner of Carling and Merivale avenues, was supposed to relocate into the new apartment building’s ground floor retail space. Brockington suggests that will not happen. “Apparently the ground floor is not sufficient and so they never moved. They have it in their lease to stay where they are,” said Brockington. Phase 2 of development on the site was slated to be built where the Shoppers Drug Mart now stands. “I believe the second tower will (now) be located to the north of the current tower,” said Brockington. The 68-year-old mall was slated to stay in operation for at least another three to five years until phase 2 construction was complete. However, because of the recent change in plans, the northeastern, two-storey section of the mall closest to Merivale Road could now come down as early as this fall, Brockington said. Plans call for the entire mall to be demolished in three to five years. Brockington said a public meeting will be held in June, where he expects an update from mall owners RioCan. “We’ve kicked around three options,” said Brockington. “I need RioCan to tell the public which option they are going with.” OBJ reached out to RioCan for comment, but did not receive a response.

Lots of development activity around Westgate

The stretch of Carling Avenue where Westgate is located is in the midst of a massive transformation. Plans to redevelop Ottawa’s oldest mall have been in the works since 2019 and are scheduled to take 15 to 20 years to finish. Once complete, the site will house five towers containing 8,230 square metres of commercial space, 1,146 residential units and central public green space. Just down the street, the Travelodge Hotel has been torn down to make way for three highrises and two smaller buildings containing 900 rental units. The hotel's former Japanese-style pavilion — also known as the "tiki hut" — was supposed to be incorporated into the development. The heritage-designated building was instead demolished after developers said it could not be restored or relocated. An exact replica will be rebuilt instead, to be used as a common room. Between Merivale Road and Clyde Avenue alone, Brockington said more than two dozen development plans have been approved. “You’re talking over 20 towers. That could be over 10,000 people on just two blocks,” he said. “As properties age and opportunities present themselves, developers will think about how they can use mixed-use space. You’re going to see more density. When homes come to the end of their lifecycle, they aren’t going to be replaced with the same size and shape.”

Carling revitalization plan needed

Carling Avenue, an artery currently focused on vehicle traffic, has already seen lots of development. But despite the street's modernization, Toon Dreessen of Architects DCA said the thoroughfare lacks an official plan. “I think Carling really suffers from some form of an identity crisis,” said Dreessen. “Carling is fractured politically. It runs through multiple wards. It has so many different purposes and identities, so there is nothing cohesive for it to be put together.” Dreessen said he doesn’t view Carling under the same scope as Bank, Preston or Somerset streets. Instead, his vision is for it to be a boulevard that would link the various communities it passes through, all the way from Bayshore in the west to Dow’s Lake in the east. “I think Carling should go on a road diet. It should be a narrower road with slower speeds and dedicated bus-only transit and cycle infrastructure,” Dreessen said. “It should be a mixture of mid-rise buildings — eight to 12 storeys — and then have higher buildings at key nodes in transit hubs. These key hubs should be pre-zoned and up-zoned for taller towers.” Bay Ward Coun. Theresa Kavanagh agrees. She said the community needs intensification to survive. “Carling Avenue used to be the main road to come into town. It was the highway before the Queensway was built,” she said. “Its character has changed over the years, but it’s now part of our urban landscape and we need to make it more liveable.” The City of Ottawa has long talked about putting bus rapid transit down Carling, but it’s never happened. Kavanagh said that is because more safety studies need to occur. Parts of Carling will one day benefit from light rail transit, with Stage 2 of the Confederation Line going through Lincoln Fields. Kavanagh hopes the bus routes will soon change to accommodate new travel patterns. “My dream, and I’m pushing for it, is to have bus rapid transit and bike lanes keep going west past Bayshore,” she said. “Currently, the number 85 goes down Carling and goes to Bayshore. Eventually it may even need to go beyond Bayshore to Crystal Beach. We do have DND (Department of National Defence) over there and so it’s another way of coming in.” Kavanagh, who lives in Britannia, also said she’d like to see Carling Avenue become a more friendly place for cyclists and pedestrians. She said she envisions murals painted onto buildings and trees lining the street to make it feel “less cold and awful.”