The Look and feel of Bank Street

Nov 13, 2020

The corner of Bank and Fifth Avenue, looking west Photos: Liz McKeen

The scale model, showing what the maximum heights and siting of buildings on Bank Street could potentially look like if the recommendations of the Bank Street Height and Character Study recommendations were implemented, was on display for public viewing October 26 to 29. The model was created by Richard Corbeil, a member of the Glebe Community Association’s Planning Committee.

The Bank Street Height and Character Study is a planning effort to create a vision guiding future building along Bank Street in the Glebe. A description of the study and its aims can be found in the September 2020 issue of the Glebe Report (glebereport.ca/bank-street-height-character-study-city-recommendations-soon).

Detailed information on the study can be found on the City of Ottawa website at ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-engagement/projects/bank-street-glebe-height-and-character-study.

The final public consultation on the draft recommendations was held online on October 28. The presentation made at this consultation is available at documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/glebe_recommend_en.pdf.

In addition, Richard Corbeil’s scale model of the city’s recommendations for Bank Street building heights was on display from October 26 to 29 in a pop-up space in Sylvan Learning so people could view the model and get a clearer sense of how the recommendations, if implemented, would look.

Comments were due to the city by November 13. City staff will make final revisions to the draft recommendations, and they are to go to the city’s planning committee in January and to city council in February.

At risk of oversimplifying, the study calls for a maximum building height of six storeys between Pretoria and First Avenue (called the “Core in Transition”) and four storeys between First Avenue and Holmwood (the “Established Core”).

At the north end (the “North Gateway”) between Pretoria and Isabella, higher buildings would be allowed; for example, up to 16 storeys on Isabella and potentially 19 storeys at the corner of Isabella and Bank.

At the south end between Holmwood and Wilton Crescent (the “South Gateway”), no change in building height is recommended, except for 77 Monk going from four to nine storeys.

Other recommendations deal with zoning for building step-backs, building setbacks, the architectural style and materials used in new buildings, ways to keep the size of retail consistent with existing stores, the encouragement of notched corners (à la Starbucks) and the protection of heritage assets.

This study and its recommendations, if implemented, will help shape the future look and feel of Bank Street.

From files