(from City of Ottawa consultation documents).
Alayne McGregor
As large projects continue to fill in Centretown, residents can expect to see more small, green parkettes as part of those projects, says Councillor Catherine McKenney.
This month, the city asked residents to suggest ideas and review a proposed design for a small park at the corner of Albert and Lyon. The park will be part of the 400 Albert mixed-use development, which replaces the current parking lot. The developer will build the 400m2 park and then give it to the city.
In the past, McKenney said, the city usually asked developers to provide cash in lieu of parkland and would combine the funds from several developments for a single larger greenspace.
But, in the downtown, they said, “It can be more difficult to find space for a park or a parkette. Over the last couple of years, I’ve pushed developers to provide the space rather than just the funds. I think that we have to take advantage of good public space. It’s difficult, when you have the funds, to find empty space that’s available, that’s affordable. This way, rather than take the cash in lieu, we asked for a publicly owned park.”
The pandemic has made the city “really realize how important public spaces are, how important social interactions are,” they said. “I know, sometimes, people would rather see something larger. But every small square space can provide the types of either passive or active park space that we need in a downtown. It doesn’t always have to be large but it has to be well designed, and it has to meet the needs of that neighbourhood.”
McKenney hoped to get ideas from residents across Centretown. “I did a parks survey about three years ago and one of the things that surprised me was how many people asked for a performance space outdoors – a few benches, a bit of a rise so that you could have small performances or maybe busking. So maybe we’ll see something like that.”
The current proposal for 400 Albert shows seating, planters for ornamental trees and small plants, bike parking and a water-jet feature that children might enjoy. McKenney hoped that the project would attract some families and expected that “there will be a large number of new residents in that area. We have several towers going up in that immediate vicinity. I think we’ll be looking at, probably, a nice mixture between some passive and some active use. I would love to see a splash pad on that corner.”
Both Lyon and Albert Streets carry heavy traffic on weekdays but McKenney said that park users could be sheltered from traffic noise by screening with greenery. “It is a busy corner, there’s no doubt. I don’t think it’s going to be a place to go and sit, and contemplate, probably. But, maybe, a fun place to play! It will be active.”