Hintonburg Place Plaza Project

Developing a new public space at the corner of Parkdale and Wellington Street West

Project Objectives:

1. Form a community partnership to transform the Northeast Corner of Wellington Street West & Parkdale Avenue from its current cluttered, haphazard state into a beautiful, usable public space for the community.
2. Ensure new space is open, welcoming, and creates a friendly “pocket park” sized gathering and event venue for visitors, shoppers, and residents – with improved sight-lines between Parkdale Market and Wellington Street West.
3. Create a unique neighbourhood attraction at a major intersection that serves to brand and differentiate the Hintonburg neighbourhood.
4. Ensure space contains at least three hardy, attractive shade trees.
5. (Future) Add way-finding signage, community bulletin board, and additional public art elements.

Partners:

• Wellington West Business Improvement Area
• Ottawa Community Housing
• Hintonburg Community Association
• City of Ottawa
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario – Mainstreets Revitalization Initiative

Documents:

Timeline of project:

• Late 2017: Hintonburg Community Association and the Placemaking Committee of the Wellington West Business Improvement Area began discussing potential improvements to the corner of Parkdale and Wellington West.
• We identified an area in front of Hintonburg Place – the Ottawa Community Housing building at 395 Parkdale Avenue – as an area of particular need and opportunity.

• May 2018: Wellington West BIA, supported by Councillor Jeff Leiper and the Community Association, applied for an Ontario Mainstreets Revitalization Grant from the provincial government to create a small “pocket plaza” in front of Hintonburg Place.

• August 2018: Initial approval received from the Mainstreets Revitalization Grant for a portion of the grant money sought – enough to carry out small improvements to the space. Ottawa Community Housing very enthusiastically supported the project, and offered to partner with the BIA, fund architecture and landscape design work, and contribute a substantial amount of funding and project management support.
• Fall 2018: In order to secure Mainstreet Grant funds, the OCH and Wellington West BIA needed to very rapidly develop plans and costing to receive pre-approval from the City of Ottawa before the grant money is officially approved. Colizza Bruni Architects are engaged to work with OCH, the BIA, and and community partners to develop and decide between three concepts, leading to the selection of the current design.
• Spring & summer 2019: Plans refined with input from building tenants, the HCA, and a variety of stakeholders, and the process of construction design, City permits, and contractor tender is carried out in parallel.
• Early Fall 2019: OCH and BIA completed final drawings, paperwork, and project contracting preparations to begin construction in late October.

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• November 2019: If all approvals are received early enough from the City*, we hope to carry out the following work before the snow flies:
  • Clearing of plaza site and removal of existing pavers and hardware. One existing healthy tree will be retained.
  • Subsurface work to install tree wells, foundations for letter-features, electrical outlets, etc.
  • Laying of new decorative paving stones across new plaza – ensuring site is clean and safe before winter.
• Before June 2020: Once frost is out of the ground, two new serviceberry trees planted, letters installed, and spring plantings carried out as needed.
• June 2020: community reception to officially open and celebrate new plaza. Stay tuned for more information!

*Important note on timing: These timelines assume two things: 1) receipt of all permits from City of Ottawa by first week of November; 2) Reasonably normal weather patterns into November. If either 1 or 2 are not favourable for completion in 2019, OCH and Wellington West BIA will carry out all work in spring 2020.