Phase 3 of Greystone Village is now approved and a pathway between its two buildings will provide public pedestrian access from the Forecourt Park in front of the Deschâtelets Building (bottom left of image) to the river paths. Image by Regional Group
John Dance
Plans for the 271-unit Phase 3 of The Regional Group’s Greystone Village are now approved by City Council and, as a result of last minute negotiations, public access from the Grande Allée to the Rideau River will be extended between the two buildings of the new development.
The development surrounds the southeast portion of the Deschâtelets Building so has frontage on Deschâtelets Avenue and Scholastic Drive.
Regional consulted with the community throughout the development of plans and made numerous changes to ensure existing zoning was respected and community concerns were addressed.
These changes included ensuring that the new development would not detract from the appearance of the Deschâtelets Building and moving the underground parking garage entrance to the side of the building, rather than on Scholastic Drive near the Rideau River Eastern Pathway and the Nature Trail.
The one outstanding issue was the extent of public access to the pathway between the two buildings. The Old Ottawa East Community Association argued that year-round, 24-7 access should be provided because the pathway was in essence a continuation of the route along the Grande Allée, and part of the Old Ottawa East Secondary Plan mandated an “east-west pedestrian/cycle path between Main Street and the Rideau River.”
Regional Group proposed that access to the pathway would be limited to daylight hours, and it would be closed in the winter. Last-minute discussions between Regional and Councillor Shawn Menard led to an agreement that requires the pathway to be “open, lit and accessible to pedestrian traffic, daily from sunrise to 11:00pm, generally, except during the winter months.”
Although the pathway will not be open in the winter, a Regional staff member says the pathway will not be closed until after the first major snowfall and it will be reopened once the snow has melted. This winter arrangement is different from what the City of Ottawa does with the Flora Footbridge stairs.
They are often closed before the first major snow storm and remain closed well after the snow disappears.
Regional has not yet determined when construction will begin. Also, a decision still has not been taken on whether the buildings will have rental or condo units.
With the approval of Phase 3, the only Regional land that still does not have approved plans is the semicircular area just to the west of the proposed Forecourt Park in front of the Deschâtelets Building and cut in two by the Grande Allée. Plans for this area are now being developed and the community will likely have a chance to comment on them within a few months.
So after this final phase of the Regional land is approved all of the institutional lands of the Oblats of Mary Immaculate and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be developed. The only outstanding area for development west of Main Street between Clegg Street and Springhurst Avenue is the Saint Paul University land on the south side of the Grande Allée. It’s zoned for development like the land Regional built out on the north side of the Grande Allée.
