Barrhaven's 'final piece' could be a new downtown core

Barrhaven'scity councillor has spearheaded a plan to create a downtown for the Ottawa suburb, and she sees a new performing arts facility and library at its heart.

Staff are recommending the city's planning committee, which Coun. Jan Harder chairs,approve the updated documentat its meeting Thursday in a bid to stimulate activity on a large tract of land near the Jock River.

"It's just time," said Harder, explaining the current plan from2006 has yet to give her community of nearly 100,000 a proper core.

That plan, she said, revolved aroundcondo buildings springing up aroundthe north-south rail line project that was cancelled a decade ago.

Thirteen years later, the areanorth of the Jock River and south of Strandherd Drive near GreenbankRoad remains a field with some big box stores.

Developer-led secondaryplan

Harder said thatarea needs to be Barrhaven's heartas it's set to becomean intersection of two rapid transit lines the existingnorth-south bus line on Riocan Avenue, and a future bus Transitwaylinein themiddle of Chapman Mills Drive when that road iseventually extended.

Secondary plans are usually led by a municipality, but they can take years to be enacted. This one was led by developers Richcraft and Minto.

"Somebody had to pay for the process and somebody had to get it going," Harder said, adding she was the one to approach the area's two main landowners.

"It was about two years ago I was in touch with Richcraft and Minto and I said, 'You know what folks? We've got to get this thing going. It's not going to get going with the deal that was put into place and approved by council back in 2006.'"

Richcraft and Minto helda couple of meetings in 2017with local businesses and the community,and then this past June ran the plan pastother area developers including Caivan, Claridge, Mattamy and RioCan.

If the new secondary plan is approved, minimum building heights would be lowered to two storeys and maximum heights raised to 30 storeys.

While the old plan broke the area up into city blocks divided by streets, the new plan leaves large blocks with their layouts to be determined later.

It also laysoutRiocan Avenue as a walkable main street featuring buildings withground-floor uses, and Harder sees the big box retail parking lots eventually being built up with denser developments.

The plan also includes a large park on the Jock River floodplain,as well as a linear park.

'Hallmark movie' downtown

The suburb's future downtown should be one where residents can go for a night out and visit local stores and residents, said Jason MacDonald, a local realtor who chairs Barrhaven's business improvement area.

"When I say a downtown core, I mean like [one from] a Hallmark movie," said MacDonald.

"Barrhaven is a 100,000 people now. We need that central gathering spot,."

The plan also includes space for a civic building in the middle of the tract of land,which Harder now envisions as aperforming arts facility and librarywith an outdoor plaza for events.

Harder said residents have told her theywant something like the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orlans.

"This is a final piece.It's like a puzzle. I'm taking that piece and I'm putting it on the board and I'm very excited to be able to have a downtown in what is, really, a large Ontario city," said Harder.

Harder expects the City of Ottawa will need help from the private sector to make Barrhaven's planned downtown a reality,even if she is not the councillor to see it through she plans for this term to be her final one oncity council.