The City of Ottawa has unveiled a new and improved plan to help kick-start the future economic development of Orléans.
According to its authors, the Integrated Orléans Community Improvement Plan seeks to build on the successful elements contained in previous community improvement plans and sprinkle them with a few additional features to create a hybrid plan.
A community improvement plan – or CIP – is designed to offer businesses a financial incentive in the form of grant to either build in a given location or upgrade an existing property, with several objectives in mind. In terms of the Integrated Orléans Community Improvement Plan, the objectives are to encourage financial investment, improve existing properties to make the area in which they are located more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly, encourage mixed-use development, including affordable housing and create jobs.
The affordable housing component is usually met through affordable rental units.
The grants given to the companies that meet the CIP criteria are recouped through an increase in the municipal taxes generated by the property.
For example, the Royal Garden Retirement Residence received a $651,338 grant through the former St. Joseph Boulevard Community Improvement Plan when it was built in 2012. Since then, the city has recouped more than $930,000 in property taxes.
The Integrated Orléans Community Improve-ment Plan replaces the St. Joseph Blvd. CIP, which was created in 2009, and the Orléans CIP which was created in 2013 and is made up of three distinct programs: the St. Joseph Blvd. Main Street Program; the Employment Incentive Program; and the Pedestrian Friendly Streets Program.
While the goal of the Integrated Orléans CIP is to improve economic development in the Greater Orléans community, it’s main focus will be on the St. Joseph corridor, and in particular, trying to take advantage of opportunities presented by the light rail transit extension along Hwy. 174.
The Integrated Orléans CIP is being developed in concert with the Orléans Corridor Secondary Plan Study which is looking at ways to effectively integrate the LRT stations with the Orléans Town Centre, the St Joseph Arterial Mainstreet Corridor, and existing residential neighbourhoods.
The hope is that the LRT expansion and the commercial and residential intensification will provide the much-hoped-for impetus to address long-standing issues with St. Joseph Blvd. – namely to make it more user-friendly by increasing the number of mixed-use properties with commercial businesses on the main floor and rental or condos on the floors above; making it more pedestrian and cycle-friendly by reducing the amount commuter traffic on the street; and beautifying the street by finally burying the overhead wires and telephone poles and planting more trees.
During a virtual public meeting held last Wednesday, several members of the public voiced their concerns about repeated references to “high rise” development in the plan, however, Chris Gomes, who’s the lead economic development officer overseeing the plan, assured them that by “high rise” the meant buildings that will be no more than four to six storeys tall.
Several other participants said they are hopeful the CIP will make it easier for cyclist living south of the 174 to access the cycling network north of the highway.
Innes Ward Coun. Laura Dudas warned residents that St. Joseph Blvd. will never be turned into another Glebe or a Westboro, rather it will reflect the values of Orléans residents.
Orléans Ward Coun. Matt Luloff said he would like to see St. Joseph Blvd. get a complete makeover and eventually become a true main street that is enjoyed by shop owners and residents alike.