The idea of three skyscrapers of 35- or 40-storeys shoehorned into Lansdowne Park contravenes thoughtful urban city planning at the site. Residential development should complement the heritage Aberdeen Pavillion. The third proposed skyscraper overshadowing the Pavillion is poorly designed and should be removed.
Housing development on the site should create an inviting atmosphere for people to come and enjoy the park, represent the urban village concept promised in Lansdowne 1.0, and it shouldn’t bring 740 additional cars parking on the site daily for the proposed skyscrapers.
We can’t sell off city land and divert new property tax dollars for luxury unaffordable condos and rentals without corresponding public benefits. Lansdowne 2.0 is a public investment, and it must serve the public.
New residents are going to need incremental services just as new residents in new residences anywhere else require incremental services. If 90 percent of the new Lansdowne residences’ city taxes are going to pay for Lansdowne debt, then all other Ottawa residents are going to have to backfill the funding needed for incremental services for Lansdowne residents. The city should be transparent about this. It can propose this financing strategy without making the misleading claim that it is a ‘revenue neutral’ approach.