April 16, 2010 - Glebe Report

BIA
Glebe BIA protecting our village atmosphere
By Catherine Lindquist
There’s been lots of activity within
the Glebe Business Improvement
Area (BIA) in recent months, with
some long-time businesses relocating
within the BIA (Glebe Fashion
Cleaners, Joe Mamma, Brio Bodywear)
or to new locations elsewhere
in the city (World Mosaic, Byblos,
Planet Botanix, The Body Shop,
Slick ‘n Sassy, Senes consulting, The
Conference Publishers); one winding
down to pursue other life pursuits
(Prime Crime Books); others
refreshing under new ownership or
management (Glebe Fashion Cleaners,
The UPS Store, The Glebe Spa,
Sushi Go, Glebe Fitness, Arrow &
Loon); and new businesses setting up
shop here (The MVP Lounge, Snap
Fitness, Tea & Ginseng, Confident
Smiles, Anna Bélanger RMT, Interiors
by Cefaloni, Robertson Martin
Architects, Harnn and Thann). To all
and to any I’ve overlooked we wish
you great success in your new directions!
Our newest BIA members, Fadi
and Marjolaine Ghaby, co-owners of
Harnn and Thann, hosted three great
opening events to accommodate all
who wanted to come and celebrate
the launch of their new Glebe location
(they have another location in
Westboro). I had the privilege of encouraging
invitees at one of the events
to gather round a fountain sink and
enjoy hand treatments with a selection
of aromatic scrubs and luscious
body butter. This included former
Glebite Jim Watson, who welcomed
the treatment for hands that are pressing
flesh on the campaign trail.
Opening celebation at Harnn and Thann. Owners Marjolaine and Fadi Ghaby
on either side of Catherine Lindquist and Clive Doucet
In talking with many of these new
business owners and managers, it’s
been wonderful to hear a common
theme: the Glebe business and residential
community have been so
friendly and so welcoming. It truly is
a village within the city, where folks
stop to chat and say hello or a word
of goodbye or welcome.
On another front, the Glebe BIA is
working hard to ensure that we protect
and enhance our village character
and ‘traditional main street’ designation
under the city’s Official Plan.
Whenever we are afforded the opportunity
to do so, we provide input
to the many studies being undertaken
with respect to the proposed redevelopment
of Lansdowne Park. City
council directed that an independent
consultant be retained to develop
a retail strategy that would ensure
that retail activity on the site would
be more unique and destination-oriented
than what had been proposed
by the Ottawa Sport and Entertainment
Group (OSEG). The J.C. Williams
Group from Toronto was hired
to develop this strategy.
John Williams presented his findings
just before the March break.
Like the many media representatives
who were in attendance at the presentation,
we were very disappointed
in the $70,000 strategy. The themes
were varied and vague and, surprisingly,
he recommended locating a
grocery store and cineplex at Lansdowne
Park as previously promoted
by OSEG and uses like a drug store
and “ample national chains.” He suggested
that such uses are required
Photo: Daniel mackinnon
Glebe Report April 16, 2010 13
in order to include such unique and
much more desirable uses as a dance
school, micro brewery or specialty
food boutique. He also did not address
the transportation and parking
impacts of proposed retail concepts
on Lansdowne Park and on Bank
Street businesses in the Glebe and
Old Ottawa South.
We remain very concerned that an
appropriate vision and direction for
retail development at Lansdowne
Park is still lacking. The city is hiring
an independent peer review consultant
to review the market studies
previously undertaken for the Glebe
BIA and OSEG and is expanding the
mandate to determine whether the
J.C. Williams Group study fulfilled
council’s direction (city staff have
not stated whether they feel the strategy
did). Further to our representations
at council’s Corporate Services
and Economic Development Committee,
we have been assured that the
peer review study will address the
question of transportation and parking
impacts.
On a more positive note, the Glebe
BIA is working with the Glebe Community
Association’s Environment
Committee, the City of Ottawa and
landscape architect and Glebite John
Wright to pursue funding through
Tree Canada’s TD Green Streets
Program to help ‘green’ the Queensway
corridor along Chamberlain
and Isabella with some tree, shrub
and flower planting. We hope that
our application will be approved and
that we can round up some green
thumb volunteers to help with the
planting.