Article content

A new neighbourhood blueprint is poised to dramatically change the look and feel of Rideau Street’s eastern reach, a gateway to Ottawa’s downtown and Parliament Hill.

Although the plan for Uptown Rideau — a 1.2-kilometre stretch of road between King Edward Avenue and the Cummings Bridge — has been under development for months, some community groups remain deeply concerned about parts of it, including a mechanism for developers to play around with a building’s density (without increasing it).

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or New vision unveiled for upper Rideau Street Back to video

The planning committee will take it up Tuesday, with council to rule on Dec. 9 — the same day it votes on the 2016 budget.

Why the update?

Rideau Street has undergone a massive transformation since 2011. The installation of new water mains, sewers, sidewalks, cycling and transit facilities, landscaping, benches and public art, as well as the opening of a future light-rail station just 600 metres from the western end of the study area, has piqued the interest of developers. Approved in 2005, the last Uptown Rideau plan limited heights in virtually the entire area to a maximum of six storeys, yet already a dozen buildings exceed that limit. Plus, there’s a desire to clear up some ambiguities about the south side of the street, which is covered by a different neighbourhood plan.