The National Capital Commission (NCC) has announced the list of potential federal sites for the new Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital, as well as a series of draft criteria upon which each site will be assessed.
As part of this process, the NCC is consulting public sector partners, stakeholders as well as the general public on the potential federal sites and draft selection criteria, the NCC says in a news release.
The NCC says it will be gathering the public’s feedback on the potential federal sites and draft selection criteria used to assess the sites with:
- An open house and presentations on Sept. 22 at the Canadian War Museum
- 3 p.m.–9:30 p.m.—Open house
- 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m.—Presentations and Q&A session
- An online survey, available on the NCC’s website from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6
Potential federal sites
The NCC says the following 12 sites will be reviewed:
https://ncc-ccn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=6bf5c0015dc745d78761cade1605d16d
- Tunney’s Pasture – Scott St.
- Lincoln Fields – Pinecrest Creek
- West Hunt Club Rd. (north) – Highway 416
- West Hunt Club Rd. (south) – Highway 416
- Woodroffe Ave. – West Hunt Club Road
- Merivale Rd./Woodroffe Ave. corridor
- Central Experimental Farm – Baseline Rd. – Merivale Rd.
- Existing Ottawa Hospital – Civic Campus
- Central Experimental Farm – Carling Ave. (west)
- Central Experimental Farm – Carling Ave. (central)
- Central Experimental Farm – Carling Ave. (east)
- Booth St. complex
Draft selection criteria
The NCC announcement says draft selection criteria, categorized under three themes, were developed following stakeholder and partner consultations and reflect the requirements provided by The Ottawa Hospital. The 12 sites will be assessed based on the following draft criteria:
Functional and operational
- Size of site supports hospital’s functional needs
- Site is within the urban area and close to amenities
- Site is configured to permit flexibility for location of facilities
- Optimal distance from other hospitals
- Emergency access to arterial roads, major highways and air ambulance
- Scope of constructability issues, such as soil conditions and potential demolitions
- Proximity and synergies with complementary functions, health services and academic institutions
Capital interests
- Compatibility with existing federal plans, including the Plan for Canada’s Capital and related land use plans
- Impact on cultural resources, such as UNESCO World Heritage sites, national historic sites, designated buildings and archaeological sites
- Impact on existing federal government facilities and functions, including displacement and fragmentation of office or research functions
- Cost implications for the federal government related to land value, demolition and relocation of facilitie
- Impact on protected and important views in the Capital
- Impact on the natural environment, including valued ecosystems, species at risk and ecological corridors
- Impact on publicly used Capital green spaces and recreational pathways
Regional and local interests
- Compatibility with the municipal plans of the City of Ottawa
- City building: Integration with the character of existing communities
- Integration with the transportation network, including access for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
- Integration with the public transit network
- Availability of municipal infrastructure and utilities
- Impact on agricultural lands
- Preparedness and responsiveness to major emergencies, including number of access points
The NCC board of directors will be presented with the results of the site review process at its public meeting on Nov. 23. The NCC’s recommendation will then be submitted to the minister of Canadian Heritage for the government’s decision.
A joint subcommittee of the NCC’s board of directors and its Advisory Committee on Planning Design and Realty (ACPDR) is overseeing the site review process. The subcommittee members are: Dr. Mark Kristmanson, Kay Stanley and Michael Pankiw (NCC Board of Directors); andVivian Manasc, Julian Smith and Anne McIlroy (ACPDR).
