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DEVELOPER WANTS STOP LOCATED BETWEEN BEECH AND YOUNG
Ottawa Business Journal - Spring, 2001 - The City of Ottawa is planning to put one of the light rail transit stops along its north-south route at the corner of Gladstone and Preston Streets, but one commercial real estate developer is questioning the decision.
Brian Murray, a marketing and leasing representative with Sakto Corp. and a member of the Preston Street Business Improvement Area, says locating the light rail stop between Beech Street and Young Street would be advantageous for his company. Sakto owns the office tower at 333 Preston St. and says its preferred location of the light rail stop would benefit the entire street.
"We think it would be better suited having it at our location," he says. "It would add a lot of value to this area."
Murray says there aren't many people who would benefit from the city's light rail stop at Gladstone because there is less activity in that area. Murray cites the fact that software-maker Hummingbird will have a location near them, along with the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.
Sakto is constructing a $50 - $60 million mixed-use development on the site with residential, retail and commercial uses. According to Murray, there will be more than 4000 people working and living near the proposed Beech and Young stop.
"People realize it's certainly not the core of the city, but it's not Kanata," he says.
Sakto has offered to help subsidize the cost if the stop is built at its site, but no figures have been released. The company has received the green light to talk with the city and Murray hopes Sakto will discuss the matter sooner than later.
"We've talked to the city and it's still unclear what it will take," he says. Murray raised the point that Sakto should get some consideration for its request because of high development fees it is paying for the new complex, coupled with the fact that it's building a mixed-use complex, which could act as a model for the whole city to help curtail the crisis in affordable housing.
Peter Harris, a former city councilor who now works with the Preston Street Business Association, believes two more stops between Carling Avenue and Bayview Road would benefit everyone.
In 1989, the city was discussing the possibility of building a tunnel for the buses going downtown. The estimated cost for that project was $950 million. It was Harris who spearheaded the idea of constructing a light rail system in Ottawa.
The city is determined, in making the service as rapid as possible, sticking to its plan of 15-minute service, without taking into account the needs for extra stops, according to Harris.
"In their mind, they're competing, with OC Transpo. They don't have the whole picture," he says.
Harris mentioned how there is no major north-south artery in the city and how residents in the Glebe are not in favour of the expansion of Bronson Avenue to help remedy the situation.
When the light rail line is completed by the fall, it will have five stops along its route. The city does seem to be willing to entertain the idea of adding extra stops once it is determined if the pilot project is to become permanent.
"I'm very confident we will end up with stops between Carling and Bayview. It's only logical," says Harris.
Mayor Bob Chiarelli agrees with that statement, saying there was a stop originally proposed near the Sakto complex location, but it had to be eliminated because of costs.
He met with OC Transpo officials as recently as last week to discuss the possibility of making the stop a reality in the future.
"I hope we can make it happen, I'll put it that way," he says.
For more information on Sakto or this Press Coverage, please email info@sakto.com.
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