Even with a reduced retail space, the Lansdowne Partnership is still not the right plan for the park, insist Glebe merchants.
Glebe BIA executive director Catherine Lindquist said they are encouraged to hear reports that the city and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group are hearing concerns from the residents about the plan, but the proposed retail remains excessive.
“The scale of the retail is not acceptable or supportable,” she said. “It would double the size of the retail, which brings a lot of concerns. Not just competition, but congestion and parking, which is already a challenge for us.”
According to an analysis by the Market Research Corporation, the Glebe could support only 60,400 square feet of additional retail over five years, and 121,000 square feet over the next 10 years, including Lansdowne Park.
The Lansdowne Partnership calls for at least 300,000 square feet of new retail.
