‘Ottawa’ NCC Launches Nepean Point ‘Refresh’
Although the international design competition to reimagine Nepean Point calls for a footbridge linking the inspiring vista to Major’s Hill Park, the National Capital Commission’s limited budget for the project means such a costly crossing might not become a reality for some time.
The competition site, as outlined at Thursday’s NCC board meeting, occupies a total area of 2.5 hectares. It includes Nepean Point, the north sidewalk of St. Patrick Street, the triangular traffic island at the junction of St. Patrick and Mackenzie Avenue, and a Sussex Avenue entrance adjacent to the National Gallery and a small portion of Major’s Hill Park.
But with a budget of $6.7 million, the focus, in the first phase, is on replacing the 50-year-old Astrolabe theatre and sprucing up the area around the iconic Samuel de Champlain statue, said Mark Kristmanson, the NCC’s chief executive.