Planning the Future of Our Campus
The FirstU Congregation, through formal vote on a motion put forward by the Poverty Action Working Group at the Fall Congregational Meeting of October 2018, charged the FirstU Board of Directors and the Campus Planning Committee (CPC),
a permanent committee of the Board of Directors that includes representatives from FirstU and our Campus Partners (Unitarian House, River Parkway Children's Centre and Or Haneshamah), to move forward with planning activities to determine potential future development options for the FirstU Campus. This vote, and our responsibilities as good stewards charged with ensuring that our resources are focused on supporting the Mission and Vision of the Congregation, directed us to examine the potential that our Campus represents and determine if there are ways of realizing that potential that are consistent with our principles and values.
Through their representation on the CPC, our campus partners are playing an active role in articulating the interests of their organizations and shaping the overall Campus planning discussion. As a good landlord, good partner, and upholder of UU values and principles, FirstU is committed to honouring our commitments and agreements with our Campus partners, and we will ensure that any future development, if undertaken, is done in consultation and partnership with our Campus partners and with the members of our Congregation. This includes working with Unitarian House on their future vision and how that might be realized on our Campus. Fotenn, a well-known planning firm with extensive experience working with not-for-profits and charitable organizations, was engaged to assist us, and facilitated a town hall presentation at FirstU on May 5th.
On Monday, June 17th, CBC Ottawa contacted the FirstU office requesting an interview to discuss our plans for possible future development of the Campus. As one of many churches facing long term financial challenges, our story and our potential development journey are topical, and CBC Ottawa became aware of our research and planning activities through a review of the public schedule of Councillor Leiper, specifically his attendance of the May 5th town hall session. Blair Erskine, the current chair of the CPC, was asked to represent us in the CBC interview. The resulting story can be accessed on the CBC website at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/first-unitarian-transit-oriented-development-lrt-1.5178638. At present, we are in the information gathering and analysis phase only, and there are no plans or commitments for any type of Campus development.
a permanent committee of the Board of Directors that includes representatives from FirstU and our Campus Partners (Unitarian House, River Parkway Children's Centre and Or Haneshamah), to move forward with planning activities to determine potential future development options for the FirstU Campus. This vote, and our responsibilities as good stewards charged with ensuring that our resources are focused on supporting the Mission and Vision of the Congregation, directed us to examine the potential that our Campus represents and determine if there are ways of realizing that potential that are consistent with our principles and values.
Through their representation on the CPC, our campus partners are playing an active role in articulating the interests of their organizations and shaping the overall Campus planning discussion. As a good landlord, good partner, and upholder of UU values and principles, FirstU is committed to honouring our commitments and agreements with our Campus partners, and we will ensure that any future development, if undertaken, is done in consultation and partnership with our Campus partners and with the members of our Congregation. This includes working with Unitarian House on their future vision and how that might be realized on our Campus. Fotenn, a well-known planning firm with extensive experience working with not-for-profits and charitable organizations, was engaged to assist us, and facilitated a town hall presentation at FirstU on May 5th.
On Monday, June 17th, CBC Ottawa contacted the FirstU office requesting an interview to discuss our plans for possible future development of the Campus. As one of many churches facing long term financial challenges, our story and our potential development journey are topical, and CBC Ottawa became aware of our research and planning activities through a review of the public schedule of Councillor Leiper, specifically his attendance of the May 5th town hall session. Blair Erskine, the current chair of the CPC, was asked to represent us in the CBC interview. The resulting story can be accessed on the CBC website at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/first-unitarian-transit-oriented-development-lrt-1.5178638. At present, we are in the information gathering and analysis phase only, and there are no plans or commitments for any type of Campus development.
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Campus Planning Proposal
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Goals and Guiding Principles
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Fotenn Presentation,
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP – MAY 5, 2019
The material above was presented by Fotenn Planning and Design Consultants (Fotenn) at a Workshop held at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa on Sunday May 5, 2019.
It is important to understand the context in which this Workshop was held and how it fits into a longer planning process.
The Congregation is mindful that the Unitarian Campus is a choice and very valuable parcel of land, with a great potential for redevelopment. Thus, it is anticipated that over the next 10 to 50 years and more many proposals will be brought forward by various parties for redevelopment of some or all of the property. Such proposals represent both threats and opportunities for the Congregation. The Congregation wants to be able to make decisions regarding the future of the property in a manner that is based on a well-considered plan and on the Congregation’s goals and values.
The Congregation has hired Fotenn to provide professional advice to help with the development of a Concept Plan or “Master Plan” to guide redevelopment of the property over the long term. In this context, the “long term” is considered to be a period of fifty years or more.
The Workshop held on May 5 was an important event in the early stages of this process. Its goal was to put forward background information related to the property and the part of the City where the campus is located; and also to bring forward for consideration and discussion many ideas and possibilities for the future. The “ideas and possibilities” were presented in the form of several quite different alternative “Draft Concept Plans”, prepared by Fotenn. These “Concept Plans” provided members of the Congregation and people from the wider community an opportunity to express their opinions, ideas and suggestions regarding future development in the context of several alternative Concept Plans prepared by urban planning professionals.
The Campus Planning Committee of the Congregation welcomes input from the congregation and from the wider community. You are invited to send your comments: What do you think of the options presented? What do you like? What do you not like” What ideas would you like to see incorporated in the plans for the future of the campus? The Committee also welcomes and will respond to questions related to the future development of the campus. However, it should be noted that at this early stage of the process, there are likely to be many questions for which clear or definite answers do not yet exist. It would be helpful if questions were presented concisely and in point form.
Please send your comments or questions to campusplanning@firstunitarianottawa.ca .
The material above was presented by Fotenn Planning and Design Consultants (Fotenn) at a Workshop held at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa on Sunday May 5, 2019.
It is important to understand the context in which this Workshop was held and how it fits into a longer planning process.
The Congregation is mindful that the Unitarian Campus is a choice and very valuable parcel of land, with a great potential for redevelopment. Thus, it is anticipated that over the next 10 to 50 years and more many proposals will be brought forward by various parties for redevelopment of some or all of the property. Such proposals represent both threats and opportunities for the Congregation. The Congregation wants to be able to make decisions regarding the future of the property in a manner that is based on a well-considered plan and on the Congregation’s goals and values.
The Congregation has hired Fotenn to provide professional advice to help with the development of a Concept Plan or “Master Plan” to guide redevelopment of the property over the long term. In this context, the “long term” is considered to be a period of fifty years or more.
The Workshop held on May 5 was an important event in the early stages of this process. Its goal was to put forward background information related to the property and the part of the City where the campus is located; and also to bring forward for consideration and discussion many ideas and possibilities for the future. The “ideas and possibilities” were presented in the form of several quite different alternative “Draft Concept Plans”, prepared by Fotenn. These “Concept Plans” provided members of the Congregation and people from the wider community an opportunity to express their opinions, ideas and suggestions regarding future development in the context of several alternative Concept Plans prepared by urban planning professionals.
The Campus Planning Committee of the Congregation welcomes input from the congregation and from the wider community. You are invited to send your comments: What do you think of the options presented? What do you like? What do you not like” What ideas would you like to see incorporated in the plans for the future of the campus? The Committee also welcomes and will respond to questions related to the future development of the campus. However, it should be noted that at this early stage of the process, there are likely to be many questions for which clear or definite answers do not yet exist. It would be helpful if questions were presented concisely and in point form.
Please send your comments or questions to campusplanning@firstunitarianottawa.ca .
