Stop neglecting the downtown part of Bank Street

It's starting to look like a scary TV show, says Elie Mikhael Nasrallah.

I was driving on Bank Street the other day, and it felt like travelling through a “Walking Dead” city. It almost brought tears to my eyes. This northsouth artery — especially the downtown section from Isabella Street to Wellington Street — is crying for beautification, renovation, innovation, city planning and above all some sort of attractive business incentives to spur investment in this landmark area of the city. Bank Street is an old street, but it should not be left alone to die.

When I arrived in Ottawa 40 years ago, it was vibrant, alive and the centre of commerce and tourism.

The street name dates back to the 19th century, whereas the Bank of Canada was founded in 1934. It's believed that the road got its name because it originally went from the “bank” of the Ottawa River at its northern end to that of the Rideau River to the south. It is also the city's longest street.

While city council has been concentrating its debates on Wellington Street, Bank seemingly goes neglected in the downtown core. It is a shadow of its former glory. Why? From Billings Bridge to Sparks Street, Bank Street remains the way it has been since the 1980s. A renewed Lansdowne is the only exception. The rest of the street is ancient; many businesses are struggling to survive; and it feels stale.

During the last mayoral campaign, little discussion was offered on this problem. Where is the leadership from the city council, the mayor and urban advocates?

The only bright side coming after years of feasibility studies, consultations and endless debate is the project named “Bank Street Renewal” but its main focus is on the southern part and not downtown, where, arguably, it is needed most.

The City of Ottawa website informs us of the following information:

“The City of Ottawa has completed the functional design plan for the Bank Street Project and is now proceeding with the preliminary and detailed design phase of the project.

“The vision for the Bank Street project is to construct a functioning and safe complete arterial main street with a well-balanced multimodal transportation network which will cater to vehicles, transit, cyclists and pedestrians.”

Some of the improvements include full road reconstruction between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue, with cycle tracks; mountable curb medians; streetscaping features; and reconstruction of the sanitary sewers.

That's good — for the area it refers to. But would this truly transform Bank Street once and for all?

Ottawa has suffered from an inferiority complex in comparison to major metropolitan cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver and major American cities. The truckers' downtown protest in 2022 added an additional embarrassment.

Let us hope that the Bank Street renewal enterprise or project will inject some needed energy and help our reputation. And let us hope it spreads to the northern section too, so that Bank Street in the heart of downtown no longer reminds me of a scary TV show.

Long live Ottawa!