Some businesses in Centretown are opposed to real estate developer Urban Capital Property Group “rebranding,” their neighbourhood “South Central Ottawa,” even though they are featured on a website the developer set up highlighting points of interest in the neighborhood.
Herb + Spice manager, Briana Faubert, said it’s “awful.” “It’s taking away something that has been built over time,” she said.
However, she said she is not against condos being built in the area.
“As long as they maintain the feel of the neighbourhood and the vibe, it’s not such a bad thing,” said Faubert.
Black Squirrel Books owner, Vaughn MacDonald said renaming the neighbourhood is “silly.”
“It seems presumptuous for a company to put its stamp on the neighbourhood,” said MacDonald.
A group of people have organized a protest July 10, the same day as the developer’s re-branding launch party, to speak out against the luxury condo boom and the renaming of the neighbourhood.
“Luxury condos mean apartment rents skyrocket, low income tenants are forced out of the area, stores and services that don’t cater to the rich close down, and our neighborhood becomes just another boring, homogenized wasteland,” the protestors wrote on their Facebook event page.
Urban Capital could not be reached for comment.

Where’s the party/protest?

Urban Capital’s southcentralottawa.com website says there will be a ‘South Central’ neighbourhood Party and asks peple who want to attend to RSVP to info@southcentralottawa.com

The party will be held at the James Street Pub on Tuesday, July 10th, 6-9pm.

People opposed to the renaming idea and the developer have organized a facebook event titles “NO LUXURY CONDOS! Shut down the South Central Bank Launch Party,”  inviting people to protest with pots pans and drums, at the same location.