Local architects and citizens complained that the structure overshadowed the historic market and suggested that it looked like a battleship , or worried about the danger posed to local businesses by potential terrorist attacks against the embassy . These complaints were aggravated after the September 11 attacks , when a number of roads around the embassy were blocked , congesting traffic and hurting businesses . The immediately adjacent lane on Sussex Drive was permanently closed
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Embassy of the United States, Ottawa