Three development projects were approved by city council Wednesday, as well as some changes to the city’s BIA structures.
A plan to allow up to 90 not-for-profit housing units to be built on a vacant lot in the Glebe is going ahead. Last week, the city’s finance and corporate services committee approved a recommendation by staff to transfer ownership of a portion of the land at 574 Bank St. to the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corp. (CCOC), which is looking to construct a nine-storey mid-rise development on the lot.
Located behind the colourful Glebe sign on Bank Street at the intersection of Chamberlain Avenue just south of the Queensway, the portion of the lot declared surplus is 690 square metres and currently occupied by a parking lot.
A city report said the site is valued at approximately $3.3 million, according to an internal assessment, but will be transferred to CCOC for “nominal value.”
The proposed nine-storey development would include 80 to 90 residential units, 30 per cent of which will be affordable at below-market rents.
Centrum Blvd. residential project approved
In Orleans, a community improvement plan grant application submitted by a numbered company related to a residential development at 211 Centrum Blvd. was approved.
A community improvement plan is an economic development tool allowing municipalities to provide financial incentives directly to property owners to stimulate new development, redevelopment and property improvements, a city report says.
Last week, the city’s finance and corporate services committee approved a CIP grant application submitted by 12259095 Canada Inc., which has been linked to Montreal-based developer Groupe Maurice. A city report said the “estimated total aggregate of annual grants over a maximum period of 10 years is $3,355,533, in compliance with the terms and conditions of a community improvement plan agreement.”
The property at 211 Centrum, formerly occupied by a Royal Bank of Canada branch and a structured parking facility, will be redeveloped into a three-tower seniors residence, with portions rising four, nine and seventeen storeys. It is located at the intersection of Centrum Avenue and Place d’Orléans Drive, within walking distance of Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre.
The residence would consist of 397 rental units designed for senior independent living, supported by comprehensive service, wellness, amenities and health components, a report to committee says.
The development will include about 40,000 square feet of indoor amenity space and 288 indoor parking spaces.
A city report says construction is set to take place over 36 months, with the project expected to employ more than 150 construction workers and 75 to 100 permanent jobs within the residence once it opens.
Highrise development on Edgeworth Avenue approved
A zoning by-law to permit a highrise residential development with a maximum height of 24 storeys at 500 and 508 Edgeworth Ave. near the future Lincoln Fields LRT station was approved.
Ottawa’s Antilia Homes has proposed the residential tower, containing 262 units, in the neighbourhood of Woodpark, just north of Carling Avenue.
The 2,760-square-metre site, owned by Antilia Homes, is currently occupied by low-rise residential dwellings that would be demolished to make way for the new building.
The proposal includes the integration of a three-metre-wide multi-use pathway along the northern edge of the site, providing residents access to the transit station.
The application also proposes an underground parking garage with 123 parking spaces for vehicles and 230 bicycle storage spaces. Along Edgeworth Avenue, there would be two vehicular access points, connected by a drop-off loop at the building’s entrance.
Preston St. BIA expands, new Cyrville BIA to form
The Preston Street BIA’s plan to expand its boundaries to include 39 new commercial properties and 164 businesses was also approved.
The new boundaries would expand northwest to include Albert Street to City Centre Avenue, east to just past Booth Street, south from Poplar Street to Carling Avenue and west from Railway Street to just past Champagne Avenue South.
In 2025, the Preston Street BIA received a $7,500 grant from the city to undertake a comprehensive property and business inventory to enable accurate stakeholder identification and outreach, analyze commercial property tax rolls for existing and proposed expansion areas, identify future commercial development opportunities and model scenarios of proposed expansion on the BIA’s budget and levy.
Now that the expansion has been approved by city council, the BIA plans to change its name to “better reflect the BIA’s evolution from traditional main street to a culturally distinct commercial district,” a report to committee says.
In addition, the city will be getting a new BIA centred around Cyrville Road in the east end.
The new BIA will encompass 192 commercial and industrial properties that would be subject to a BIA levy, including six properties under payment-in-lieu of taxes. These properties represent a total assessment base of about $757 million, a report to committee says.
There are approximately 474 businesses operating within the study area, with the predominant sectors being retail, automotive services, food and beverage, construction and building supply and professional services.
Now that council has approved the BIA, next steps include: facilitating the formation of a board of management, coordinating a formal vote of the new board to confirm the name of the BIA, guiding the board through the development of an inaugural operating budget to commence Jan. 1, and providing ongoing guidance throughout the transition period to ensure the BIA is established in a transparent, compliant and effective manner.
With files from Mia Jensen
