The Highlight [350 Montgomery St] | 30m | 8f | Completed

[Uhuniau]

Quote:
A site plan application filed by Longwood Building Corp. proposes a 70-unit building with two levels of underground parking at 350 Montgomery St., facing McArthur Avenue and located between the Vanier Parkway and the Rideau River
Full article:

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residential/2011-07-08/article-2641490/Longwood-proposes-Vanier-condos/1

[waterloowarrior]

site plan application
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8JD3J1

site location
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=ottawa,+on&hl=en&ll=45.431048,-75.664967&spn=0,0.008256&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=46.192665,135.263672&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=45.431048,-75.664967&panoid=sl4V5Q0zn4-uVDu-cjcf3g&cbp=12,300.9,,0,-2.28

Looks like Longwood has mostly been a low-rise builder
http://www.longwoodbuilders.com/index.html

[Uhuniau]

Thanks, WW!

Why does the City's website make those things so bloody hard to find?

[Ottawan]

It's nice to see a smaller/newer developer having a go at projects like this one. A little more competition in the condo market would definitely be good.

[Proof Sheet]

Thanks, WW!

Why does the City's website make those things so bloody hard to find?

I agree with you on that one....the easiest way to find the latest uploads is to type 'ward' in the search column and go to the last page and work your way backwards. I find that to search by the street name doesn't work that well.

[Uhuniau]

I agree with you on that one....the easiest way to find the latest uploads is to type 'ward' in the search column and go to the last page and work your way backwards. I find that to search by the street name doesn't work that well.

By not "that well", I find not at all. The global site search is bloody useless. Welcome to Ottawa, the tech capital of eastern Ontario...

[Uhuniau]

It's nice to see a smaller/newer developer having a go at projects like this one. A little more competition in the condo market would definitely be good.

I find it interesting that this sort of project is creeping east. Yes, there's the big, ongoing Landry Street project, with the half-decent towers but the dreadful townhouses.

And then there's the lesser-known St-Denis conversion of the old school property which went off quite well and pretty much turned around that corner of Vanier in one swoop.

And now this, on a property I'd been wondering about for quite a while.

I'm just waiting for the first retail/commercial redevelopment on Montreal Road (or on that dodgy block of Beechwood)... I think that'll be the *official* kickoff of the Vanier gentrification that's been quietly going on for some time.

[Mille Sabords]

By not "that well", I find not at all. The global site search is bloody useless. Welcome to Ottawa, the tech capital of eastern Ontario...

This one was harder to "find" if you were looking for something on McArthur Ave., the project's address is 350 Montgomery (the side street).

[phil235]

I find it interesting that this sort of project is creeping east. Yes, there's the big, ongoing Landry Street project, with the half-decent towers but the dreadful townhouses.

And then there's the lesser-known St-Denis conversion of the old school property which went off quite well and pretty much turned around that corner of Vanier in one swoop.

And now this, on a property I'd been wondering about for quite a while.

I'm just waiting for the first retail/commercial redevelopment on Montreal Road (or on that dodgy block of Beechwood)... I think that'll be the *official* kickoff of the Vanier gentrification that's been quietly going on for some time.

There is also some infill showing up in Overbrook (I think), east of the Vanier Parkway. The changes are slow, but in some ways that is a real positive for the neighbourhood.

[Uhuniau]

This one was harder to "find" if you were looking for something on McArthur Ave., the project's address is 350 Montgomery (the side street).

I used Montgomery as the keyword.

[Uhuniau]

There is also some infill showing up in Overbrook (I think), east of the Vanier Parkway. The changes are slow, but in some ways that is a real positive for the neighbourhood.

I actually walked a good chunk from near Beechwood all the way to Presland on Saturday, and there seemed to be a fair number of renos or major repairs going on throughout. Also one place that I looked at buying a number of years ago, me and the agent didn't even bother going inside. The neighbours were on the front porch, they were sketchy, they had huge ugly dogs, and the only landscaping was a hideous chain-link fence.

That's all gone. New owners by the looks of it. Flowers. Lots of flowers.

There's still a lot of problems, but the Near East is nothing like it was 10 or maybe even five years ago.

[c_speed3108]

I actually walked a good chunk from near Beechwood all the way to Presland on Saturday, and there seemed to be a fair number of renos or major repairs going on throughout. Also one place that I looked at buying a number of years ago, me and the agent didn't even bother going inside. The neighbours were on the front porch, they were sketchy, they had huge ugly dogs, and the only landscaping was a hideous chain-link fence.

That's all gone. New owners by the looks of it. Flowers. Lots of flowers.

There's still a lot of problems, but the Near East is nothing like it was 10 or maybe even five years ago.

This project is awesome news. The Montreal, North River, Vanier Parkway, McArthur box is definitely a great one to get fixed up as it was lagging behind some other pockets.

It is really amazing what is happening in Vanier and fun to see it happen. Still a ways to go, but things seem to be really happening. There seems to be quite a number of light fix-ups taking place along Montreal Rd now too.

[waterloowarrior]

headed to the urban design review panel
http://ottawa.ca/residents/planning/dev_review_process/urban_design/agendas_en.html

[kevinbottawa]

Here's the condo at Montgomery and MacArthur in Vanier. There's a rendering at the link below if the pic doesn't come out below. For some reason I'm having a problem posting pics.

http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/12/02/sonia-by-the-rideau-coming-soon

Sonia by the Rideau coming soon

By Patricia Hitsman ,Ottawa Sun
First posted: Saturday, December 03, 2011 12:00 AM EST | Updated: Friday, December 02, 2011 02:41 PM EST

Stunning curved lines and loads of glass panels will dominate the design of Longwood Building Corporation’s newest condominium project coming on stream in the new year.

Sonia by the Rideau will be an eight-storey building with 70 units near the corner of the Vanier Parkway and McArthur Avenue. The building will sit on a tri-anglular piece of property at 350 Montgomery St. and within walking distance of the Rideau River.

“This building is about design and location,” said Darice Greene, Longwood’s sales manager. “This building is so architecturally pleasing.”

With curved terraces, convex and concave-shaped walls of glass and distinct levels, this building will be “architecturally dramatic”, says Greene. She adds there will be “soaring panels of glass combined with traditional brick and stone”.

She also points to the location as a key attraction for this building. Greene says the proximity to downtown is great and for those who like to be near the river, there’s no better place. There’s a large grocery store just steps away as well and the Vanier Parkway is a major transportation route that will connect folks with the rest of the city.

The condos will range from 537-1,180 square feet and will start in the low $200,000s. Pre-registration is taking place now and those on this list will have first dibs at the pre-opening by appointment taking place in January.

The building will be equipped with an elevator, exercise room, common room with kitchen, lobby with curved glass walls, and underground parking which will come at an additional cost.

A couple of the ground-floor units will be “work/live” suites which means the occupants could operate a home-based business there.

All units will either get a balcony or a terrace but those on the fifth floor will have the bonus of a balcony and a terrace with both covered and uncovered sections.

There will be one and two-bedroom plans available but all will have open-concept styles. Each unit will have hardwood flooring throughout including the bedroom(s), ceramic tile in the bathroom(s), plus four kitchen appliances and a stackable washer and dryer. Granite counters will also be included in the kitchen and bathroom(s).

The sales centre on Montgomery Street will open in mid-January. Condos will go on sale to the public after those who have pre-registered have been tended to.

Occupancy is expected for 2014.

For those interested in pre-registering, visit www.soniacondos.com (http://www.soniacondos.com).

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KA-F0jkhFgY/TuoRxbYn80I/AAAAAAAABXE/KIePIMuygqg

http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-

[waterloowarrior]

site plan application approved

[MGB]

This project could have a really positive impact on this little quarter of Vanier.

http://www.vaniernow.blogspot.com/2012/01/development-adding-to-mix-on-montgomery.html

[reidjr]

This project could have a really positive impact on this little quarter of Vanier.

http://www.vaniernow.blogspot.com/2012/01/development-adding-to-mix-on-montgomery.html

Have they start digging yet?

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I've certainly seen an improvement in Vanier over the years. Hopefully it will soon be a nice, urban area right beside the core. Vanier west of the Parkway is certainly starting to feel like that.

[Mille Sabords]

Have they start digging yet?

Not yet. They are building a sales centre and they have a sign on the property advertising the project.

[MGB]

Floorplans and additional images are now available:

http://www.soniacondos.com/

Also, check the Ottawa Citizen for an article on the developer, himself a Vanier native, and the journey towards developing the site:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/homes/Homeward+bound/6061625/story.html

Homeward Bound
Just a few blocks from where he grew up, builder stretches his wings and delves into the condo market
By Sheila Brady, The Ottawa Citizen January 27, 2012

Guy Whissel got an early Christmas present when the City of Ottawa gave its blessing for a most unusual condo that will sit on a triangular chunk of land tucked behind Montreal Road and the Vanier Parkway.

There was no fancy paper wrapped around the Dec. 23 approval for the eight-storey Sonia, but it was the best gift for the owner of Longwood Development Corporation.

The $25-million, red-brick-and-glass condo is all about generous curves, rounded white stone banding and an imposing concave glass entrance facing Montgomery Street at McArthur Avenue. There are hopes the sleek 70-unit building will also refresh McArthur, adding a unique residential face to a busy street.

“It’s a very unusual site and the developer and architect should be commended for taking it on,” says David Leinster, chair of the 10-member, city-appointed Urban Design Review Panel that examined the plans twice over the past year, making suggestions to massage the exterior, while taking into consideration the neighbourhood.

The first meeting, a mandatory appearance held behind closed doors, was held last January. Then the panel, made up of five architects, two landscape architects, an urban planner, an environmental expert and a heritage conservationist, suggested a more public face for the McArthur side of the building and more planting. Whissel and his longtime colleague, architect Douglas Hardie, worked with city planners, coming up with a plan for two apartments facing McArthur.

“They have done a good job and hopefully the Sonia will become a bit of a game changer on McArthur and in a neighbourhood that is in a bit of a transition,” says Leinster. “It’s not like other towers that we have looked at that will sit smack up against a two-storey home and are out of context.”

The site, a triangular piece of land, was the first challenge, says Hardie. Then Whissel pressed for curves to soften the building, which he hopes will attract younger buyers and area residents who want to downsize and avoid the higher prices of downtown condos. Prices start in the low $200,000s.

“I have always liked angles and curves. It’s pleasing to the eye,” says Whissel, 55, who grew up a few blocks away.

During the design, Hardie borrowed inspiration from the famous flatiron Fuller building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and the historical red brick Gooderham building on the edge of Toronto’s financial district.

“The shape of the land dictated the design and then we took a glimpse at these two buildings and softened and rounded the curves,” says Hardie.

Adds Whissel: “Ottawa has been criticized as dull and boring. I wanted to do something different. There are too many buildings that look like bunkers.”

Whissel has always liked design, earning papers as an architectural technologist from Algonquin College before launching into the construction industry in 1977. He first joined homebuilding giant Minto Developments and then launched Longwood in 1988, carving out a solid reputation for single homes and bungalow townhomes for active boomers.

The Sonia (named after his wife, Nicole Sonia) is his first condo project.

The only thing that would have made Whissel happier would have been a faster process, since the condo didn’t step on any city bylaws or rile any neighbours. It’s been 18 months since he approached school chum Mike Seguin to buy the land where Seguin ran a service station for more than two decades.

“I thought it was going to be a slam dunk,” says Whissel, one of the first applicants to wind through the approval process of the city’s Urban Design Review Panel.

“We were massaging the plan,” says Leinster, adding the panel was never opposed to the project.

Whissel was stunned by the critique at the first meeting, while Hardie, a veteran of peer reviews, took away the suggestions, incorporating them into a more refined plan. Both, however, refused to budge on moving the main entrance from Montgomery to the busier McArthur.

“That change would have affected the inside layout for the elevators,” says Hardie. The team also refused to back down from the large concave glass wall forming the main entrance, even though the design panel said it was facing north and would be an energy loser.

“We can work through that with the right materials,” says Hardie.

The Sonia will include two floors of underground parking and common areas, including a party area on the main floor and a workout area.

Prices will range from the low $200,000s for a 561-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath apartment, going up to $490,000 for a 1,129-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath condo. Condos on the fifth floor facing McArthur will also feature huge outdoor terraces.

Underground parking is $29,000 and condo fees are expected to range between $214 and $375, depending on the size of the condo.

The sales centre is set to open Jan. 28 and a wiser Whissel is already aggressively looking for another property in the area.


The Sonia by the Rideau

What: Eight-storey condo, with 70 units

Builder: Longwood Development Corporation

Prices: Starting in the low $200,000s for 561-square-foot, one-bedroom up to $490,000 for two bedrooms and 1,129 square feet

Fees: Parking is $29,000; condo fees expected to range between $214 and $375

Location: 450 Montgomery St.

Sales centre: Monday to Thursday, noon to 6 p.m.; weekends, noon to 5 p.m. Closed Fridays.

Information: Call 613-421-9736 or visit soniacondos.com.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

[TSXer]

Sales office is up on the corner of Vanier and McAarther in vanier for an 8 story condo tower facing Montgomory Street. Was an old mechanic/parking and was recently torn down.

Approved and construction starting this summer.

Artistic rendering:
http://www.soniacondos.com/images/main_rendering.jpg

How the building will sit:
http://www.soniacondos.com/images/amenities_small.jpg

http://www.soniacondos.com/

[reidjr]

Where did you hear construction will start this summer?

[Lugnut]

Already a thread for this: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=192427

Still love the look of the project though.

[TSXer]

Where did you hear construction will start this summer?

At the sales office..

Ooops re: repost

[waterloowarrior]

brownfields grant
http://app05.ottawa.ca/SIREPub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=2424&doctype=agenda&itemid=124186

[trhgr]

Just drove by this one today. Has anyone heard about this project lately? It looks dead.....

[waterloowarrior]

They are posting daily on their FB page and construction is supposed to start in the next 5 months (over 50% sold)
https://www.facebook.com/SoniabytheRideau/

[GeorgeRo]

Any news on this project? Is it cancelled?

[Arcologist]

Two thumbs way up for not being another condo box. I hope this one goes ahead, it's a neat design.

[Vanier]

The property is now fenced in and they are driving piles. It looks like it is currently under construction.

[J.OT13]

Wonder if they switched to rentals.

[rocketphish]

Their Facebook page and project website are long gone. As is any mention of this project on the builder's (Longwood) website. Who knows what this will end up being.

[kevinbottawa]

Tweed has a sign up asking people to stay off the site for their safety. I wonder if the project has changed.

[Spoonsy]

Does anyone have any insight on what this site will become? There's a fair bit of site prep activity and sure enough as previously mentioned a sign with the "Tweed" logo (yes that same Tweed as Canopy Growth). The old Sonia app is pulled from the DevApp search tool, Facebook and websites all dead, and I can't find anything new on Google anywhere.

I'm trying to figure out how this residential development has become somehow related to a cannabis corp... is it just recycled signs?

[Vanier]

Does anyone have any insight on what this site will become? There's a fair bit of site prep activity and sure enough as previously mentioned a sign with the "Tweed" logo (yes that same Tweed as Canopy Growth). The old Sonia app is pulled from the DevApp search tool, Facebook and websites all dead, and I can't find anything new on Google anywhere.

I'm trying to figure out how this residential development has become somehow related to a cannabis corp... is it just recycled signs?

I rode by on my bike today. They are about 15 feet down in the excavation and they are installing the plywood hoarding around the perimeter. I spoke to a couple of construction workers at the site and asked what was being built. They replied "apartments". I asked if they meant condos and they said no, they are building apartments.

[poptronic]

some sleuthing...is this it?

https://www.rjhill.ca/copy-of-armstrong?lightbox=dataItem-j0b7h8fn

[J.OT13]

some sleuthing...is this it?

https://www.rjhill.ca/copy-of-armstrong?lightbox=dataItem-j0b7h8fn

Yup, that's it. Hasn't changed much since it was a condo building.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ef39a_14ed33bb8e094712a833a217fe5f803a~mv2_d_3000_1851_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_794,h_491,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/6ef39a_14ed33bb8e094712a833a217fe5f803a~mv2_d_3000_1851_s_2.webp

[rocketphish]

The crane is up.

[Abe Simpson]

This project is also moving along nicely and will make sure to walk down that area tomorrow if the weather holds up and give everyone an update.

[Abe Simpson]

Walked by earlier today and this currently on the third floor. The crane wasn't doing much, but there lots of people working on the site today.

[Abe Simpson]

Was out for my walk yesterday, and this one is now on the 8th floor. It is a much larger building than I originally envisioned. On a side note, there are a number of abandoned buildings along McArthur Ave. right now with development signs on them. I am hopeful this area will start to see some more construction.

[Flemay]

:)Does anybody have a photo of this building:)

[kevinbottawa]

:)Does anybody have a photo of this building:)

September 12, 2020

https://i.imgur.com/uuo9BO7.jpeg

[kwoldtimer]

I should wait until the cladding is further along, but I find this one quite appealing. It’s going to have a bit of character.

[J.OT13]

Thanks for the update. So far so good. Great use of a triangular lot.

[Jayday23]

Thanks for the update. So far so good. Great use of a triangular lot.

The best thing about it ... it looks exactly like the render! Such a sight for sore *claridge facing* eyes

[SL123]

Progress May 10, 2021

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51171916779_e2e0f11f02_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51171125931_30b093a816_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51172227335_a72a0feb53_b.jpg

[Truenorth00]

Drove by this one recently!

I've been looking for information on this.

[rocketphish]

Almost done. Here are some pictures from this afternoon.

Oh, and it has a name now:
https://thehighlight.ca

https://i.imgur.com/KQsoxqC.png

https://i.imgur.com/0lyKftI.png

Photos by me
July 3, 2021

[Glenlivet Ave]

Looks great - exactly as advertised. We just need a few more of these in this immediate area.

[J.OT13]

Looks great - exactly as advertised. We just need a few more of these in this immediate area.

They're coming. Within the North River/McCarthur/Vanier/Parkway/Montreal block, two more of that scale proposed (including one from this developer), and the three high-rises at Eastview Plaza.

[kevinbottawa]

Couldn't find the right thread, but they've demolished the old house at the corner of Vanier Parkway and McArthur to make way for the new building next to this one.

[JayBuoy]

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9242275

[ponyboycurtis]

This looks great! Amazing use of the space. The contrast of the stone lower and brick upper is very classy.

Minor nitpick though... I wish they had keep the brickwork round in between floors on the corners. The top of the building and podium look much more properly finished in comparison.

[rocketphish]

[May 2022] 350 Montgomery Street was purchased by 13947319 Canada Inc. (Chenier Group) from Sonia Rentals Inc. for $35,350,000 or $308,095 per unit. It is improved with an eight-storey apartment building that was constructed in 2021.

http://juteaujohnsoncomba.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/July-2022-Newsletter-May-Sales.pdf

[Harley613]

This one is exactly 30m tall from base to the top of the mechanical penthouse as confirmed by the latest google imagery.