uOttawa Brooks Residence | Decommissioned

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

Brooks decommissioned, LeBlanc and Thompson are said to be the residences that will be replaced in the at this time. Will Stanton and Marchand follow in the future? Who knows?

Never been to any of the uOttawa res, but I hope Marchand stays, It's double height common spaces seem like a unique feature.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Never been to any of the uOttawa res, but I hope Marchand stays, It's double height common spaces seem like a unique feature.

I agree. I do not think it will go soon. It will take awhile to complete the replacement of the ones currently on the chopping block before they get around to considering others.

uOttawa has put a lot of effort lately into building academic and particularly research facilities---STEM, FHS, AMRC.

Ancillary spaces for students have taken a back seat and that has lead to some student dissatisfaction. There is not nearly enough good student residence space for those that want it. The current replacement plan calls for an increase of 2600 beds.

Students pay for sports, fitness and recreation via their ancillary fees. The facilities have not grown as fast as the enrollment and they are overcrowded and outdated. Because they are, I have heard that many students buy memberships in gyms such as Goodlife and their competitors, even though they are paying the ancillary fee. Another issue leading to student dissatisfaction. I expect that a new athletic facility will put emphasis on providing space and equipment for the average student who just wants an active lifestyle.

I get the impression that the university will now turn its attention to addressing student satisfaction issues after years of concentrating on increasing their research game. It will take a few more years before it all gets done.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

I agree. I do not think it will go soon. It will take awhile to complete the replacement of the ones currently on the chopping block before they get around to considering others.

uOttawa has put a lot of effort lately into building academic and particularly research facilities---STEM, FHS, AMRC.

Ancillary spaces for students have taken a back seat and that has lead to some student dissatisfaction. There is not nearly enough good student residence space for those that want it. The current replacement plan calls for an increase of 2600 beds.

Students pay for sports, fitness and recreation via their ancillary fees. The facilities have not grown as fast as the enrollment and they are overcrowded and outdated. Because they are, I have heard that many students buy memberships in gyms such as Goodlife and their competitors, even though they are paying the ancillary fee. Another issue leading to student dissatisfaction. I expect that a new athletic facility will put emphasis on providing space and equipment for the average student who just wants an active lifestyle.

I get the impression that the university will now turn its attention to addressing student satisfaction issues after years of concentrating on increasing their research game. It will take a few more years before it all gets done.

That's great news. Looking forward to seeing the evolution of campus over the next 5 to 10 years.

[J.OT13]

We're getting somewhere.

Major new student housing project at uOttawa



A major new student housing project at the University of Ottawa promises to elevate the student experience on campus.

The University is planning a major project that will include 2,600 residence beds, along with new classrooms and study spaces, a dining hall and new green spaces. The goal is simple: to bring more students back to the heart of campus and create spaces that improve how students live, study and connect.

What’s coming

The project, developed in partnership with Integrated Campus Solutions, a consortium of four private companies, will move forward in three phases:

• Phase 1 (starting summer 2026): Redevelopment of the former Brooks Complex, between King Edward Avenue and Louis Pasteur Private (near Fauteux Hall, Montpetit Hall and the Learning Crossroads)
• Phase 2: Redevelopment of the 90U parking lot, known as Lot K
• Phase 3: Redevelopment of a Stewart Street site
• All phases are expected to be completed by 2032.

Once finished, the expanded housing portfolio will strengthen uOttawa’s commitment to guaranteeing residence space to all first-year students and create more opportunities for students to live on campus beyond first year.

Your opinion matters. Here’s what you can help shape

Before designs are finalized, the University wants to hear directly from students who live in residence or have lived in residence, as well as a randomized sample of the general student population.

Check your @uOttawa email inbox on January 19 and have your say by completing the Student Accommodation Preference Survey.

The survey will ask about residence room options, including one-bed units, shared rooms and multi-bed suites. All units would be fully furnished and include air conditioning, utilities, high-speed Wi-Fi and free shared laundry.

Students will also be asked what matters most in shared spaces and amenities, such as study areas, community kitchens, large lounges, outdoor spaces, gaming rooms and recreation facilities.

The survey will also identify features students would rather avoid, such as 12-month leases versus 8 months, shared communal kitchens or limited internet access.

“We want to hear from the people who know student life best,” says Patrick Genest, senior director of client relations. “The room types and amenities are not final yet. Student feedback will help shape residences that feel welcoming, social and supportive.

https://www.uottawa.ca/campus-life/n...roject-uottawa

[J.OT13]

Cobalt on Sidetrack RFC Community posted a map of where he thinks these phases will be.

[SL123]

Wow that's awesome news and a lot of development to look forward to in the next 7 years

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by SL123

Wow that's awesome news and a lot of development to look forward to in the next 7 years

And these large new buildings will change the look of the campus.

If this is the plan, then Thompson and Leblanc will survive for several more years. It had been said that they might be replaced soon. I think that both need repairs and refurbishing. Perhaps uOttawa has decided to do that.

Brooks is condemned and has to go. It had been rumoured that parking lot K might be built upon, and it is going to happen. I wonder if there will be underground parking under the new building.

The residence on Stewart Street is a bit of a surprise. However, the 2015 Campus Master Plan does show buildings of an unspecified nature going up there.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

An article from the Action sandy Hill newspaper --The Image--gives a little more info on the residence project.

Big changes (finally) coming to uOttawa campus
December 1, 2025
Content Manager
Noah Leafloor & Betsy Mann

Three new residences are coming to the University of Ottawa campus in the next six years, according to a press release published by the university on October 2 this year. At a November meeting of Action Sandy Hill’s Town and Gown Committee, members had a chance to look at preliminary plans. Patrick Munro, the ASH Town and Gown Chair, was encouraged. “My position is that this is good for downtown and for a growing city,” said Munro. “It provides a significant opportunity to improve our public realm while allowing for new housing and commercial areas to be constructed.”

Combined, the three new residences will provide around 2600 beds, taking pressure off the surrounding neighbourhoods’ rental market. The university aims to be able to guarantee a place in residence to all of its first-year students, leaving around 20% of spaces for upper-level students. Rent affordability is apparently an essential element of the planning process. The plans also foresee integrating learning and dining hubs and public spaces, as suggested by the name of the first phase of the project, the “Brooks Academic Village.”

As anyone who has walked across campus to get to the Campus LRT station knows, the current Brooks Complex has been empty and fenced off for the last five years; mold and water damage issues had made it uninhabitable. Its demolition is slated to begin in the spring of 2026, and construction of the new buildings will follow. Construction is being undertaken by a private-sector consortium, but once completed, student services will be provided directly by the university.

Farther in future, there are plans for two other residences. One would be built in the centre of the campus, on the current parking lot K which faces onto Waller Street. The other would be built on another parking lot on Stewart Street. Neither of those new builds involves demolishing current structures.

With these new developments staying on campus, the university is building vertically. Housing density and affordability have been issues for all Ottawans and especially for students and the unhoused. In an interview with IMAGE, University of Ottawa emeritus professor, Tim Aubry, expressed his assessment of the plans. “That’s a big contribution to affordable housing in the city for a population group that essentially rents as close as they can to the university,” he said. “It will liberate rental houses for those coming out of homelessness, something that has been difficult to achieve.” Since June 2022, Aubry has been the co-chair for the Canadian Housing First Network, an organization which helps communities by developing, evaluating and improving their programs to assist the unhoused find permanent housing. Munro commented on this matter too, saying, “This should hopefully reduce pressure on the local housing market while stimulating the local economy.”

What will these developments mean for our neighbourhood? Geoffery Frigon, Associate Vice-President, Facilities, is quoted in the uOttawa press release: “The goal is to create a culturally responsive and welcoming environment by respectfully integrating the unique character of the Sandy Hill neighbourhood and Indigenous perspectives into the design.” If you are interested in learning more about the plans for campus renewal, watch for announcements of Q & A sessions the university promises for later this winter.