555-603 March Rd | ?m | 6 to 30f | Proposed

[phil235]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

Meanwhile, there are 33000 people working in Kanata North, many of them in the tech sector making above-average salaries and contributing above average to the local economy. We are going to see a significant boom in Kanata in the coming years for sure.

The same consideration applies to Kanata as well. The number of people working in offices in Kanata North has also decreased dramatically during the pandemic, and if anything, the tech sector is more receptive to remote work than the professional services downtown. Lots of those tech employees may not even live in Ottawa anymore, and they definitely aren't tied to Kanata. It's not just an issue affecting downtown, it applies to any employment centre.

[Harley613]

My best friend works at one of the big tech offices in Kanata. When he pops in the office for hardware he still sends me pictures of massive empty cubicle farms in the middle of the day. Often he's the only person in the building past the security desk!

[DTcrawler]

Ironically, two of my friends who work at the same Kanata-based tech company moved from Kanata to downtown during covid once they were confirmed to be permanently remote.

[roger1818]

It really depends if the company focuses on hardware or software. Software can easily be done from home, but hardware is easier done in the lab. Most of the people I work with have been in the office most of the time, only working from home during lockdowns or when not feeling well.

Much (though certainly not all) of the Kanata high tech is focused on hardware.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by roger1818

It really depends if the company focuses on hardware or software. Software can easily be done from home, but hardware is easier done in the lab. Most of the people I work with have been in the office most of the time, only working from home during lockdowns or when not feeling well.

Much (though certainly not all) of the Kanata high tech is focused on hardware.

Sure, but even in hardware-focused businesses you are going to have a good chunk of the employees who can work remotely (HR, Finance, Legal, IT, Business Development etc.).

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by roger1818

It really depends if the company focuses on hardware or software. Software can easily be done from home, but hardware is easier done in the lab. Most of the people I work with have been in the office most of the time, only working from home during lockdowns or when not feeling well.

Much (though certainly not all) of the Kanata high tech is focused on hardware.

I'm not sure that this is the case any more. Are there any recent statistics to support this?

[originalmuffins]

https://www.investottawa.ca/work-in-ottawa/tech-scene/

From their website, the biggest group is software with another big chunk being digital media, but this is Ottawa as a whole.

https://www.kanatanorthba.com/area/industry-profiles/

Also indicates telecommunications is the largest but software is the second largest.

Based on SaaS growth, I would agree with you Rocket that this is probably not the case moving forward.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

I'm not sure that this is the case any more. Are there any recent statistics to support this?

No statistics, but based on personal observation. Admittedly I have a skewed point of view.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by phil235

Sure, but even in hardware-focused businesses you are going to have a good chunk of the employees who can work remotely (HR, Finance, Legal, IT, Business Development etc.).

There are some that can, but those makeup a minority of the workforce in a hardware development company. I would also argue that it is harder for many of those to work from home when a majority of the employees are in the office. HR and IT jump out at me as needing to be in the office to support in office employees.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by roger1818

There are some that can, but those makeup a minority of the workforce in a hardware development company. I would also argue that it is harder for many of those to work from home when a majority of the employees are in the office. HR and IT jump out at me as needing to be in the office to support in office employees.

The IT people I know, in the office and in my personal life, seem to have rotating schedules with other IT employees, so they have the same hybrid model as everyone else.

HR seems to be the same, at least at my company.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The IT people I know, in the office and in my personal life, seem to have rotating schedules with other IT employees, so they have the same hybrid model as everyone else.

HR seems to be the same, at least at my company.

But most other employees are on site? Seems rather hypocritical for HR to say, “you have to be here but we will work from home.”

At mine both HR and IT are on site full time. At my previous employer they were both about 2/3 on site 1/3 WFH, but that was during the height of the pandemic when most employees were WFH much of the time.

[J.OT13]

Planning Committee this week.

[J.OT13]

Carried, with a motion for the developer to submit a demonstration plan with supporting studies for the entire area illustrating no impact to the area for towers with floor plates over 750m.

Strange one, but floor plates really should be limited across the City. Rideau is a prime example of how lot-line to lot-line, and extremally wide towers produces a less than stellar urban experience.

[Harley613]

Kanata North getting a substantial skyline will be great for promoting and marketing our high tech industry. It will become a visually recognizable place, a real destination.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Carried, with a motion for the developer to submit a demonstration plan with supporting studies for the entire area illustrating no impact to the area for towers with floor plates over 750m.

Strange one, but floor plates really should be limited across the City. Rideau is a prime example of how lot-line to lot-line, and extremally wide towers produces a less than stellar urban experience.

Yeah, I guess your against more family units then? Or just unaware of the trade offs....

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Williamoforange

Yeah, I guess your against more family units then? Or just unaware of the trade offs....

Yes, I'm a NIMBY because I'm against wall to wall soulless towers. Good urbanism, right to light, human scale podiums and point towers are the devil.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Yes, I'm a NIMBY because I'm against wall to wall soulless towers. Good urbanism, right to light, human scale podiums and point towers are the devil.

Well yes your are a nimby, considering you've literally stated that you opposed buildings high rises next to low density detached homes in Urban Ottawa on CITY owned land.... Even most left-wing people can back getting the full use of a site to maximize social housing #'s.


But that really wasn't a comment on your being a nimby it was more of a comment of you having absolutely no idea how development works and arguing for regs that have negative effects that you then argue requires more regulations be put in place to fix.... In the end we get the situation were in a heavily regulated market where little can be built by either profit or non-profit builders.

An effect of limiting plate floor is a reduction in family sized units and when those units are built the cost of them being higher due to less units to sort the cost of construction over.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Williamoforange

Well yes your are a nimby, considering you've literally stated that you opposed buildings high rises next to low density detached homes in Urban Ottawa on CITY owned land.... Even most left-wing people can back getting the full use of a site to maximize social housing #'s.

I stated I wish the master plan had higher densities than what was approved. Not sure how that's NIMBYism. Not everything should be high-rises. Missing middle?

But that really wasn't a comment on your being a nimby it was more of a comment of you having absolutely no idea how development works and arguing for regs that have negative effects that you then argue requires more regulations be put in place to fix.... In the end we get the situation were in a heavily regulated market where little can be built by either profit or non-profit builders.

An effect of limiting plate floor is a reduction in family sized units and when those units are built the cost of them being higher due to less units to sort the cost of construction over.

Type of units has more to do with the developers design than the restrictions on floor plate. You can have three bedroom units even with 750 square meters (8k square feet).

And that's when mid-rises can come in, which usually have larger footprints, but you seem to oppose any mid-rises (and townhomes) at Gladstone Village. Are you concerned with a lack of family units or not?

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I stated I wish the master plan had higher densities than what was approved. Not sure how that's NIMBYism. Not everything should be high-rises. Missing middle?



Type of units has more to do with the developers design than the restrictions on floor plate. You can have three bedroom units even with 750 square meters (8k square feet).

And that's when mid-rises can come in, which usually have larger footprints, but you seem to oppose any mid-rises (and townhomes) at Gladstone Village. Are you concerned with a lack of family units or not?

They just seem argumentative...all.the.time. Heaven forbid there be shades of grey in this world when it comes to discussion....its full on NIMBY or YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT....all.the.time.

But good on you trying to be civil and trying to engage.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

They just seem argumentative...all.the.time. Heaven forbid there be shades of grey in this world when it comes to discussion....its full on NIMBY or YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT....all.the.time.

But good on you trying to be civil and trying to engage.

110 percent. Most of us on here enjoy discussing, debating, and learning together... a true 'forum'. Willliamoforange mostly likes to yell and accuse. I am very impressed by J.OT13's neverending patience. I appreciate a lot of Williamoforange's points, but the presentation is borderline harassment.