299 Carling Ave | ? | 13 to 30f | Proposed

[rocketphish]

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/clc-sic_o...arling-activity-7224865498318921728-z_2f

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

Unique?....

The podiums look nice at least. Not sure we have another building with a roofline like this in town?

The Minto Place buildings downtown have a similar roofline.

[RideauRat]

Originally Posted by Marcus CLS

Any developer who enters into the lease with the GOC
will be under the thumb of Gov't control. The housing will be rentals. You will own nothing and be happy.

In this market I don't think people give a damn if the gov or private own the block. many are on the brink of homelessness and people just want a roof, this 'you will own nothing' rhetoric is exhausting and unproductive.

[J.OT13]

Understanding this isn't the final product, I'm not a fan of the three separate buildings. Looks kind of... suburban? Like the Petrie's Landing towers. Also reminds me of the Vanier triplets (with a similar roof line as well).

I'd prefer a podium with a continuous street wall of retail, maybe a porte-cochere to access the park. Break it up while keeping it as one podium.

Overall design language is fine. Red brick podium with white towers are better than all shades.

[rocketphish]

Multi-tower project at 299 Carling Ave. joins long list of developments planned for Little Italy

Mia Jensen, OBJ
March 24, 2026



A project to build four mixed-use towers at 299 Carling Ave. near Dow’s Lake is moving ahead under new ownership.

Turn Group, which has offices in Ottawa and Calgary, will be redeveloping the three-acre parcel, currently a parking lot, into a four-tower development. The towers would range from 13 to 30 storeys and add 750 residential units and more than 600,000 square feet of mixed-use space to the rapidly developing neighbourhood.

OBJ last reported on the project in June 2019, when the land was owned by Canada Lands Company in a joint partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario. At that time, the plan was to build three mixed-use towers with approximately 600 units. “With a strong commitment to inclusive housing, the development is designed to welcome a diverse mix of residents,” said Ash Mahmoud, CEO of Turn Group, in a release Tuesday. “Thoughtfully planned amenities, generous green spaces, and inviting public areas will create a lively, connected, and wellness‑focused urban environment.” Arcadis has been chosen as the architect for the project. The global firm has worked on projects such as the visitor welcome centre at Parliament Hill and the redevelopment of the World Exchange Plaza.

“This project represents the best of what Arcadis’ integrated cross-country design teams can deliver,” Scott Arbuckle, Canada country director at Arcadis, said in the press release. “From client engagement and advisory services to architectural design and civil engineering, our teams nationwide are committed to shaping a development that is functional, sustainable, and attuned to Ottawa’s urban fabric and unique character.”

According to Arcadis, the towers will reflect “Ottawa’s distinctive harmony between natural landscapes and urban living, with a design inspired by the organic curves of Dow’s Lake.” The buildings will feature living facades, green roofs and natural materials, as well as large windows, terraced balconies and pedestrian-friendly pathways. The site is located a few blocks east of Preston Street near the intersection of Carling and Bronson avenues, with the Dow’s Lake LRT station a short walk away.

The proposal adds to a number of developments either planned or underway in the Little Italy neighbourhood.

Most notable is the 2.5-million-square-foot new Civic campus for The Ottawa Hospital, where construction is expected to wrap in 2028. The new campus is expected to be a major economic and traffic driver for the area.

Farther north, there are plans to build a recreation and cultural facility on a 21-acre parcel of land at the intersection of the Little Italy, Hintonburg and Chinatown neighbourhoods.

At the same time, Little Italy and areas along Carling Avenue have seen an influx of residential development, including the record-holding Claridge Icon condo building, which is set to be overtaken by a 50-storey tower, also by Claridge, which was approved by the city in December.

On Beech Street, the city is considering an application for a 25-storey highrise with 392 units near the Civic campus. And Ottawa-based developer Arnon has proposed a two-phase project to build 500 new units as well as retail space for a grocery store at 450 Rochester Rd.

CLV Group also plans to build three mixed-use highrises on a one-hectare property at 951 Gladstone Ave. and 145 Loretta Ave. N., steps from Preston Street and the Little Italy neighbourhood. The towers, ranging from 34 to 40 storeys, would contain a total of 930 residential units.

And KTS Properties has filed an application to turn an eight-storey, 55,000-square-foot office building at 265 Carling Ave. at the corner of Bronson and Carling into a 70-unit rental complex with ground-floor retail space.

The current proposal for 299 Carling Ave. includes more units than the earlier version of the project. The original plan was a multi-tower project with 600 units, 15 per cent of which would have been designated affordable.

That project would have seen private developers build the highrises on the 3.2-acre site, which Canada Lands and the Algonquins of Ontario purchased in 2017.

https://obj.ca/project-299-carling-ave-joins-long-list-little-italy/

[rocketphish]

https://turngroup.ca

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

https://turngroup.ca

The big while block and curtain wall on the podium look very suburban big box store. I think that rendering is outdated though. This is probably the up to date version:

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The big while block and curtain wall on the podium look very suburban big box store. I think that rendering is outdated though. This is probably the up to date version:

There are also two alternate views of the Lebreton St facades, above. Time will tell which are correct.

And a grocery store would be a great addition to the neighbourhood!

[SL123]

This would be such a welcomed addition. Love it

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

There are also two alternate views of the Lebreton St facades, above. Time will tell which are correct.

And a grocery store would be a great addition to the neighbourhood!

The rendering I posted has the right height (based on the article), so hoping that means is the correct one.

Grocery store would be good, but we've been fooled before. I would probably prefer having one closer to Preston Street. The Arnon lot between Beech and Aberdeen was ideal for maximum catchment. Alternatively something directly adjacent to Dow's Lake Station.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

There are also two alternate views of the Lebreton St facades, above. Time will tell which are correct.

And a grocery store would be a great addition to the neighbourhood!

Obviously a great addition to that stretch of Carling. A stretch of residential facing Commissioner's Park could be very desirable real estate, particularly if they manage to finally re-do Carling with 4 lanes and proper sidewalks etc.

And a grocery store is such a no-brainer, I am surprised it is taking this long. I prefer this location, but that is probably because it would be a 5-minute walk for me. The reality is that it will probably end up in whatever new build goes up first and has the right configuration of ground floor space.

[rocketphish]

Mixed-use development at 299 Carling in Little Italy could include medical offices, grocery store

By Mia Jensen, OBJ
April 8, 2026

Developer Turn Group plans to include various types of residential units, medical offices, and a grocery store in its new project at 299 Carling Ave. near Dow’s Lake. Turn Group, which has offices in Ottawa and Calgary, is proposing a four-tower mixed-use development on the three-acre parcel east of Preston Street that’s currently occupied by a parking lot. Ranging from 13 to 30 storeys, the towers would include 750 residential units and 600,000 square feet of mixed-use space that would include commercial and retail uses, including a grocery store. With an influx of development in the area, Turn Group CEO Ash Mahmoud said he wanted to set the project apart by designating space for private medical facilities and offices.

“It’s a very common, known model, when you have a hospital,” he said. “You can have things like X-ray specialists and other specialized doctors. They have to be close to the hospital, either because they work there or they have clients there.” The three-acre parcel was previously owned by Canada Lands Company (CLC), a Crown corporation specializing in real estate and development. Under its ownership, the site was approved for a three-tower redevelopment project that would have featured approximately 600 residential units.

According to Mahmoud, the project came to Turn Group’s attention while the firm was in the bidding process for a separate CLC development. Mahmoud said it was a “quick decision” to take over ownership, but he felt he could draft a new plan to better suit Little Italy’s evolving landscape.

“The concept that was approved, it didn’t make sense for us,” he said. “The initial plan was to do rental apartments. But when we looked at the development, we found that it’s pretty close to the new (Ottawa Hospital) Civic campus. We are 600 metres away, so we thought, this is something we need to capitalize on.” In addition to designating space for private medical facilities, Mahmoud said the development will include a more diverse tenant mix that will benefit from the project's amenities and location.

While most units will be designated for typical rental housing, about one-quarter will be dedicated to independent senior living. The project also maintains a previously established agreement with the Algonquins of Ontario to create a certain number of affordable units.

Altogether, Mahmoud said the project’s commercial and tenant mix will tap into several demographics where demand is high.

“The way we look at it is to diversify the product, make it less risky,” Mahmoud said. “The medical industry is very stable, so it’s not an area where businesses go up and down. All of us need to go to the doctor. And, of course, senior housing is its own kind of stability, and (there is a shortage of) affordable housing. So we have components of all typical market rentals in this project.”

With many aspects to consider, Turn Group brought in global design and engineering consultant Arcadis as the lead architect.

Arcadis has worked on mixed-use highrise projects across Canada, including several in Toronto, said Jan Steingahs, manager of the firm’s living practice group. The company’s Ottawa team has worked on several significant local projects, including the re-design of the World Exchange Plaza and the new Parliament Hill visitor welcome centre.

When it came to re-designing the original proposal, Steingahs said the focus was on creating “synergies” between tenants, the development and the surrounding area.

“I think the project was just buildings, not really functioning as a whole,” he said. “We had to look at what’s required. What do we need to make this project really successful? It’s not looking inward, it’s looking outward. You’ve got the hospital, you’ve got Little Italy, you’ve got the LRT. That all plays a part in what we design.”

Despite the complexity involved in such a project, he added that these types of diverse developments are becoming more common.

“Projects, moving forward, will have to be a lot more mixed-use, where you have a variety of uses, from education to agriculture to data centres to residential. You name it. I don’t think one precludes the other and, if you’re smart and do it right, you have people there all the time.” He added that the development is currently in the design phase with the goal of getting shovels in the ground in 18 to 24 months, after receiving approval from the city. He added that the construction will be completed in phases and will likely take five to eight years to finish.

In addition to community stakeholders and partners such as the Algonquins of Ontario, he added that the two firms will continue consulting with the Canada Lands Company. “We want to be a good neighbour and you want buy-in from as many people as you can,” he said. “When we look at a development like this, we always look at what’s happening in the neighbourhood and how we can connect. We don’t just come in and plug in something. We’re trying to integrate our project so that it actually works as a holistic whole and becomes part of that neighbourhood fabric.”

Originally based in Calgary, Turn Group has been seeking opportunities to expand and diversify in other major Canadian markets, Mahmoud said.

“I think the boom is almost gone in Alberta,” he said. “In our business, in multi-family construction, we’re sliding into the final stages of a recession. How long that recession lasts, you usually can predict, but with oil, gas and war, you have uncertainty in the market. It’s impossible to see unless you have a magic 8 ball.”

Ottawa has become a significant area of interest for the company over the past few years, with two other developments — Westboro Tower and Aurora Apartments, both nine-storey residential buildings on Richmond Road — currently under construction.

Mahmoud said, unlike Calgary and large markets such as Toronto, demand and economic conditions have remained relatively consistent in the Ottawa market.

“What’s significant about Ottawa, other than being the capital, is the stability of the economy,” he said. “In every market, real estate goes up and down. But what I’ve noticed in the last 10 to 15 years is that Ottawa is pretty stable compared to any other city. We’ve done many studies about all kinds of assets — multi-family, offices, commercial — they have all stabilized at acceptable rates.” Arcadis, according to Steingahs, has also been attracted to the Ottawa area as an opportunity to diversify in a steady market.

“We’ve built a lot of major highrise projects in Toronto. But the way the markets are going, if you want to grow, you also have to look elsewhere,” he said. “From an opportunistic standpoint, this is obviously very good for growth. The market in Ottawa is more stable than in Toronto currently. Those things obviously help.”

https://obj.ca/three-mid-rise-buildings-terry-fox-marchwood-lakeside/

[J.OT13]

On CTV, the developer was saying that they are actively negotiating with a grocery chain and it's going well, so this may be more than just a vague promise/placeholder.

[J.OT13]

Turn Group adds multi-tower Ottawa dev. site to growing portfolio

Company which has offices in Calgary, Ottawa has quickly built a pipeline of developments, properties

Steve McLean, Renx
April 11, 2026

Turn Group has acquired an almost three-acre parking lot at 299 Carling Ave. in Ottawa’s growing Little Italy neighbourhood for $21 million from Canada Lands Company, where there are plans for a 600,000-square-foot mixed-use development of four residential towers with approximately 750 units.

It's the latest transaction for a new Calgary-based company which is establishing a pipeline of developments potentially valued at $1.5 billion, chief executive officer Ash Mahmoud told RENX in an interview.

“They had very specific requirements about affordability, which we're going to exceed by far,” Mahmoud said of the existing plans for the Ottawa property. “They (the former owner) had some mass designs, which we will maintain, but with a different perspective and more mixed use.”

Arcadis living practice group manager Jan Steingahs and Mahmoud have a working relationship going back a number of years, so Arcadis has been appointed lead architect and consultant for the project. It will oversee all design deliverables, including architecture, interior design, building information modelling services and landscape architecture. It will also deliver civil, traffic and planning services.

“We are North America's largest multifamily architect,” Steingahs told RENX during the same interview. “That's one of the reasons why Ash wanted to work with us.”

What 299 Carling will offer

Canada Lands Company is responsible for creating an adjacent half-acre park, which is already underway.

“We're connecting to the park with our landscape on the site so it becomes a really holistic thing and it's not an inward-looking site,” Steingahs said.

The four towers will range from 13 to 30 storeys on the site, which is in close proximity to an O-Train light rail transit stop, Dow’s Lake, the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus and the neighbourhood’s cultural, culinary and retail amenities.

Three of the towers are to be connected via a single podium and offer underground parking and amenities. There will also be a grocery store of approximately 15,000 square feet and additional retail and medical office space.

The two largest towers are to have market rental units while the third is to include approximately 135 affordable rental units.

“We're trying to find an affordable housing operator to partner with,” Mahmoud said.

The towers will feature living facades, green roofs and natural materials.

Part of the site, and one of the four towers, is in the process of being sold to a multifamily owner/operator which focuses on active living for residents aged 55-and-up. The buyer hasn't been revealed.

“It's more a wellness offering than anything else, so it's not medically-driven,” Steingahs said. “You don't have nurses on staff and it's not assisted living.”

Zoning is already in place, but site plan approval and permitting are still needed. Soil remediation work should begin this fall and construction is expected to start in the spring or summer of 2027.

==SNIP==

https://renx.ca/turn-group-buy-multi-tower-development-site-ottawa-grow-portfolio

[CastlesintheSky]

Here's hoping they start with the large towers with the grocery store in the podium first!