900 Albert St | 234/203/105m | 65/56/23fl | Approved

[J.OT13]

Or the Portage and Chaudière bridges.

[kevinbottawa]

Globe and Mail article from earlier this month.

New transit line spurs Ottawa development

ADAM STANLEY
OTTAWA — Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, May 02, 2017 6:00AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, May 04, 2017 1:21PM EDT

A quick scan of Ottawa’s skyline from the west into downtown shows a handful of cookie-cutter office towers, a mix of historical-looking buildings of varying significance, and above them all, a lone Canadian flag on top of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

The skyline of Canada’s capital reflects the nature of the city itself – not that exciting, but a clean and balanced combination of modernity and tradition.

But with Ottawa expanding its light-rail transit (LRT) system to include a 13-stop, 12.5-kilometre segment called the Confederation Line, set to open in 2018, developers are looking at other cities such as Toronto for inspiration for downtown development with access to transit in mind.

And that includes going upward, with building heights not yet seen in the city.

At 900 Albert St., Trinity Station is a three-building complex proposed by Trinity Development Group Inc., whose head office is in Toronto. If approved, the highest of the three buildings, at 59 storeys, would be the tallest in the city. The other two are proposed to be 55 and 50 storeys.


Ottawa is expanding its light-rail transit (LRT) system to include a 13-stop, 12.5-kilometre segment called the Confederation Line. The line's Bayview Station will connect with the Trillium Line. (Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail)
With 1,400 residential units in total in the proposed complex, plus 250,000 square feet of retail and more than 1.3 million square feet of office space, according to the company’s website, the magnitude of the development is new for Canada’s capital.

“It is unique in Ottawa,” agrees city councillor Catherine McKenney of the proposed development, which would be adjacent to Bayview Station, one of the key LRT stops along Ottawa’s new light-rail line and a connecting point to the existing Trillium Line, a five-stop, eight-kilometre line.

According to Ms. McKenney, though, there are still questions that need to be answered.

“I always maintain that height is neither good nor bad, but it’s what height does on the ground,” she explains. “You can have a shorter building that’s denser and blocks out a lot of the skyline and adds shadow, but these are taller buildings. There still is a concern about the 55- and 59-storey buildings as they are significantly higher than what our community design plans for. We don’t have enough information right now.”

Simon Deiaco, who works at the City of Ottawa as a planner and in development review for urban services, is the lead on the Trinity Station project from a city perspective. He confirms that nothing has been approved yet, as the project is still in the public consultation period.


The proposed Trillium Station would add three towers to Ottawa's skyline, concentrated around Bayview Station. The project at 900 Albert St. still needs city approval. (Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail)
“It’s an attractive site,” Mr. Deiaco states of the area. “There were a couple of recent examples [of other proposals] getting into that 50-plus-storey range, but it is newer for Ottawa. That height is certainly coming to Ottawa, but it takes a long time to get 50 storeys off the ground.”

The area is adjacent to the City Centre complex, home to art galleries, shops and restaurants. It is across the street from the Canadian War Museum and close to the annual RBC Bluesfest concert festival site. The Ottawa River pathway is a few minutes’ walk away, and there is a continuing – and robust – discussion about the Ottawa Senators’ National Hockey League franchise moving into a new arena located within shouting distance of the proposed Trinity Station development.

The development is also at the cusp of Ottawa’s hottest housing market. According to a recent report from the Ottawa Citizen, average prices for single-family homes in the Hintonburg-West Centre neighbourhood (minutes from the Trinity Station site) increased 26.9 per cent over the past five years – the most of any in the city.

Ryan Moore, a senior development manager for Trinity, explains the connection of the development to the transit hub would be comparable to what exists in Toronto, where offices and condos are built in proximity to the city’s underground PATH system and the Toronto Transit Commission’s network of subways, streetcars and buses.

Brad Caco, when he was Trinity’s vice-president of development and design, told the Ottawa Citizen last year he envisages the area around the Albert Street site to sprout like the neighbourhood at Toronto’s Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, where the population increased by 33 per cent in 10 years. (Mr. Caco has since left Trinity.) There are more than 20 projects with nearly 9,000 condo units under proposal or under construction in that area, according to City of Toronto data.


The proposed Trinity development 'has the potential to transform that part of the city, and link a couple of neighbourhoods that have never really been that close geographically,' says city councilor Catherine McKenney. (Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail)
However, during a public consultation meeting in Ottawa last December, local residents were concerned for what the behemoth buildings could do to their neighbourhood.

According to the Ottawa Business Journal, one resident advised Trinity that she wanted a balance of intensification and the overhauling of the existing neighbourhood, which drew applause. There were also concerns about the design, excessive parking and traffic congestion.

Mr. Moore was impressed with the engagement of the residents, calling them “sophisticated” and “knowledgeable.”

“It’s not really sticker shock to them that a mixed-use high-rise is going up next to a transit station. They’re experienced enough to know what that entails,” Mr. Moore says.

“They had some great comments, and we hope to respond to those questions in the next stage of the process. The comments that they’ve generated are to make sure there is a signature tower design. They want significant architecture treatment, and that’s warranted given the proximity to the transit station. We’re looking at that.”

Mr. Moore says the new development is about giving people choice, as the transit system will give Ottawa residents new access to downtown and its surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Put people’s houses on the transit station and let them choose. The idea is that they don’t necessarily require a car to exist in this location,” he explains. “There is some concern about the height and we’re working on that. But this is the right location for this type of destination.”

The Trinity Station development is one of many in the works as Ottawa goes through a transit evolution, and live-work-play concepts are now being integrated next to major transit stations across the city.

“People are very interested in this development,” says Ms. McKenney on city council. “It has the potential to transform that part of the city, and link a couple of neighbourhoods that have never really been that close geographically.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o...purs-ottawa-development/article34869963/

[kevinbottawa]

Some more recent renderings from the Trinity website.

[FutureWickedCity]

The old City Centre building looks like a dog house beside these hulking towers!

[1overcosc]

The most important thing is for these towers to be attractive and lively at street level. Hopefully McKenney focuses on that aspect when she's negotiating with the developer.. she has made comments about wanting it that way before which is encouraging.

[Arcologist]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Found this.


http://www.cgarchitect.com/2015/01/albert-street-ottawa-canada

Love all the trees on LeBreton Flats!

Despite everything that is wrong with this photo (missing bridges, a forested LeBreton Flats, etc.) it offers a great perspective of what these future buildings might look like. Thanks for posting!

[Arcologist]

...

[Arcologist]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Some more recent renderings from the Trinity website.

Too bad we couldn't bury the LRT line through this section of LeBreton/Bayview...

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

How do we make SIGN happen?!?!?!?!?!

#sign

[kevinbottawa]

Ottawa’s InterRent REIT buys $14.2M stake in Bayview Station high-rise development

A major Ottawa real estate investor has purchased a stake in a proposed three-tower mixed-use development at the intersection of the Trillium and Confederation light-rail lines, calling the Bayview Station area the future “centre ice” of the city’s commercial growth.

InterRent Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:IIP.UN) said Friday it has paid $14.2 million for a one-third share in the project at 900 Albert St., a joint venture that also includes local builder Trinity Developments and PBC Real Estate Advisors.

“I think the LRT is going to (have) a major impact in Ottawa,” InterRent CEO Mike McGahan told OBJ in an interview. “You look at that location, that’s really the hub of the whole LRT as far as I see it. The LRT is just going to be a huge impetus for the whole growth of the city going forward.”

The 3.6-acre site is located across from the Bayview transit station. The development proposal calls for three highrise buildings of 59, 55 and 50 storeys that would feature a mix of office, retail and residential space.

Mr. McGahan confirmed Friday that the residential component will consist of rental units. While Trinity initially said the plan would include up to 1,632 units, Mr. McGahan said Friday that number has been scaled back to 1,000. But he added that total could change again before the project is finalized.

“It’s still early stages right now,” he said. “It really depends on how we develop the mixed-use (component). We’re kind of going ... back to the drawing board to make sure that we do the best thing for the site.”

The proposal would also include a direct pedestrian link to the Bayview transit station, where the existing north-south Trillium LRT line and the under-construction east-west Confederation line will meet in 2018.

Mr. McGahan said the site’s location near the intersection of both transit lines and just down the road from the proposed redevelopment of LeBreton Flats will make the development an attractive proposition for a host of potential commercial and office tenants. Trinity is among the firms involved in the Ottawa Senators’ RendezVous LeBreton redevelopment plan.

‘Shopify effect’
Mr. McGahan wouldn’t offer any specifics on what types of tenants are being sought for the commercial and office components at 900 Albert, saying only that he believes tech firms will be a big part of the mix.

“I really believe we’re going to get some takeup on the tech side,” he said. “I see that whole kind of Shopify effect. I think a lot more of the tech companies are going to want to relocate downtown. And to me, this is going to the centre ice of downtown as we go forward, once LeBreton gets built out.”

No start date has been announced for the project, which would contain the tallest buildings in Ottawa once complete.

The plan has drawn criticism from some nearby residents and local politicians who have raised concerns about height, parking and traffic congestion, as well as access to the site for cyclists and pedestrians. Trinity initially hoped to extend the project across the O-Train tracks to a portion of land near the Tom Brown Arena, but that idea was scrapped after residents objected.

At a public consultation last December, Trinity executives said the proposed heights were necessary to offset the projected $10.5-million cost of relocating water and sewer pipes that lie beneath the site.

Mr. McGahan said Friday he believes there is room for a consensus that will satisfy the needs of the developers as well as the concerns of the public.

“We’ll make sure it’s very well planned and well executed,” he said. “We’ll listen to the residents and that’s going to be part of our process as we go forward. We’re going to try to make something that everybody’s proud of.”

InterRent has rapidly grown in recent years, doubling the size of its portfolio between 2009 and 2017 to reach more than 8,200 suites in the National Capital Region, Greater Toronto Area, Montreal and several other cities.

One of its largest holdings is the LIV apartment building complex on Bell Street, near Bronson and Gladstone avenues.

InterRent’s shares were down six cents, or less than one per cent, to $7.74 in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday.

http://obj.ca/article/ottawas-interrent-reit-buys-142m-stake-bayview-station-high-rise-development

[Marshsparrow]

WOW - this is actually going to get built!

[Harley613]

Scaling back the units by about 40% means they are probably going to cut a tower out or lower the heights. Booooooo.

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

WOW - this is actually going to get built!

I really hope it does. Ottawa needs something taller. And the access to transit is key. The Confederation line is well-designed IMO, and will continue to serve as a key spine for the city to grow from. This is one of those growths .

[citydwlr]

Here's some additional information from this Marketwired article:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/-2230736.htm

The owners have enlisted the services of Toronto-based B+H Architects ("B+H") and GGLO Design ("GGLO"), a Seattle-based architect which has been at the forefront of tech-orientated markets, for their combined international design experience and proven track records of creating dynamic and immersive community focused spaces.

* Actually, this might be old news... the B+H website still shows the old renders:
https://www.bharchitects.com/en/project/900-albert-street-public-realm-design/

[1overcosc]

Construction due to start this fall, apparently.

http://www.octranspo.com/index.php/updates/news/199192

[cityguy]

It's not even approved yet.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by cityguy

It's not even approved yet.

The building isn't, but maybe they're proceeding with services relocation or some other preliminary work? There's a huge sewer line that runs under the site that may need pre-construction attention.

[McC]

http://www.westsideaction.com/otrain-trillium-marathon/

The walkway is on land borrowed from the property owner, Trinity Development, which proposes to build a large mixed use development on the site. In preparation for that, it will be relocating some major sewer lines that run through the site. It is the sewer work that will commence later this month.

[rocketphish]

Major complex at O-Train junction eligible for $8.3M in 'brownfield' discounts

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: September 26, 2017 | Last Updated: September 26, 2017 7:19 PM EDT



A major mixed-use complex proposed for the junction of the O-Train system is eligible for $8.3 million in fee breaks thanks to a city program that helps builders clean contaminated soil in key areas.

But that’s as far as the discounts should go for now, according to the councillor who represents the property at 900 Albert St., near Bayview station.

In a report published Tuesday, the city says it wants to waive an additional $920,000 it would normally demand when developers require city land.

In the case of 900 Albert St., which is next to the City Centre complex, there are sanitary and storm sewers cutting through the property about seven metres below ground and the developer, TIP Albert GP, needs to relocate the infrastructure to complete the soil remediation and ultimately build a three-tower residential and retail complex.

The infrastructure would be relocated in the Trillium Line corridor, which is city land. City staff say the developer will pay the full cost of moving the sewers, estimated at $10.7 million.

A council-approved policy calls for the collection of market value for any city land used by private developers.

Staff, however, recommend waiving the price to encourage the planned development.

“Relocating the civic services on city property will help contribute to the creation of a complete mixed-use community and allow intensification in accordance with city council policies of a large vacant and contaminated site,” staff write in the report.

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney says she has “serious reservations” about waiving the $920,000.

In her written comments included in the report, McKenney says the total scope of the redevelopment, including specific features, should be tested before giving the developer more fee breaks.

“These features should include the provision of 11 affordable housing units, contributions to the nearby active transportation network and considerable animation to the ground elevation on the south facade of this proposal as required in the (community design plan) for this area,” McKenney writes.

The city has a brownfield remediation program to help property owners with the costs of cleaning contaminated soil and starting development.

TIP Albert GP is eligible to receive $8,255,397 in fee breaks for 900 Albert St. under the city’s brownfield program.

The six-month cleanup plan calls for about 65,000 cubic metres of soil to be trucked out of the site to a waste disposal facility. There will need to be a portable groundwater treatment system installed at the property.

The Trillium Line and Confederation Line LRT meet at Bayview station.

The property at 900 Albert St. has been used as a rail yard, storage yard and snow dump. It has flipped hands in the development industry and is now under the ownership of TIP Albert GP, which is a partnership of multiple firms.

Trinity Developments in recent years has been working on the massive project, which it coined Trinity Station. InterRent Real Estate Investment Trust announced last month it has invested in the project with Trinity and PBC Real Estate Advisors.

The most recent development proposal filed at city hall calls for towers with heights of 59, 55 and 50 storeys. The complex would have 1,632 residential units, 10,864 square metres of retail space and 17,442 square metres of office space.

Council’s finance and economic development committee will consider the brownfield fee breaks next Tuesday.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...ligible-for-8-3m-in-brownfield-discounts

[kevinbottawa]

The development perks were approved. The comments in this article from our city bureaucrats and elected officials are encouraging. My, how Ottawa has changed since I moved here eight years ago.

Committee approves development fee breaks for key downtown O-Train land

Jon Willing
More from Jon Willing
Published on: October 3, 2017 | Last Updated: October 3, 2017 11:02 AM EDT

The only O-Train junction in Ottawa is the “poster child” for transit-orientated development, council members heard Tuesday.

The “extraordinary situation” at 900 Albert St. that planning services director Lee Ann Snedden described during a finance and economic development committee meeting was convincing enough for members to unanimously approve an $8.3-million development perk and a waiver of $920,000 in land-use fees.

Council will be asked to approve the development discounts on Oct. 11.

The $8.3 million provided under the city’s brownfield program would help the developer, TIP Albert GP, clean contaminated soil at the key property next to Bayview station.

TIP Albert GP is building a three-tower complex at the junction of the Trillium Line and Confederation Line LRT. The towers would be 59, 55 and 50 storeys, combined with retail and office space. The development group, which includes Trinity Developments, PBC Real Estate Advisors and InterRent Real Estate Investment Trust, has also planned to put a grocery store in the complex.

It’s a tricky property for development since municipal sewers are buried below. The property is a former rail yard, storage yard and snow dump.

The developer needs to relocate the sewers to the Trillium Line corridor, which is owned by the city.

Normally the city would charge the developer for having to use city land, but because it’s such an important project for the city’s transit goals, it wants to waive the $920,000. The Confederation Line LRT is scheduled to open in 2018. The city believes the 900 Albert St. project alone would create 1.15 million more transit trips by 2025.

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney wants assurances on how the complex will be built before giving away $920,000 for using city land.

Planning general manager Stephen Willis assured the committee that the city’s leverage will come when another rezoning application comes to council. That might not happen until next year.

Mayor Jim Watson supports the development fee breaks to move the project ahead, saying 900 Albert St. and nearby LeBreton Flats would be candidates for the “foot-dragging hall of fame if we had one of those.”

The property at 900 Albert St. has been subject to development plans for several years, but there has been no construction. Meanwhile, the development future for LeBreton Flats is still under negotiation between the National Capital Commission and RendezVous LeBreton Group.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...elopment-fee-breaks-for-key-o-train-land