Zibi Gatineau Quebec | U/C

[J.OT13]

Thanks for these. Looks like a they demolished nearly everything they needed to. Maybe just the one building along Laurier left?


http://www.zibi.ca/community/project-maps/

[rocketphish]

First Zibi residents to start moving in this fall

By: Peter Kovessy
Published: May 9, 2018 12:46pm EDT

With three massive mixed-use real estate projects poised to transform the western edge of downtown Ottawa – and compete for residents and business tenants – the lead developer behind Zibi says his firm has secured its first commercial space users.

Jeff Westeinde concedes he’s happy that Zibi, which is transforming some 37 acres of former industrial land on the Ottawa River into a new community, was “first out of the gate” and is several years ahead of the neighbouring LeBreton Flats redevelopment and planned trio of skyscrapers at Bayview Station.

However, he argues that the three projects will collectively help attract new skilled workers and companies to the region.

“The west side of downtown is going to redefine our city,” Westeinde said on the Ottawa Real Estate Show. “It’s an exciting time to be in this part of the world.”

Westeinde says he has signed “a couple” of tenants for the commercial component of the project, which has generated “a lot of interest” from companies that are currently located downtown as well as outside the Greenbelt. On the residential side, the first homeowners will move into units on the Quebec side of the project in September, Westeinde added.

By contrast, the Ottawa Senators-backed RendezVous LeBreton – which is looking to construct an NHL arena, condos and shops on LeBreton Flats – is still in negotiations with the National Capital Commission. Slightly to the west, Trinity Development Group spent the winter rerouting underground water pipes to enable to construction of three towers of between 50 and 59 storeys.

While Ottawa Senators owner and CEO Eugene Melnyk recently appeared to question whether the local residential market could support all the new condos and townhomes planned for central Ottawa, some real estate experts say there is sufficient demand for the commercial components.

“Both on (the) tech front and on (the) government front, we’re seeing growth,” said Shawn Hamilton, managing director of real estate services firm CBRE, a sponsor of the Ottawa Real Estate Show.

“There will be enough demand … (and these projects) are well-positioned to take advantage of that growth.”


• Video Link


http://www.obj.ca/article/ottawa-real-estate-show-first-zibi-residents-start-moving-fall

[zzptichka]

Latest state of construction on the Quebec side.

[zzptichka]

Does anyone know if Gatineau pays for their side cleanup?

[J.OT13]

I don't think so, but Gatineau still has tax-breaks for downtown developments as far as I know.

[zzptichka]

Somebody just told me Gatineau offers Zibi residents 50% off property taxes for 10 years. I guess that has something to do with it.

[danishh]

https://m.imgur.com/HfxqFUk
https://m.imgur.com/1aBDwJ7

Zibi Gatineau building yesterday. Sorry not sure how to embed from Imgur.

[Aylmer]

Good shots!

[J.OT13]

Updates on Zibi, Gatineau side. Most building slated for demolished are down or currently coming down. Residents will be moving in to the first building in October. The public space around will be completed at that time also. First historic buildings (the two on facing Eddy on the south/east corner I assume) will see retail established in Spring 2019.

Stakeholders and the media were touring the site yesterday.

• Video Link

First Zibi restaurants, retail to open in Gatineau by spring 2019

OBJ
Rosa Saba
July 18, 2018

As work continues on turning a derelict 37-acre former industrial site on the Ottawa River into a new mixed-use community, the developers behind the project say they expect Zibi’s first commercial tenants to start moving into their units this fall.

In a project update on Tuesday, the developers behind the massive redevelopment sketched out a rough timeline for the completion and occupancy of Zibi’s first buildings.

Zibi president Jeff Westeinde previously told OBJ that the inaugural residents would start moving into units in the “O” Building, located just east of Eddy Street near the north shore of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, this October.

Speaking with reporters this week, he added that the ground-floor commercial space of the six-storey building will be turned over to a restaurant and retailers this fall and open no later than the spring of 2019. Westeinde did not identify the commercial tenants.

A public square, connecting the 70-unit O Building to the waterfront and dubbed “Zibi Plaza,” is also slated to be ready when the first residents arrive.

On the Ottawa side, the 71-unit “Kanaal” Building – located on Chaudière Island on the west side of Booth Street – is expected to be ready for residents in the fall of 2019.

Other parts of the project that the developers will soon be tackling include:

• A 14-storey rental tower near the “O” Building;
  
• A hotel next to the new rental building;
  
• Additional retail space, for what Westeinde hopes will be a food store;
  
• Demolition of the large Gatineau Mill that’s long obstructed views across the Ottawa River.

“This site is really an incredible piece of land between the two cities, two provinces,” Westeinde said, speaking in French. “It's rare to have a view of both downtowns like this.”

Rather than taking a wrecking ball to the mill and levelling the property as quickly as possible, the developers plan to dismantle it brick by brick and reuse as many pieces as possible.

Dream ups equity stake

Ottawa-based Windmill Development Group initiated the Zibi project five years ago through its acquisition of the E.B. Eddy mills from Domtar.

Since then, the team driving the project has evolved.

For starters, Windmill is no longer involved. In its place is Theia Partners, a new development agency formed by Westeinde along with Peter Busby, Scott Demark and Rodney Wilts.

Additionally, Toronto-based real estate company Dream Unlimited came on board around 2015. The firm manages about $14 billion of assets and has developed some projects in Toronto’s Distillery District and the Athlete’s Village for the 2015 Pan-Am Games.

On Tuesday, Zibi said that Dream had doubled its equity stake in the project earlier this year, increasing it to 80 per cent.

“We have about $85 million invested in this project,” said Dream president Michael Cooper. “We’re going to go as fast as we can to create the community we want here,” he added.

Once completed, Zibi is slated to be home to some 5,000 residents in addition to 6,000 office workers.

Some observers have questioned whether there is sufficient demand in central Ottawa to support Zibi as well as the planned redevelopment of LeBreton Flats and the rental skyscrapers at Bayview Station.

Westeinde conceded in May that he’s glad Zibi is “first out of the gate” and noted this week that Zibi has other key advantages.

“We are the only waterfront community in our region,” he said. “The location speaks for itself.”

http://obj.ca/article/first-zibi-restaurants-retail-open-gatineau-spring-2019

[J.OT13]

Somebody was asking if the City of Gatineau is putting in any money for decontamination. Mayor Pedneaud-Jobin confirmed on the news yesterday that yes, $11 million was given for decontamination.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/videos/...ier-projet-zibi-gatineau?isAutoPlay=true

[J.OT13]

Zibi will be building a 30 meter (100 feet) observation tower out of shipping containers on the Gatineau side. It will become the sales centre and stick around for up to 10 years. To be completed by next Spring. The structure will be lit at night.

The City of Gatineau does not currently allow this kind of structure, but will be considered at Council on August 28. It's expected to pass with flying colours.

The developers will use this as a market study to see if it would be worth building a permanent observatory in the future.



https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/gatin...te-zibi-24f99eb1d957b7a9f25f7d1b3f45d0de

[Postmaster]

I know the whole Sea Container thing is in vogue.... but maybe something that won't rust out after a few months? It just seems overly cheap.

[J.OT13]

If it were a permanent structure, I would say the same thing. Since it's temporary, I'm ok with it. I mean, it looks a lot like the cladding on the old (mostly demolished) industrial buildings anyway. And the whole idea of a sales centre with an observatory is quite novel. Good on them for coming up with it.

[Vixx]

Yeah it's actually a cool spin on something that is usually boring as hell (that is a sales centre) and the fact its temporary means it won't become a rusted out eyesore.

I like the idea of one day installing a permanent observatory, could be a cool feature in what will hopefully pan out to be a trendy area.

[danishh]

100 feet? Has anyone consulted the NCC about this?

[AuxTown]

That is very cool. Prospective buyers will get a great view of their potential purchases and I bet there will be quite a bit of traffic into the sales centre just to check out this observation deck.

[TransitZilla]

Pic and article on the Citizen website today:

(JULIE OLIVER / POSTMEDIA)

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...ation-deck-atop-shipping-container-tower

Zibi to erect observation deck atop shipping container tower
VITO PILIECI Updated: October 31, 2018

Officials behind the Zibi development are moving ahead with a seven-storey tall shipping container structure, which will be used as a sales center for the development and contain an observation deck on its roof.

According to Cédric Tessier, Gatineau city councillor for the Hull-Wright District where Zibi is being built, the construction required special permission from City Hall to allow it to progress.

Gatineau does not normally allow temporary structures made from the shipping containers to be erected within the city’s boundaries. However, Tessier said the vision for the sales centre and the way it is being incorporated into the area makes the building more like a temporary art installation.

“That’s why the city agreed and city council agreed to allow it to be built,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing.”

The structure, which has been constructed from several shipping containers stacked on top of one another, will contain stair cases, an elevator and meeting space for sales people to help sell residential units in Zibi. It will incorporate large glass panels to bring light into the containers. Artists’ renderings show the building will be painted a single colour, making the exterior look more like aluminum siding than shipping container steel.


Tessier said he believes the building will be around for between five and 10 years, before Zibi sales are completed and the structure is removed.

The $2 billion Zibi development will bring a major change to Gatineau’s waterfront area. In October, demolition crews began dismantling a massive 250-metre former Domtar building at the corner of rue Eddy and rue Laurier that has separated the city from the river.

The project is being overseen by Toronto real-estate firm Dream Unlimited and THEIA, a company spun off from Windmill Developments. The first condominium building, an 80 unit building is expected to open this year. The remainder of the project could take 15 years to complete.

[acottawa]

i hope it looks better painted.

[UrbOttawa]

Originally Posted by acottawa

i hope it looks better painted.

The Soviet-esque backdrop of Gatineau definitely isn't helping in that photo...

[waterloowarrior]

the first residents are moving into O
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqXwrkJlmVE/