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

[Admiral Nelson]

Has any work been done on the site since the utilities? Anxious to see this started.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by Admiral Nelson

Has any work been done on the site since the utilities? Anxious to see this started.

Nope. Only construction vehicles that have been through the lot were for work on the Trillium Line.

[AuxTown]

I'm super pumped about this development too. They still list as opening 2024 so I'd expect to see shovels in the ground in the next year if we are to keep that deadline.


http://www.trinity-group.com/property/albert-preston/

[jitterbug]

I see that this thread was started more than 10 years ago, in early 2009, so developers have been eyeing this small but important plot of land for a long time. One has to wonder when shovels will actually be in the ground and when all three towers will be done -- perhaps in another 10 years? Interestingly, while Lebreton Flats is literally across the street, there seems to be little to no coordination with those plans.

[BlueJay]

Originally Posted by jitterbug

I see that this thread was started more than 10 years ago, in early 2009, so developers have been eyeing this small but important plot of land for a long time. One has to wonder when shovels will actually be in the ground and when all three towers will be done -- perhaps in another 10 years? Interestingly, while Lebreton Flats is literally across the street, there seems to be little to no coordination with those plans.

It's difficult to coordinate with Lebreton when no one really knows what will happen to the flats.

[waterloowarrior]

Update MOU between City and developer
http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=390153

[alamgirkhan]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Update MOU between City and developer
http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=390153

Anyone know how long it takes for a site plan control to be approved?

[rocketphish]

Trinity offers cash in lieu of affordable housing at tower project
Developer to pay city $6.25M, but no guarantee affordable units will be at 900 Albert

Kate Porter · CBC News
Posted: Oct 01, 2019 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago



Trinity Development Group has agreed to pay the city more than $6 million toward future affordable housing, but it's unlikely any of those units will be in what will become Ottawa's tallest building at 900 Albert St.

The project, which has been approved by city council, will have 1,200 units in three towers, the tallest of which will be 65 storeys. The complex will be located where the two O-Train lines merge at Bayview station.

When the zoning was being debated in 2018, Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney tried to secure a quarter of those units for affordable housing, but learned there was no way to compel Trinity to do that. Instead, council agreed to "encourage" the company to include affordable housing.

"They didn't have to do this ... so good on Trinity for doing so in good faith," McKenney told CBC News on Monday.

But according to McKenney, the agreement nevertheless highlights why the city needs new zoning rules that force developers to include affordable housing, so it doesn't have to "chase funds" to build living units that appeal to families.

"These will be ... towers for people who are wealthy. They'll be luxury towers, so not a complete community," McKenney said.

Trinity and the city have negotiated a legal agreement that would see the company pay $6,250,000 toward the general reserve for affordable housing.

McKenney plans to push for that money to stay in her ward, as well as another $1.25 million the city will earn by selling adjacent land to Trinity.

"There's lots that we can do with this [money]. I have lots of ideas," McKenney said.

For instance, she suggests it could help senior artists afford to live in a development Ottawa Community Housing intends to build on the Trillium Line at Gladstone Avenue.

In addition to the $6.25 million contribution to the affordable housing reserve, Trinity will agree to pay for other community benefits:

• $525,000 for affordable housing in Somerset ward.
• $350,000 for the ward's community parks.
• $100,000 for its community gardens.

The deal must be approved by planning committee on Oct. 10 and city council on Oct. 23.

An agreement on affordable housing is one of the boxes Trinity needs to tick in order to get approval for its detailed plans, a package that will go before councillors by the end of the year.

In addition the to controversy over its height, the 900 Albert project gained notoriety as the catalyst for the dispute between Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and Trinity's John Ruddy that was seen as the beginning of the end of their partnership to redevelop LeBreton Flats.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/900-albert-affordable-housing-deal-1.5303055

[danishh]

6.5 million likely buys more housing at, say, gladstone village, than at bayview, so i'd call it a net win for housing advocates.

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Trinity offers cash in lieu of affordable housing at tower project
Developer to pay city $6.25M, but no guarantee affordable units will be at 900 Albert

Kate Porter · CBC News
Posted: Oct 01, 2019 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

McKenney plans to push for that money to stay in her ward, as well as another $1.25 million the city will earn by selling adjacent land to Trinity.

Not commenting on the cash in lieu piece, but did anybody else notice this little line in the article? Anybody know what adjacent land they're referring to? I thought the 4th tower & air rights over Line 2 was dead.

[J.OT13]

I'm torn on the cash-in-lieu of housing. On the one hand, Trinity is trying to avoid "undesirables" from their building. On the other hand, $6.25 million would be a good start to the Gladstone Station development, as danishh suggested.

Also curious about that adjacent land. Maybe it's the north end of the Trillium Bayview platform to ensure rail NEVER crosses the PoW. If it's not part of Watson's vision, then no one is allowed to do it, EVER! I do hope it's a revival of the air-rights deal, however.

[rocketphish]

7. The parties agree that in accordance with the completed appraisal, the lands shown as parcels one and two on the attached reference plan shall, subject to an agreement of purchase and sale being entered into, be sold by the City to 801 for $1,250,000.00. 801 agrees to purchase these lands for the aforementioned price.

8. The parties agree that should the lands shown as part three on the attached reference plan be required by 801 as a staging area for the construction of the building at 900 Albert, the payment to the City for the use of this staging area shall be $365,000.00 (plus Harmonized Sales Tax) which is the amount 801 charged the City for the use of the property at 900 Albert for a temporary multiuse pathways and access. If such lands are required as aforesaid, the parties shall enter into a temporary easement agreement or a license agreement, which shall remain in effect until such time as 801 has completed the development of the lands or is no longer required by 801, whichever is earlier.



From: http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/view.aspx?cabinet=published_meetings&fileid=605952

[CityTech]

If the $6.25M from the deal along with the $1.25M in revenue from that sale are combined, we get $7.5M. That's enough money for OCH to build an entire 6 story midrise if it's on land the city already owns.

I disagree with the suggestion that it should be earmarked for Somerset ward; instead, I think it should go into a new reserve fund earmarked for public housing construction along the O-Train lines. The city already did a comprehensive inventory of developable public land on the network, now start a fund to begin building.

[waterloowarrior]

[HighwayStar]

^^^ Love the forest on Lebreton... by the age of those trees, it looks like Trinity is not expecting anything to be built for the next 20 years

[danishh]

Originally Posted by CityTech

If the $6.25M from the deal along with the $1.25M in revenue from that sale are combined, we get $7.5M. That's enough money for OCH to build an entire 6 story midrise if it's on land the city already owns.

I disagree with the suggestion that it should be earmarked for Somerset ward; instead, I think it should go into a new reserve fund earmarked for public housing construction along the O-Train lines. The city already did a comprehensive inventory of developable public land on the network, now start a fund to begin building.

i'm not a big fan of locking money into ward-level funds, as it constrains financial flexibility and slows down capital accumulation for an actual project, but in this case, everyone knows the major OCH project on the horizon is Gladstone Village (Old PWGSC Oak Street Complex lands), which is in somerset ward and adjacent a Phase 2 Trillium Line stop.

[Kitchissippi]

Seems ridiculous that they're spending money to build a pedestrian bridge across the tracks yet the LRT station remains inaccessible from the south side of the Albert street bridge. Just extend that roof a little bit and add some doors and those people rendered on the sidewalk would be really happy.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

^^^ Love the forest on Lebreton... by the age of those trees, it looks like Trinity is not expecting anything to be built for the next 20 years

Good one

It's a lot of money but I think it will work out to equivalent of maybe 3-5% contribution, not close to the 25% request.

[OTownandDown]

I don't know how we got to this point regarding affordable housing. How does one single building constitute a 'community' as in, only rich people living in a building constitutes not a whole community? How large does the building have to get before you need to add affordable housing units? Should all new condo buildings have a floor of affordable units? How would that look in the condo agreement? I understand that some purpose built buildings (such as beaver barracks) are a mix. But do all buildings need to be mixed?

Isn't the 'local community' ALL of north-west Preston? Same goes for the wants/needs list such as daycare spaces. Why do we need to mandate daycare spaces built into a new building? Wouldn't a daycare provider recognize that 2500 new people in the neighbourhood need a new daycare and open up shop say, at the City Centre?

Community housing is extremely important, and needs to be funded sustainably. Asking developers for donations is a bit of a start but not a great way to get new funding. If this was actually mandated (say, 3-5% of all new buildings in the City) it would be more sustainable. But those 3-5% should be earmarked for new construction, not capital projects.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

I don't know how we got to this point regarding affordable housing. How does one single building constitute a 'community' as in, only rich people living in a building constitutes not a whole community? How large does the building have to get before you need to add affordable housing units? Should all new condo buildings have a floor of affordable units? How would that look in the condo agreement? I understand that some purpose built buildings (such as beaver barracks) are a mix. But do all buildings need to be mixed?

Isn't the 'local community' ALL of north-west Preston? Same goes for the wants/needs list such as daycare spaces. Why do we need to mandate daycare spaces built into a new building? Wouldn't a daycare provider recognize that 2500 new people in the neighbourhood need a new daycare and open up shop say, at the City Centre?

Community housing is extremely important, and needs to be funded sustainably. Asking developers for donations is a bit of a start but not a great way to get new funding. If this was actually mandated (say, 3-5% of all new buildings in the City) it would be more sustainable. But those 3-5% should be earmarked for new construction, not capital projects.

To a degree, they are trying to avoid ghettoizing poor people. The old way of segregating poor people into separate neighbourhoods was a good way of promoting gang problems. Perhaps, requiring each building to offer housing for lower income people is not entirely practical, but we need to mix people of different income levels as much as possible.