450 Rochester St | 33/48/81m | 9/15/26f | Approved - Page 3

RogueNacho · #41 Posted **Jul 16, 2020, 10:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Approved by Council! Hoping to see phase 1 break ground soon.

How soon does one usually see construction start following approval from council? Any guesses as to when we could see this break ground?

J.OT13 · #42 Posted **Jul 17, 2020, 1:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogueNacho

How soon does one usually see construction start following approval from council? Any guesses as to when we could see this break ground?

Could be a few weeks or it could be years. For this one, considering it's a rental property of reasonable size near a transit line, I would wager construction will start this summer.

Harley613 · #43 Posted **Jul 17, 2020, 6:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Could be a few weeks or it could be years. For this one, considering it's a rental property of reasonable size near a transit line, I would wager construction will start this summer.

I second this. When rentals are approved they usually go up like gangbusters, I wouldn't be surprised to see site prep within the next couple of weeks UNLESS the contract with the surface parking company holds it up.

little italian · #44 Posted **Jul 22, 2020, 5:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogueNacho

How soon does one usually see construction start following approval from council? Any guesses as to when we could see this break ground?

"Locals can expect the construction to begin in the Spring of 2021, with an estimated finish date of 2023, Hume said." says this news story:
https://capitalcurrent.ca/little-italy-e...-grocery-store-in-new-arnon-development/

Harley613 · #45 Posted **May 18, 2022, 2:37 PM**

A little back and forth with Arnon in this OBJ article. It sounds like this project is still alive, but with no definitive start date.

https://obj.ca/article/local/retail/sixt...gns-end-little-italys-food-desert-status

The two-phase project would include more than 500 housing units and 46,000 square feet of retail space, including a 25,000-square-foot grocery store.

The project received easy approval from the city’s planning committee in 2020, but since then, details about the project’s progress have not been forthcoming.

Arnon president Gillie Vered said the company's work on the development is ongoing.

“The project continues to move steadily forward, though the timeline is not definitive,” Vered said in an email in early April. “Arnon is continuing its analysis, market studies and design process.”

Vered confirmed that the company was in talks with several grocery retailers, though he did not provide further details.

Despite the apparent stall, the development provides some optimism that a name-brand grocery store could be on the horizon for Little Italy. Still, back at the BIA, Childerhose says questions about the project remain.

“We’ve heard about a few different prospects, and with those prospects comes concern from residents that whatever the new supermarket is, it will be aimed at a higher-income family bracket, whether it’s a Whole Foods or a Farm Boy,” she said. “We would really like to see new grocers in the area that are accessible and affordable for all residents.”

While the neighbourhood awaits updates from Arnon, progress is being made elsewhere.

Ottawacurious · #46 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 11:49 AM**

From the Ottawa lookout newsletter:

"A three-building condo development in Little Italy has been cancelled, according to an email from the city obtained by the Lookout. The project on Rochester Street was set to include a grocery store. The builder is “re-evaluating the development concept and feasibility” and will reapply for permission with a new plan when they are ready, the email said. Capital Current wrote about the proposed development previously."

Harley613 · #47 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 12:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

From the Ottawa lookout newsletter:

"A three-building condo development in Little Italy has been cancelled, according to an email from the city obtained by the Lookout. The project on Rochester Street was set to include a grocery store. The builder is “re-evaluating the development concept and feasibility” and will reapply for permission with a new plan when they are ready, the email said. Capital Current wrote about the proposed development previously."

Wowwwwww...a shovel ready approved modest development in the hottest neighbourhood in the city and with the most needed grocery store in the region. The market really is in the shitter.

yotajoe · #48 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 12:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

From the Ottawa lookout newsletter:

"A three-building condo development in Little Italy has been cancelled, according to an email from the city obtained by the Lookout. The project on Rochester Street was set to include a grocery store. The builder is “re-evaluating the development concept and feasibility” and will reapply for permission with a new plan when they are ready, the email said. Capital Current wrote about the proposed development previously."

This is actually insane. Living in Little Italy must be brutal without a grocery store. This area just keeps getting denser and denser without the proper services.

Why is the city planning so awful in this city??

phil235 · #49 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 1:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

Wowwwwww...a shovel ready approved modest development in the hottest neighbourhood in the city and with the most needed grocery store in the region. The market really is in the shitter.

Not just this market: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-est...ts-into-low-gear-as-developers-pause-or/

This one is really disappointing, given the site and the desperate need for the amenities. Given that it is fully ready to go, it seems like a case where a housing provider eligible for support should be buying the whole thing and move forward. Canceled projects with all the approvals seem like a tailor-made solution for affordable housing.

Harley613 · #50 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 2:13 PM**

The builder is “re-evaluating the development concept and feasibility” and will reapply for permission with a new plan when they are ready

I mean...I suppose there is an outside chance that Arnon wants to put more units on site to increase ROI, especially after they got such an easy approval and other larger projects have begun around it....

J.OT13 · #51 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 3:17 PM**

We can't blame the City for this one. It's been approved for years.

Let's hope you're right Harley, and they are just looking at increasing density. I'd like to keep the Preston front human scale, but increase the height of the rear towers.

Harley613 · #52 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We can't blame the City for this one. It's been approved for years.

Let's hope you're right Harley, and they are just looking at increasing density. I'd like to keep the Preston front human scale, but increase the height of the rear towers.

The site is 90% the size of the Catherine St. Bus lot. Brigil is proposing 1000 units on that lot. Arnon was planning 500 here, and it's a far better location. The city has become far more amenable to larger proposals in the years since Arnon came up with the first plan. The more I think about, the more I believe we'll see them come back to the table with 900+ units on this lot (or sell it off for massive profit to a developer that want's to put 900+ units on it).

OTSkyline · #53 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 6:06 PM**

Would've also probably helped if we would've seen some movement and progress on the NRCan lands (or whatever they're called) next door. Has that one stalled too or is it stuck in a 10-year feasibility study?

originalmuffins · #54 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 7:30 PM**

I don't see this cancellation as too bad, especially with that footnote that they're re-evaluating and planning to submit a new plan. I think there is a good chance this might be going for something bigger or being sold off to another developer to go for something bigger. It's a prime spot, they might just want to maximize the capacity on it.

Harley613 · #55 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 10:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by originalmuffins

I don't see this cancellation as too bad, especially with that footnote that they're re-evaluating and planning to submit a new plan. I think there is a good chance this might be going for something bigger or being sold off to another developer to go for something bigger. It's a prime spot, they might just want to maximize the capacity on it.

Is there an echo in here?

rocketphish · #56 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 10:21 PM**

Has Arnon built anything in the last decade? It seems to me that they are just a land speculation and property management company at this point. They probably hoped that an actual developer would have come along and bought their proposal by this point in time, but it hasn't happened.

https://arnon.ca/

Harley613 · #57 Posted **Aug 23, 2023, 10:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Has Arnon built anything in the last decade? It seems to me that they are just a land speculation and property management company at this point. They probably hoped that an actual developer would have come along and bought their proposal by this point in time, but it hasn't happened.

https://arnon.ca/

I was sifting through their portfolio today and made the same observations. I really believe this will get sold off and made into a major project..with a grocery store.