General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by SL123

I did notice the circle K was gone but i never thought someone would be interested in building residential right in front of the injection site.

It's probably not a bad bet...especially as a rental.

Grocery store on one side (useful)

Bytowne theatre on the other (cool)

Close to the university among other things likes the LCBO and various fast food places.

The injection site is a definite negative, but they are falling out of fashion politically.

I would also think the Steves music site would be another development candidate so that block is on the way up overall.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by todayistuesday

I have just been assuming that the condos in the sketchy part of downtown are mostly being bought by out-of-town investors...

Nope not even close. Actually the injection site is probably less of a problem than the shelters on George St where you have a bunch of buildings including a pretty high end building that skews towards retired folks at 160 George that is directly across from one of the worst skid rows in Ottawa. (The worst is probably on Murray and King Edward where I think you are right combined with the new highway that Kind Edward has become makes it undesirable though they built a Holiday Inn for as you say out of towners.

[FutureWickedCity]

Ford has vowed to shut down all the safe injection sites, so that will soon be history. Lord knows where they will all go to shoot up after that happens.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by FutureWickedCity

Ford has vowed to shut down all the safe injection sites, so that will soon be history. Lord knows where they will all go to shoot up after that happens.

They already shoot up on the street in all hours of the day so don't see much changing. They should crack down on that too. They can shoot up, or better yet dry out in prison.

[zzptichka]

Wait until Ford finds out it's 10x more expensive for tax payers to lock them up in prison than maintaining the status quo.

He might've had already. Haven't heard much on the subject from him lately.

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by FutureWickedCity

Ford has vowed to shut down all the safe injection sites, so that will soon be history. Lord knows where they will all go to shoot up after that happens.

SIS's operating during banking hours only generally don't work well with addicts who tend to operate 24-7. There are several SIS's within 2 blocks of where I live yet volunteers are still doing their patrols daily picking up discarded syringes.

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Wait until Ford finds out it's 10x more expensive for tax payers to lock them up in prison than maintaining the status quo.

He might've had already. Haven't heard much on the subject from him lately.

Perhaps. Though do your equations also account for; break and enter damage caused to citizens, fear damage (people avoiding byward market and other areas), damage to public property, Emergency Services being called out multiple times daily to shelters (I live near a few and hear the sirens day and night). It all adds up.

I don't necessarily agree with the prison or jail aspect, but status quo is not the answer either. Forced mental health institutions where treatment is available to treat both the addicted and mentally ill is hopefully part of the end result.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by NOWINYOW

Forced mental health institutions where treatment is available to treat both the addicted and mentally ill is hopefully part of the end result.

The end result of "forced" treatment is generally death.

[DTcrawler]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The end result of "forced" treatment is generally death.

Isn’t that the end result of drug addiction as well?

[YOWflier]

The Costco HQ on Hunt Club will receive a 2 storey addition.

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D07-12-24-0113/details

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by DTcrawler

Isn’t that the end result of drug addiction as well?

Not necessarily.

But *forced* treatment is not the goddamn answer.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by SL123

I did notice the circle K was gone but i never thought someone would be interested in building residential right in front of the injection site.

Completely boarded up now. The restaurant further down is also boarded up. There they developing that whole block? Surely they aren't brining down the 8 story apartment building in between but maybe a U around it with the huge empty lot further north?

Everyone rushing to get those CMHC subsidy dollars before they disappear.

[Spoonsy]

There's new signage on City Centre Ave indicating there is a PCL/EllisDon construction office on the second level of the City Centre, up the ramp, but I'm not sure what project it is servicing (or will service)... seems far for the hospital or Parliament

[BlueJay]

Originally Posted by Spoonsy

There's new signage on City Centre Ave indicating there is a PCL/EllisDon construction office on the second level of the City Centre, up the ramp, but I'm not sure what project it is servicing (or will service)... seems far for the hospital or Parliament

It's for the Hospital project.

[SL123]

New 9 stories proposal on DevApp (I think) for 254 Argyle street

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D07-12-24-0107/details

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by SL123

New 9 stories proposal on DevApp (I think) for 254 Argyle street

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D07-12-24-0107/details

Yup, looks like a new one. I'll create a thread.

EDIT: here's the thread - https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10410467#post10410467

[rocketphish]

City-building panellists push for new measures to kickstart development, promote affordable housing

Mia Jensen, OBJ
April 24, 2025

As housing starts struggle to keep pace with population growth, panellists at a city-building conference in Ottawa this week urged politicians of all stripes to cut red tape that’s hindering development and provide more support for affordable housing. Architect Andrew Reeves, founder and principal partner of local firm Linebox Studios, and Jonathan Westeinde, CEO and founder of Windmill Development Group, sat down for a panel at City Building Summit 2025 on Wednesday at the Rogers Centre. The panel, moderated by Marant Construction’s Jennifer Cross, spotlighted challenges faced by local developers and what can be done to alleviate them. With Canadians set to go to the polls next Monday, Reeves said he felt neither the Liberal Party nor the Conservative Party had put much thought into addressing the issues developers are most concerned about.

“They’re only focusing on the easiest issues to solve,” he said. “Look at the big picture.” Westeinde said affordable housing is in high demand in Ottawa, but developers are not receiving the support needed to make it happen.

On the political front, he said the issue may headline the major parties’ platforms, but “there aren’t a lot of details, so it’s hard to know. “The good thing is that both parties are prioritizing housing and we’ve got programs that could drive the market,” he said. “But, you know, it remains to be seen.” Both panellists argued that lengthy municipal zoning approval processes and “unnecessary” bureaucracy are stymieing home construction in the nation’s capital.

“You get up every day really wanting to do positive things, but you just can’t,” Weistende said. When it comes to addressing those problems, the panellists said Ottawa has some unique challenges.

Westeinde said that while city hall is the primary driver for streamlining development approvals, he noted that federal agencies such as the National Capital Commission have jurisdiction over certain parts of the region, complicating efforts to make the process more efficient.

He said a lack of collaboration between levels of government, and between governments and developers, creates unnecessary roadblocks for developers.

“It’s been in the headlines the last few years, the housing crisis, and no level of government is saying they’re not driving for that,” he said. “But it’s almost like there’s friction between governments. What I can say on the ground is that it has largely created a slowdown, not a speed-up, because it’s not collaborative.” At the same time, Cross said the tariff war with the United States has driven home the need to eliminate barriers to trade and competition within Canada’s borders, which could ultimately benefit the local development industry.

“The conversation is shifting towards radical collaboration across every sector,” she said. “We’re waking up to the reality that the traditional silos and competition that defined much of the work we do need to be dismantled in favour of unity.”

https://obj.ca/city-building-kickstart-development-affordable-housing/

[rocketphish]

Lauft-y expectations: Jeff York-backed co-working firm expands into National Capital Region

David Sali, OBJ
April 29, 2025

A Toronto-based firm backed by a group of heavy-hitting investors that includes Ottawa entrepreneur Jeff York is betting it can help the federal government save money on real estate and recruit better talent at the same time. Founded in 2017, Lauft specializes in “flexible” on-demand workspaces. The company opened its first half-dozen locations in the Greater Toronto Area before expanding into the National Capital Region last month. Located in a SmartCentres shopping complex on Gatineau’s Boulevard du Plateau, Lauft’s newest co-working site is a 5,200-square-foot space reserved for public servants.

It’s the first of what could be as many as 11 Lauft locations across the region earmarked for federal government workers under a three-year, $13.8-million contract awarded to the company in 2022. The deal is separate from the feds' own GCcoworking program, which operates a number of satellite offices for public servants. Last September, the feds mandated most employees to work from the office at least three days a week, while executives are now expected to be on-site four days a week.

But that still leaves room for flexibility, and Lauft chief executive Graham Wong says his firm’s platform offers a viable “third option” for employees who don’t want to work from home on flex days but aren’t keen about going all the way to the office. “It sort of has become the reality today,” Wong says. “A lot of us can work remotely, and we also want flexibility.” Tucked into a Walmart-anchored retail plaza in Hull, Lauft’s newest space features 40 desks as well as a meeting room, work room, five “focus rooms” and a common area. Employees book space as needed using a mobile app.

Wong says the new Gatineau location follows the same template that’s made the company a success in the GTA, where it provides “nimble spaces that are close to where people live.” The company typically rents real estate in malls and similar “amenity-rich locations” where there’s plenty of free parking, splitting revenues from its co-working venues with landlords. York, who met Wong in 2018 and is now a major investor in Lauft as well as a member of its board of directors, thinks the company has hit on a winning formula. With the federal government now looking to shed some of its own office space in Ottawa and Gatineau, York says Lauft can save taxpayers money on real estate costs while still offering civil servants all the perks of cutting-edge workspace. “We’re going to build something so that people want to go to that office, work with their peers, have proper desks, proper conference rooms, nice amenities,” he says. “You just feel good about going to work in that (environment).” Lauft also counts a number of other high-profile local business leaders among its financial backers, including Devcore founder Jean-Pierre Poulin and James Nguyen, the co-founder and CEO of Ottawa-based cybersecurity startup Quantropi. Poulin also heads proptech venture 1Valet, whose platform specializes in next-generation security features such as AI-powered facial recognition technology to unlock doors. 1Valet’s software and hardware is now used across all of Lauft’s locations, and York sees it as a major competitive advantage in the crowded co-working landscape. “There’s a lot of people with cool spaces, but they don’t have the tech that we’ve invested in,” he explains. “To me, it's a platform for our growth.” Wong says it will be up to Public Services and Procurement Canada, which oversees the federal government’s real estate portfolio, to determine when and where it wants Lauft to set up its future co-working spots in the National Capital Region. Meanwhile, he says the company has been doing a booming business even before its deal with the feds officially kicked in.

Lauft has seen revenues rise as much as 25 per cent month-over-month in the past couple of years, he explains, fuelled by customers ranging from tech companies and law firms to health-care workers and real estate brokers. Having planted its flag in the capital region, Wong says Lauft plans to keep expanding to other major Canadian markets such as Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary and is also eyeing sites in smaller communities on the outskirts of Ottawa and other cities. “Now that we’re (working with) the government, we think that we really are going to be accelerating into a place that will reshape the way Canadians work,” he adds. “I think we have something pretty compelling.” York agrees. He argues Lauft is the way of the future in a world that’s increasingly moving toward hybrid work, adding he thinks the concept will help governments and other users “attract better talent” because it offers employees more flexibility. “I don’t think hybrid working is going away, especially with knowledge workers,” he says. “Not everyone wants to be sitting in their kitchen on a PC. That's where I think we’ve really hit a sweet spot.”

https://obj.ca/jeff-york-backed-firm-expands-into-capital-region/

[rocketphish]

Ottawa's $11-billion infrastructure gap: Here's what you need to know
City staff are proposing hiking water rates and taking on more debt to address a $10.8-billion infrastructure "gap" over 10 years.

By Aedan Helmer, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 06, 2025 | Last updated 10 minutes ago

City staff are proposing water rate hikes and taking on more debt to address a $10.8-billion “gap” between infrastructure needs and available funds over the next 10 years.

Staff presented councillors with 12 “asset management plans” (AMPs) that outline critical information on all municipal assets — from transportation services to wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to emergency and protective services — worth approximately $90 billion.

The plans offer “a clear view” of the current state of Ottawa’s infrastructure, which, according to a staff report, “is safe, in good to fair condition, and continues to serve residents.”

Staff forecasted a $10.8-billion gap between projected infrastructure needs and the funding set aside for those projects over the next 10 years.

“These forecasted needs reflect asset renewal, growth, service enhancements, and climate change adaptation and mitigation costs,” according to the staff report.

“A measured backlog is expected in a large and established municipal portfolio, and the city has a strong track record of managing these challenges … Ottawa is experiencing a trend seen in all Canadian municipalities — a growing infrastructure backlog, largely driven by aging assets, the effects of climate change, rising construction costs and a limited number of revenue sources.”

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-11-billion-infrastructure-gap-what-you-need-to-know

[rocketphish]

Parking fees generate millions of dollars in revenue for Ottawa’s largest hospital

By Josh Pringle, CTV News
Updated: July 09, 2025 at 12:14PM EDT | Published: July 09, 2025 at 7:39AM EDT

Patients, staff and visitors paid millions of dollars to park at the Ottawa Hospital last year, as Ottawa’s largest hospital saw a significant increase in parking revenue.

The Ottawa Hospital’s financial statements show the hospital took in $27,576 million in parking revenue from parking lots at the Civic Campus, General Campus and Riverside Campus during the 2024-25 fiscal year, up from $25,546 million in 2023-24.

An Ottawa Hospital spokesperson says the $2 million in additional parking revenue is due to an increase in parking rates and an added “off-site parking to support the hospital’s growing needs.”

“Parking revenues support key capital projects, much-needed updates and improvements to the parking facilities at all three campuses, as well as buying medical equipment and building new patient care environments,” the hospital spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa. “These areas are not publicly funded for hospitals.”

Last October, the Ottawa Hospital increased parking rates for patients, visitors and staff by 3.9 per cent.

According to the Ottawa Hospital website, the short-term parking rates are $8.30 for 30 minutes to one hour, and a daily maximum of $15.60. A daily pass is $15.60, and a weekly pass is $52.

“I mean, if you’re only going in for half an hour, it’s not bad. But we’re going in on a daily basis because our brothers in here. And that makes a big difference, in the case of a week,” Willy Wilgress said at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus.

Vicky Wilgress said hospital parking prices are “high” and they will look for free parking options.

“I don’t want to pay that much. So if I could find an alternative, I don’t mind walking a little bit in order to have free parking.”

The Ottawa Hospital has seen parking revenues increase from $19,984 million during the 2018-19 fiscal year to $20,860 million in 2022-23 and to $27,576 million last fiscal year.

“So long as the money is being used to fund hospital programs, you know, that’s fine,” visitor Helen Lucker said Wednesday.

The Ottawa Hospital’s new Civic Campus near Dow’s Lake will include a parking garage with approximately 3,000 parking spaces.

The Montfort Hospital told CTV News Ottawa parking revenues were $2,144 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025.

“This amount was invested almost entirely in education and research through the Institut du Savoir Montfort, our knowledge institute,” a spokesperson for the Montfort Hospital said in a statement.

At the Queensway-Carleton Hospital, parking revenue for the 2023-24 fiscal year was $4,887,871, up from $4,166,525 the year before.

“Proceeds from parking are re-invested in parking operations and care at the hospital. Parking proceeds help to fund things like medical equipment which are not funded by the government,” a spokesperson for the Queensway-Carleton Hospital told CTV News Ottawa.

At CHEO, parking revenues are collected by the CHEO Foundation and distributed to CHEO “as needed to support the most urgent priorities such as equipment, programs, family support or research,” the children’s hospital told CTV News Ottawa.

According to the CHEO Foundation’s 2024 financial statement, the foundation earned $4.402 million from parking operations in 2024, up from $4 million in 2023.

The Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s fiscal report shows the Kingston, Ont. hospital received $796,000 from parking revenue in 2024-25, up from $650,000 the year before.

In May, NDP MPP Jeff Burch introduced a motion in the Ontario Legislature, calling on the Ontario government to eliminate hospital parking fees at hospitals. The motion was defeated.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Dave Charbonneau

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/pa...in-revenue-for-ottawas-largest-hospital/