General Update/Rumour thread

[J.OT13]

I posted the whole article in the Commercial Real Estate , but I though I would post the downtown related portions here, including speculation on the future of 110 O'Connor.

No end to office space crunch in sight, veteran Ottawa real estate exec says

David Sali, OBJ
July 17, 2020

***

About 330,000 square feet of new office space is currently under construction in the capital – but most of it is part of the $1.5-billion Zibi redevelopment project on the former Domtar lands just north of the Canadian War Museum and is already pre-leased, “providing little in the way of space for new growth,” the CBRE report says.

***

Downtown market

In the central business district, the rate increased from six per cent to 6.8 per cent – mostly due to the Department of National Defence vacating 190,000 square feet of space at 110 O’Connor St. earlier this year as it shifted its operations to the former Nortel campus on Moodie Drive – while in the tech hub of Kanata the vacancy rate ticked up one-tenth of a percentage point to 6.3 per cent.

Cominar’s property at 110 O’Connor is one of the few large blocks of space available anywhere in the city right now, and Hamilton said he’s eager to see what becomes of the 14-storey class-B office tower near the corner of Slater Street.

“I’m sure given the state of the multi-residential market in Ottawa, they’re giving thought to … a multi-residential play,” he said. “There’s a whole host of opportunities that surround that building. We’re waiting to see how it plays out.”

***

https://obj.ca/article/no-end-office...tate-exec-says

[J.OT13]

I appreciate the architecture of 110 O'Connor and hope they can preserve the building, either as an office or as an adaptive re-use residential.

In an ideal world, any project would include the redevelopment of the parking garage next door, although I don't believe it's owned by the same company (2009 proposal).



https://espaces.cominar.com/en/offic...connor-street/

[kwoldtimer]

I’m trying to understand the comment about residential for 110 O’Connor if the issue is the shortage of office space.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I’m trying to understand the comment about residential for 110 O’Connor if the issue is the shortage of office space.

Demand for B-Class office space is not as high as A-Class. The owner therefore has a few options:

• Leave it as is, however, it might take a while to find a new tenant and it will not be as profitable when that new tenant is found;
• Upgrade the building to Class-A office space by completing a major overhaul;
• Convert it to residential;
• Demolish and start over.

We've seen at least two major upgrades over the last 10 years:

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...ghlight=slater

https://metcalfe.ca/property/123-slater-street/

And and least two residential conversions:

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...light=Metcalfe

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...ghlight=albert

Not to mention countless demo/reset projects.

[rocketphish]

Moved the "Highcroft" discussion over here:

https://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum...d.php?t=238793

[11a2b3]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Demand for B-Class office space is not as high as A-Class. The owner therefore has a few options:

• Leave it as is, however, it might take a while to find a new tenant and it will not be as profitable when that new tenant is found;
• Upgrade the building to Class-A office space by completing a major overhaul;
• Convert it to residential;
• Demolish and start over.

We've seen at least two major upgrades over the last 10 years:

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...ghlight=slater

https://metcalfe.ca/property/123-slater-street/

And and least two residential conversions:

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...light=Metcalfe

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...ghlight=albert

Not to mention countless demo/reset projects.

Seems they had plans for a reclad:



Source: https://sl2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/us...pdf?1527863873

[J.OT13]

Not bad, though I would like to preserve the 45 degree corners and maybe the angled pillars.

[RideauRat]

Hey i'm not sure it's been posted yet but there is an applicants proposal on 163 Parkdale ave 31 Stories looks brand new.

[RideauRat]

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...12-12-0133.PDF


renders

[ edit ] it's been posted but i guess the project renders and details have been updated, move my posts accordingly! thanks in advance

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by RideauRat

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...12-12-0133.PDF


renders

[ edit ] it's been posted but i guess the project renders and details have been updated, move my posts accordingly! thanks in advance

Hey that looks pretty good! It's from Richcraft, so I look forward to seeing it get built in 2035!

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by RideauRat

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...12-12-0133.PDF


renders

[ edit ] it's been posted but i guess the project renders and details have been updated, move my posts accordingly! thanks in advance

TACT Architecture does some good work. Here's a Dymon Storage they designed near Yorkdale in Toronto.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by RideauRat

Hey i'm not sure it's been posted yet but there is an applicants proposal on 163 Parkdale ave 31 Stories looks brand new.

Good catch. I've updated our thread for this site over here:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=200308

[zzptichka]

Does Ville de Gatineau have a portal where one can find PDFs of submitted development applications, like City of Ottawa have?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Does Ville de Gatineau have a portal where one can find PDFs of submitted development applications, like City of Ottawa have?

I've never been able to find a Gatineau equivalent of the City of Ottawa's devapp website. Always been very impressed and appreciative of this invaluable resource offered by the City of Ottawa and wish all cities had an equivalent.

[J.OT13]

UQO/McGill University's Outaouais Medical Faculty opened this week.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/s...e02f053327a13d

[rocketphish]

Lowertown Baptist church looks to sell property for redevelopment

By: OBJ staff
Published: Aug 26, 2020 12:25pm EDT



A francophone Baptist church in Lowertown wants the city to rezone its property for mixed-use development as it looks to sell the building and construct a larger facility in another neighbourhood.

Ottawa Baptist Evangelical Church says its current house of worship on the southwest corner of King Edward Avenue and Clarence Street is too small for its growing congregation. The church, which is more than a century old, takes up almost all of the 5,000-square-foot lot.

“The size of the church no longer serves the needs of its congregation and to provide the most flexibility to sell the site a commercial zone is sought,” reads a rezoning application recently filed with the city.

“The rezoning will provide an opportunity for a wider range of permitted uses on the site … that would attract a wider spectrum of potential buyers and the possibility of consolidation with adjacent sites.”

The property on the eastern edge of the ByWard Market is currently zoned for minor institutional uses that allow for only a limited range of residential development. The church is seeking a traditional mainstreet designation in a bid to “expand the range of uses for the site” to include commercial space.

Local real estate developer GBA Group, which filed the application on behalf of the church, said the “ultimate proposed redevelopment” of the property would be a “mixed-use project with residential the predominant use,” adding it would likely be a midrise development of at least five storeys.

According to the application, a review has also been launched to determine if the church merits a heritage designation.

The results of the study “possibly will affect the proposed zoning of the site,” the report said, noting the “cultural heritage element of the church will be determined through work now under way with the City of Ottawa.”

If the plan goes ahead, it would be the latest in a string of local projects that have seen churches converted into mixed-use developments. Others include the former St. Brigid’s church on nearby St. Patrick Street, which is now an arts centre, and Little Italy co-working space Collabüro, which opened last fall in the former home of the German Evangelical Martin Luther Church of Ottawa on Preston Street.

https://www.obj.ca/article/real-esta...-redevelopment

[J.OT13]

I hadn't heard of this until today, but the Wellington West BIA received approval from FEDCO to expand it's boundaries.


https://wellingtonwest.ca/boundaryexpansion/

[Jayday23]

A couple notes:

(1) a new development is coming to Riverside Mall
(2) the property is owned by Brigil, which is bringing forward a pre-plan consult with Riley Brockington soon.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Jayday23

A couple notes:

(1) a new development is coming to Riverside Mall
(2) the property is owned by Brigil, which is bringing forward a pre-plan consult with Riley Brockington soon.

I believe that, after buying the property last year, Brígil undertook to meet the community by the end of this year.

[OTSkyline]

Pretty big lot, and just next to Riverside Drive and Mooney's Bay, excited to see the proposal.

Too bad this area is not served well by rapid transit. A pretty far walk to Trillium Line or transitway. Only served by a few key routes on Riverside...