Ontario Construction News staff writer
A proposal to transform an 11-storey office building in Kanata into a mixed-use development featuring 115 new homes received approval from the city’s Planning and Housing Committee on Tuesday.
The property on Legget Drive in the Kanata Research Park is slated to include the residential dwellings alongside ground-floor office space. According to a city report, the applicant plans to reclad the building, add Juliet balconies, and incorporate communal amenity space. A connection to the nearby Brookstreet Hotel is also proposed.
City staff indicated the project aligns with Official Plan policies that aim to maintain the Kanata North Economic District as an economic driver while encouraging its evolution from a car-centric business park to a mixed-use innovation district.
The approved zoning amendment will change the parent zoning from Business Park Industrial to Mixed Use Centre. It will also eliminate minimum parking requirements for residential and office uses, maintaining only the visitor parking requirement. The city confirmed that future car-oriented uses, such as drive-through facilities, service and repair shops, and standalone parking lots, will be prohibited on the site.
In other decisions, the committee approved a zoning amendment for a new residential development in Old Ottawa East’s Greystone Village. This project will see 18 semi-detached homes and 12 townhomes built on two properties on Deschâtelets Avenue, flanking the Grand Allée entrance to the future Forecourt Park.
The amendment primarily addresses reduced setbacks to ensure a symmetrical development, while preserving the tree-lined Grand Allée and views of the historic Deschâtelets Building, according to city documents.
The committee also received a presentation on student housing in Ottawa. The University of Ottawa Students’ Union presented a report based on a survey conducted by its Student Housing Exploratory Caucus. The report offers policy recommendations for all levels of government to address student housing needs.
All recommendations from Tuesday’s meeting are scheduled to go before City Council for final approval on Wednesday, May 28.
