Ottawa Construction News staff writer
A 27-storey landmark building in Centretown is one step closer to becoming a reality after it received approval from Ottawa’s planning and housing committee. The building on Kent Street, will include a five-storey heritage property known as Legion House.
As part of the approval, Legion House will be dismantled and rebuilt on the same site, and integrated with the new building. The ground floor of Legion House will be used for institutional or community use, while the north side of the building will feature a landscaped privately-owned public space and two retained heritage buildings on MacLaren Street.
The new building will meet the Landmark Buildings policies outlined in the Centretown Secondary Plan, which allow for additional height for buildings that make “significant and exceptional contributions” to the public realm, the city said in a statement.
A total of 289 residential units are proposed for the building, along with increased bike parking and a prohibition on surface parking. The developer still needs to submit a site plan application, which will include details on how they plan to preserve the site’s heritage resources.
Several other applications with heritage components were also approved by the committee, including a five-storey apartment building on McLeod Street and a 16-storey addition to the Andaz Hotel on York Street.
The committee also approved official plan and zoning amendments to permit residential buildings up to 24 storeys on Arlington Avenue and two buildings with a total of 278 residential units southwest of Carling and Bronson avenues. The nine and 22-storey buildings planned at Carling and Bronson will also have 600 sq. m. of ground floor commercial space.
The committee also endorsed Official Plan and zoning amendments that would facilitate a 1,006-dwelling, two-tower development northeast of Richmond Road and New Orchard Avenue. The applicant had appealed an earlier three-tower proposal to the Ontario Land Tribunal and endorsement of the revised application would settle the matter.
The revised proposal includes park space and ground-floor commercial space. It also reduces the building’s base from six to three storeys and increases setbacks. The applicant would agree to provide 15 affordable units in each tower for 15 years.
The site is 100 metres from New Orchard Station and the amendment would increase permitted height from 20 to 40 storeys, consistent with Official Plan guidance to locate the tallest buildings and highest densities close to transit. The zoning amendment would increase permitted height in line with the Official Plan amendment to permit the proposed 38-storey and 40-storey towers.
Recommendations will rise to council for final approval on Wednesday (Nov. 22).
