By Robin MacLennan
Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The National Capital Commission (NCC) has finalized a lease agreement with Canadian developers Avenue 31 Capital Inc. and Cogir for the development of a portion of the Flats District at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa.
NCC will now move forward with the implementation of the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan – a multi-decade vision that will transform LeBreton Flats into a diverse residential community supported by retail and employment opportunities where anyone can live, work and play.
At the end of the lease, Avenue 31 Capital Inc. and Cogir would develop four parcels of land (1.63 hectares) within the Flats District to create a new sustainable and inclusive residential-focused community.
The next phase of development will deliver more than 900 much-needed homes in the core of the Capital, including affordable residential units and units with at least three bedrooms. The net-zero-carbon buildings will sit in a neighbourhood of pedestrian-friendly streets with transit and active transportation as the preferred modes of travel and will connect to a future district energy system.
It’s the next step in the development, after the first phase of the Building LeBreton project – the Library Parcel – where 608 new residential units are soon to be constructed. Of these, 250, or 41 per cent, are affordable units. The full development of lands in the Master Concept Plan will include at least 25 per cent of all the residential units to be used for affordable housing.
In 2024, the NCC will engage in lease negotiations to advance design work for the development. Design for the Flats Phase development will be subject to the federal land use and design approval process.
The NCC and Avenue 31 Capital Inc./Cogir expect a lease agreement by late 2024.
Construction of roads and buildings in the Flats Phase will begin following municipal approval of the NCC’s plan of subdivision, which is targeted for late 2025.
The agreement includes deadlines for the start and completion of development blocks within the Flats Phase to ensure timely completion and occupancy of all buildings.
Flats Phase Key Facts
- The Flats Phase development contains four parcels: Parcels F1, F2, F3 and F8 in the Master Concept Plan.
- Total development area: 1.63 hectares (4.02 acres)
- Estimated maximum yield: 78,400 square metres (844,000 square feet)
- Potential for more than 900 residential units
In June 2022, the NCC launched the Flats Phase Request for Offers to Lease to seek a proponent to develop up to four parcels of land within the concept plan.
The site is on the edge of Ottawa’s downtown, only two kilometres from Parliament Hill and within a 10-minute walk from two light-rail stations (Pimisi and Bayview) on the O-Train Confederation and Trillium lines.
Avenue 31 Capital Inc. is an established Ottawa-based developer with knowledge of the local market that has successfully worked with the NCC on other projects.
“I’m excited for this important step in the implementation of our Building LeBreton plan. We look forward to working with Avenue 31 Capital Inc. and Cogir towards the shaping of the Flats District, an important gateway to LeBreton Flats,” NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum said in a statement.
