Brigil proposes 3,200 residential units in third phase of Petrie’s Landing development

Brigil is proposing to create what its vice-president of development calls a “complete neighbourhood” featuring nearly 3,200 residential units and at least 100,000 square feet of commercial space on a 26-acre plot of land at 8600 Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. N. 

A Gatineau developer that wants to construct three residential towers on the site of the former Greyhound bus station in Centretown has unveiled new plans to build multiple highrises of up to 40 storeys near the future Trim Road transit station in Orléans. Brigil is proposing to create what its vice-president of development calls a “complete neighbourhood” featuring nearly 3,200 residential units and at least 100,000 square feet of commercial space on a 26-acre plot of land at 8600 Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. N.  The property is just north of Regional Road 174 and about half a kilometre west of the Trim LRT station, which is currently slated to be ready for full service in the spring of 2025. The project would mark the third phase of the company’s Petrie’s Landing community, an ongoing development near Trim Road, the first two phases of which are expected to eventually include more than a dozen buildings with about 2,200 residential units and 8,000 square feet of retail and office space. When all three phases are complete, the multibillion-dollar development is expected to house more than 10,000 residents. Jessy Desjardins, the firm’s vice-president of development, says Brigil has been consulting with city planning staff and Orléans East-Cumberland Coun. Matthew Luloff on the proposal, which has been in the works for several years. “We’ve been discussing this site for a while now,” he told OBJ on Thursday. “I think we’re pretty aligned (with) the vision.”

A draft proposal filed with the application includes 12 buildings ranging from four to 40 storeys. The tallest buildings would be located in the southeast corner of the property closest to the Trim Road LRT station.  A private road would bisect the development, separating the mixed-use buildings in the eastern portion from a central two-acre park to the west. The western third of the property surrounding Taylor Creek would remain undeveloped. In total, the proposed development contains nearly 2.8 million square feet of residential and commercial space.  Desjardins said he expects services such as bakeries, cafes, dry cleaners and “typical mainstreet mom-and-pop shops” to eventually take their place in the neighbourhood and cater to residents of Petrie’s Landing and other nearby subdivisions. The developer also hopes to attract a grocery store and a bank to the site, he added.

Third phase 'would add needed density'

According to the development application, current zoning allows for buildings of between four and seven storeys at the property.  Brigil, however, argues that height guidelines under the proposed Orléans Corridor Secondary Plan, which is currently under appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal, should apply to the property because the height provisions are not part of the appeal.  The secondary plan aims to promote higher-density mixed-use development within 800 metres, or about a 10-minute walk, of transit stations from Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard to Trim Road. It would permit buildings up to 40 storeys near transit stations. The third phase of Petrie’s Landing “would add needed density” to the area, a planning document filed with the application on behalf of Brigil says. “The proposed development contributes to the creation of a 15-minute neighbourhood on underutilized land within proximity to a new rapid transit station,” the document adds. Desjardins said Brigil hopes to begin construction on the first buildings at the site in 2027 or 2028, which would coincide with the expected completion of phase two. Work on the taller highrises near Trim Road would likely begin a couple of years later, he added. It’s the latest major development proposal from Brigil, which made headlines last summer when it announced plans to build three highrises ranging from 26 to 40 storeys on a 2.8-acre property on Catherine Street that was formerly occupied by the Greyhound bus terminal.  The third phase of Petrie’s Landing is part of a growing wave of proposed developments in Orléans aimed at intensifying neighbourhoods near transit stations on the extended Confederation Line. Toronto-based developer Bayview Group, for example, has applied to build a trio of mixed-use highrises near the Orléans Town Centre not far from the future Place d’Orléans LRT stop. That project would include more than 1,100 residential units along with retail and office space. Other proposals include a six-storey building on St. Joseph Boulevard, just south of the Taylor Creek Business Park and about 700 metres southwest of the Trim LRT station, that would be anchored by a 61-room hotel.