Broccolini files plan to build Ottawa’s largest warehouse in Barrhaven east

November 20, 2024

Montreal-based Broccolini recently filed a proposal to construct a five-storey, 3.1-million-square-foot distribution facility about a kilometre southeast of the intersection of Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road.

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The developer behind two mega-warehouses in the National Capital Region is planning to build another massive fulfilment centre in Barrhaven that would create as many as 2,500 new jobs. Montreal-based Broccolini recently filed a proposal to construct a five-storey, 3.1-million-square-foot distribution facility about a kilometre southeast of the intersection of Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road. Located on three parcels of land at 2 Leikin Dr., 20 Leikin Dr. and 99 Bill Leathem Dr., the 75-acre site fronts along Merivale Road, Leikin Drive, Paragon Avenue, Bill Leathem Drive and Longfields Drive. The property is zoned for light industrial uses such as a warehouse. The developer is requesting a minor variance because the building’s proposed height of 29.5 metres, or 97 feet, exceeds current limits. A site plan application prepared by Novatech Engineering Consultants says the proposed building, which has a floorplate of about 650,000 square feet, would include 59 loading docks as well as a yard with room for an additional 482 trailers. A surface parking lot would accommodate 1,185 vehicles. Broccolini is working with GKC Architecture & Design on the proposal, which it dubbed “Project X.” In a transportation impact assessment filed with the site plan application, Broccolini says it plans to construct the building in a single phase and is aiming to complete the project in 2026. The developer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the proposal on Wednesday. The development application Broccolini recently filed with the city touts the building’s “sustainable design elements,” which include a reflective roof and an HVAC system with “energy recovery” capabilities. It also says the facility is designed to be “solar ready” with cable pathways and a roof strong enough to accommodate solar panels. If the project goes ahead, it would be the third and largest major fulfilment centre Broccolini has developed in the Ottawa region. The Montreal-based firm built a 2.8-million-square-foot warehouse farther west in Barrhaven at 222 Citigate Dr. that opened in 2021. That followed Broccolini’s first major industrial project in Ottawa, a one-million-square-foot distribution facility that opened on Boundary Road in the city’s south end in 2019. Amazon now leases both of those facilities. The online retail giant is one of a growing number of companies that are setting up warehouses in the National Capital Region to take advantage of its strategic location between the country’s two largest population centres and its easy access to major transportation routes such as Highways 416 and 417. Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo, whose ward includes the proposed building, said he has discussed the new project with officials from Broccolini, but he wouldn’t reveal the names of any potential tenants that might eventually occupy the warehouse. “That’s not information I can share,” he told OBJ on Wednesday. “But I’ll say this – the field of possibilities is narrow.” Lo said Broccolini has suggested the facility would employ between 2,000 and 2,500 people once it is running at full capacity, “which obviously presents a lot of downstream economic benefits,” he added. “I’m thinking about the small businesses that are in the community that can stay open later, that’ll have a new customer base when a shift changes, for example.” While Lo said he supports the project, he has some concerns about the volume of traffic it will generate and its effect on nearby transportation infrastructure. Lo said he hopes the development will be a catalyst for new funding to widen major traffic arteries such as Prince of Wales Drive and Fallowfield Road. “Objectively, it’s a very high-impact development,” he said. “Most of those roads are still two lanes. The intersections are already overloaded – I’m thinking about Prince of Wales and Hunt Club, Woodroffe and Fallowfield.” Lo said he’s planning to hold a public consultation early next year to give residents a chance to voice their opinion on the plan. “Overall, I’m supportive of the idea of introducing all that new employment into the community,” he said. “Early indications are encouraging. They want to be a good neighbour.”