A proposal to expand the Andaz Hotel in the ByWard Market by adding a second tower will move ahead after receiving the green light from city council on Wednesday.
After acquiring additional land last year, developer Claridge Homes has been seeking approval to build a 17-storey tower with a three-storey podium and 154 rooms next to the existing Andaz Hotel.
Earlier this month, both the heritage committee and the planning and housing committee approved the project, but with some conditions, including selecting a new exterior brick that is more compatible with the surrounding area. The developer will also need to work with city staff on an art installation proposed for the side of the building that faces a residential tower currently under construction by Claridge.
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The hotel expansion project was originally proposed by Claridge in 2018, two years after the 16-storey Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market opened on the site of the former Union of Canada building. At that time, Claridge proposed expanding the hotel by building a 19-storey structure with 136 suites and a 3,600-square-foot ballroom at 110 York St. In 2023, the city gave the green light to a revised proposal to build a 16-storey addition.
Last year, after acquiring the adjacent property at 116 York St., Claridge submitted another revision to boost the height of the tower to 17 storeys and build 154 rooms.
According to planning documents, the hotel’s expansion “will support cultural assets in the ByWard Market and Downtown Ottawa by increasing services for tourists and visitors to the city, creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.”
The recently purchased lot at 116 York St. — previously occupied by a since-demolished two-storey heritage building — is vacant, while the other site at 110 York St. is a surface parking lot.
The lot is next to another new hotel, the 22-storey Moxy Ottawa Downtown, which is set to open early this year. To the west of the site are commercial buildings, including Chuck’s Roadhouse, which opened last summer, Osmow’s Shawarma and Bytown Shoe Repair.
Included in the plan is a four-level underground parking garage underneath the new tower. The new garage will be shared by both Andaz towers, as well as by an abutting residential property also owned by Claridge to the south. Construction is currently underway on that site, where a new 22-storey residential tower at 137 and 141 George St. is being built.
The first three storeys of the new hotel highrise would include amenities such as a breakfast area, fitness space, and pool and sauna, according to the design rationale document prepared by Fotenn Planning + Design.
