The city heritage committee has approved an application to expand the Andaz Hotel in the ByWard Market by adding a second tower.
After acquiring additional land last year, Claridge Homes is seeking approval for a revised proposal to build a 17-storey tower with a three-storey podium and 154 rooms, next to the existing Andaz Hotel.
Both the existing hotel and the expansion site are located within the ByWard Market Heritage Conservation District, the boundaries of which were established in 1991, according to Lesley Collins, program manager of heritage planning for the city.
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“This section of York Street in particular was included to capture both sides of the street as the gateway to the market,” she said in response to a question about why the heritage committee was reviewing the proposal. “Inevitably, when you draw a boundary, you end up capturing some properties that do not contribute to the overall character of the area.”
Due to the hotel’s location, Collins said the development and its design needed to fit within the parameters of the city’s Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Plan.
After reviewing the application, and working with the applicant to make updates, Collins said staff believe the development meets those requirements.
“The proposal is generally consistent with the HCD plan and while not specifically related to the HCD plan, it will facilitate the construction of new hotel accommodations in the market, which will in turn support the economic development and tourism goals for the ByWard Market,” she said in her presentation.
The approval comes with some conditions, which include selecting a new exterior brick that is more compatible with the surrounding area. She said the applicant will also need to work with city staff to finalize the details of an art installation proposed for the blank side of the tower, which faces a new residential tower currently under construction by Claridge.
The proposal is on the agenda for the city’s planning and housing committee meeting next week. It will need approval from the committee and city council before it can move forward.
The expansion project was originally proposed by Claridge Homes in 2018, two years after the 16-storey Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market opened on the site of the former Union of Canada building.
In 2018, 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.
But last year, Claridge acquired the adjacent property at 116 York St. and 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 the 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 Homes 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.
