A committee of city councillors has given Ottawa developer Claridge preliminary approval to construct the city’s tallest building in the south end of Little Italy.
By Mark Brownlee.
Councillors on the city’s planning committee voted Tuesday to rezone the site on the northeast corner of Carling Avenue and Preston Street so Claridge can build a condominium that will be as high as 45 storeys when finished.
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The chair of the committee, Peter Hume, praised Claridge’s efforts in designing the building.
“The bar we’ve set is a high bar and I think that we owe a little bit of gratitude to the proponent for helping us set that bar,” said Mr. Hume.
The councillor for the area where the building is set to be located, Diane Holmes, also approved of the development.
Separately, Claridge also received the green light for its plan to add a new condominium tower and a hotel in the ByWard Market.
The proposal calls for renovating and adding new floors to the Union of Canada building on Dalhousie Street so it eventually becomes a 15-storey hotel, while also constructing a 22-storey residential condominium building.
Councillors on the city’s planning committee voted to approve the proposal Tuesday after staff decided the Union of Canada building has minimal heritage value.
Several local residents spoke at the committee expressing their opposition to the proposal, citing concerns about traffic and the shadows the buildings will create.
A woman who owns a business along George Street, Louise Huot, said she was going to appeal any rezoning to the Ontario Municipal Board, a provincial body that has the power to overturn councillors’ decisions.
City council will now be responsible for deciding whether or not to give the proposals in Little Italy and the ByWard Market final approval.
