Colonnade BridgePort chief executive Hugh Gorman says the developments — one near the Blair LRT station in the city’s east end and the other at the former Granite Curling Club property on Scott Street — will be built in phases.
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An Ottawa real estate developer expects to kick off two multi-highrise projects next year that could add more than 2,000 units to the city’s rental housing stock.
Colonnade BridgePort chief executive Hugh Gorman says the developments — one near the Blair LRT station in the city’s east end and the other at the former Granite Curling Club property on Scott Street — will be built in phases.
Pending necessary approvals, shovels could be in the ground as early as the first quarter of 2027, Gorman told OBJ on Thursday.
“We’re kind of going into nodes where there hasn't been a lot of new development,” he said. “We’re obviously very bullish on Ottawa and its growth, despite the fact the (housing) market is a little bit soft right now. Long-term, we think there’s going to be continued demand, and we don’t think supply is going to keep up with that demand.”
Colonnade BridgePort recently filed an application with the city to subdivide a four-acre site at 2000 City Park Dr. near Blair Station into eight blocks that would ultimately be home to five residential highrises ranging from 12 to 30 storeys, a park and a multi-use pathway.
When fully built out, the development is slated to include more than 1,200 residential units. Gorman said the first highrise will likely be 16 to 18 storeys with about 200 rental apartments.
“We anticipate the bulk of (the remaining development) is going to be rental,” he added. “It’s obviously dependent upon market conditions. We may consider alternative uses like condos if the market improves, but right now, there’s no market for condos in Ottawa.”
Colonnade BridgePort also expects to break ground next year on the first building in what is projected to be a three-tower development with nearly 1,000 rental units at 2026 Scott St., the former site of the Granite Curling Club.
The firm is partnering with an undisclosed investor on the project, which Gorman said could take up to 10 years to complete. The first building is expected to be a 300-unit tower in the 28- to 30-storey range, while the second highrise could be as tall as 36 storeys and the third will likely be somewhere between 16 and 20 storeys, he explained.
Just west of Blair Road, Colonnade BridgePort’s long-term plan to redevelop a five-acre site at 25 Pickering Pl., near the main Via Rail terminal and the Tremblay LRT station, is taking shape.
The company is partnering with Toronto-based investment firm Fiera Real Estate to build up to 1,200 residential units on the former industrial land.
Gorman said work on the first two buildings — 14- and 28-storey highrises that will feature 483 rental apartments, underground parking and ground-floor commercial space — has begun, with occupancy targeted for 2029.
The firms are also looking at putting a hotel and a seniors’ residence on the property, as well as “a couple of alternative uses that we can’t disclose at this point,” Gorman added.
“The idea is that it will be a mixed-use community,” he said. “We’ve kicked it off with the first two towers and we’re starting to evaluate the next phase as we speak.”
