The National Capital Commission has approved a master plan for the redevelopment of Confederation Heights, laying the groundwork for a new community that could potentially house thousands of residents.
Earlier this week, the NCC’s board of directors approved the plan to turn the area near Heron Road, Bronson Avenue and Riverside Drive into a “thriving connected, sustainable and mixed-use community.”
Confederation Heights is bordered by the Rideau River to the north and west, Data Centre Road and Sawmill Creek to the east, and Brookfield Road to the south, including Vincent Massey Park and Hog’s Back Park.
The redevelopment plan could include up to 16,000 residential units in buildings ranging from three to 40 storeys, retail, schools, a recreational mixed-use complex near Billings Bridge transit hub, a new transit plaza integrating the planned Baseline transitway with the Mooney’s Bay O-Train station, and a culture and entertainment district near the Mooney’s Bay O-Train station.
According to NCC documents, there are about 49 net hectares of developable land on the site, with forecasts of 150 to 300 housing units per net hectare. About 10 per cent of the residential units will be larger, with at least another 20 per cent allocated for affordable housing.
Development would occur over the next 25 years, the NCC said.
The site is currently a “single-use” federal employment area with three federal heritage properties: the former CBC building at 1500 Bronson Ave., the former Canadian Revenue Agency building at 875 Heron Rd. and the Sir Charles Tupper Building at 2720 Riverside Dr.
Public Services and Procurement Canada completed a “best efforts” process to analyze the viability of the buildings, said Marion Gale, senior land use planner at the NCC, at the meeting on Tuesday. It was determined that seven parcels of land, including the three heritage sites, had significant redevelopment potential.
In addition to the three heritage buildings, the following sites were identified for disposal: 770-790 Heron Rd., 830 Heron Rd., 958 Heron Rd., 959 Heron Rd. and 1500 Gloria Ave.
Canada Lands Company intends to purchase these parcels of land to implement the Confederation Heights master plan.
Other federally owned buildings in the area, such as the Sir Leonard Tilley building at 719 Heron Rd. and the Canada Post building at 2701 Riverside Dr., are anticipated to be retained for federal accommodation in the long-term, the NCC said at the meeting. Parcels of land that include the RA Centre on Riverside Drive and the Confederation Heights Central Heating and Cooling Plant on Heron Road remain a part of the federal portfolio, but may be considered as surplus in future.
“The plan includes the possibility of adaptive re-use of all three buildings or a portion thereof. And studies are underway or are completed to inform long-term retention. Design guidelines, under development by CLC and in collaboration with the NCC, will address how new development should integrate with the heritage buildings and their landscapes,” Gale said at the meeting.
The plan also proposed a “heritage greenway,” which would preserve the greenspace surrounding the three buildings.
The NCC said next steps include finalizing the design guidelines for the project this summer and working with the city to draft a secondary plan and adjacent zoning by-law amendments this fall.
Land transactions from PSPC to the CLC are expected to take place this fall and, by the end of the year, the NCC expects to draw up landowner agreements with CLC to support the plan’s implementation.
