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Ottawa’s Regional Group is looking to build a seven-block subdivision with as many as six highrises that would see the current Ottawa Citizen building demolished.
Ottawa’s Regional Group is looking to build a seven-block subdivision with as many as six highrises that would see the current Ottawa Citizen building demolished. The local developer has submitted a plan of subdivision application for 1101 Baxter Rd., a 3.13-hectare site in the city’s west end south of Highway 417. The application to the city proposes a seven-block subdivision that would be occupied by four 30-storey towers and two “modestly-highrise” buildings, with access from Baxter Road and a new proposed private street. In total, the development would contain 1,400 new residential units, as well as “limited retail and commercial space.”The six buildings would take up three blocks and would be arranged around a central public park. “The design emphasizes connectivity and livability, with a looped green pathway, limited surface parking on a new private street, and podium-level circulation linking the community directly to the LRT station,” the project’s urban design brief said. “Each building will be designed to maximize park and river views, contributing to a cohesive, transit-oriented neighbourhood.”The development will include a multi-use pathway, which would provide direct access to the nearby pedestrian overpass that connects to the Queensview O-Train station. The Ottawa Citizen building, which sits at the centre of the parcel, would be demolished “some time in the future” to make way for redevelopment. According to the document, the site’s proximity to the LRT station is central to its design. “The main attraction of this site is the proximity and easy access to the LRT,” it said. “Given this proximity, the expectation is that future residents will prioritize the benefits of a walking lifestyle and therefore the center of the community is focused on pedestrian paths and spaces.”The podiums of the buildings along the northern edge of the site would be designed to act as an acoustic buffer to mitigate noise and create separation from the highway. Rendering of a proposed development at 1101 Baxter Rd. Image credit: Regional GroupThe site is located in an established area, with several suburban low-rise neighbourhoods on all sides, and directly adjacent to a variety of commercial uses. Next to the Ikea located west of the site are a strip mall and other low-rise commercial buildings that include restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores, including an Indigo and Michaels, as well as a bank and gas station. To the east is an indoor amusement centre, indoor golf course, other businesses and a school. Across the highway to the north are office buildings, a curling club and more restaurants and retail stores. Off-street parking, according to the document, would be included in the project, “primarily located within the building envelope or underground.”The application comes as Regional Group is expanding its office holdings by acquiring an 18-storey highrise at 150 Slater St., a class-A office tower that has served as the headquarters of Export Development Canada since the building opened in 2011.The transaction, which was announced last month, marked the first major sale of a downtown Ottawa office building to a private-sector buyer in nearly three years.It’s the largest deal in Regional Group’s 68-year history and the firm’s first acquisition of a downtown office property. With the acquisition of 150 Slater from Manulife Investment Management, Regional Group now owns or manages more than four million square feet of commercial and residential space in the National Capital Region.
