Ottawa-based developer Richcraft Homes is proposing to build a subdivision with more than 2,000 residential units on a vacant swath of land off Innes Road in Orleans.
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Ottawa-based developer Richcraft Homes is proposing to build a subdivision with more than 2,000 residential units on a vacant swath of land off Innes Road in Orleans.
In a recently updated planning rationale document for the project, which was first submitted to the city in 2021, the developer proposes about 35 hectares of residential area, 19 hectares of employment area, and five hectares of parkland within the 64-hectare site.
The property is located between Innes Road and Brian Coburn Boulevard, just south of a strip of commercial properties that includes multiple restaurants and stores as well as a Landmark Cinemas location, a Movati Athletic facility and a variety of big-box stores including Walmart and Canadian Tire.
The site is surrounded by other residential subdivisions, primarily low-rise detached houses.
The planning document said the new subdivision would include more than 1,100 low-density units including detached homes and townhouses, and two "high-density blocks" with approximately 504 residential units that would be adjacent to a future rapid transit station.
The site’s employment areas would be located on the east side, concentrated between Frank Bender Street and Mer Bleue Road.
Due to the proximity of the future transit station, the document said nearby lands “are more likely to be developed with transit-supportive employment uses that provide higher job ratios and exhibit a more compact footprint, such as multi-storey office buildings. Over time, when the BRT Transitway is developed and functional, infill development may be accommodated on these lands through the use of underground or structured parking.”
Other nearby employment uses could include manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, research and development facilities and utilities, the document said.
In addition to driveways and street parking for vehicles, the developer intends to create an “active mobility network” through a combination of sidewalks, walkway blocks, multi-use pathways and recreational trails.
A total of three parks are proposed within the subdivision, including a 3.9-hectare community park that would include amenities such as a baseball diamond, skateboard area, multi-purpose court and splash pad.
Orleans has seen a number of residential projects proposed in recent years. Quebec construction company EMD-Batimo has submitted an application to redevelop a 0.89-hectare site near Place D’Orléans Shopping Centre with two towers that would contain 354 units.
Toronto-based investor Forum Asset Management has proposed a larger development east of Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre that would feature four mixed-use towers from 30 to 40 storeys, a nine-storey midrise residential building and a new community centre. In total, that project would see more than 1,500 new residential units added to the area.
Theberge Homes has also made a multi-tower proposal, with an application to build four towers of 24 to 32 stories that would create more than 1,200 units. The lot for that project is located on the corner of Tweddle Road and Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard near the Ottawa River.
Petrie’s Landing, a four-tower development on Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard by Brigil, is currently under construction and set to open this summer. Nearby, a recent commercial development added a pharmacy, dental clinic and restaurants to the area.
