On Sept. 25, Rohit broke ground on The Avro, the second of three apartment developments the company is developing within Wateridge Village, one of Ottawa’s most ambitious master-planned communities.
The Avro follows the development of Astra Block, Rohit’s inaugural project within the community, demonstrating the company’s commitment to delivering meaningful scale in the market. The groundbreaking ceremony marked far more than the start of construction – it celebrated years of strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration and problem-solving by the development, consulting and trade partners who made the project possible.
Addressing Ottawa’s housing challenge
Wateridge Village represents a visionary approach to addressing east Ottawa’s critical housing shortage. Originally master planned by the Canada Lands Company (CLC), the community is now developed by the federal Crown corporation Build Canada Homes, which is reimagining how urban residential communities can be built sustainably and thoughtfully.
Rohit’s role as one of the community’s anchor developers is to execute on this vision by using modern construction methods combined with Canadian materials. The Avro alone will bring 200 apartments to market, contributing meaningfully to both the community’s goals and the city’s pressing need for rental housing.
“This project demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the Ottawa market,” says Rohit Homes Ottawa Vice President Chris MacKinnon. “The Avro, combined with Astra Block and our third development to come, will deliver more than 375 apartments within Wateridge Village alone. That’s a tangible investment in a city that needs housing now.”
Expanding Rohit’s presence across Canada
Wateridge Village marks a significant milestone in Rohit’s expansion into Ottawa, but it is far from the company’s first major undertaking.
Rohit is a vertically integrated real estate enterprise with expertise in home building, land development, residential rentals, commercial development and infrastructure. It has established itself in multiple Canadian markets including Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Ottawa. With a development pipeline set to deliver more than 900 rental apartments across the city by 2029, the company is demonstrating its capacity to deliver housing scale and excellence in urban markets.
Rohit’s multi-year investment in Wateridge Village reflects the company’s philosophy: bold, strategic expansion grounded in long-term community impact. The projects showcase the company’s ability to navigate complex partnerships, secure prime development sites and execute on a vision that extends far beyond a single building.
A legacy of elevation: the vision behind Astra and Avro
The names Astra Block and The Avro are far more than marketing designations – they anchor the development to the unique character and history of Wateridge Village’s landscape.
Both are tributes to the area’s rich aviation heritage, drawing inspiration from the nearby Canada Aviation and Space Museum and historic Ottawa Rockcliffe Airport. Astra directly references the Royal Canadian Air Force motto, “sic itur ad astra” (“such is the pathway to the stars”).
The Avro, named after legendary Canadian aircraft manufacturer Avro Canada – manufacturers of the legendary Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow interceptor aircraft – echoes the innovation and precision that defined mid-century aviation.
Building for the future
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together key stakeholders, including construction management partner Buttcon, whose expertise proved essential in navigating the project’s complexities. The event showcased the collaborative spirit that defines modern urban development – one where visionary planning, capable execution and community partnership work in tandem to shape the city’s future.
The Avro represents a significant commitment to the rental market at a time when Ottawa faces persistent affordability challenges. By leveraging modern construction methods and sourcing materials domestically, Rohit and its partners have demonstrated that scale and efficiency can coexist with quality and sustainability.
For more information about The Avro and Rohit’s apartment developments at Wateridge Village, please visit Astra Block. Learn more about Rohit’s approach to rental living and community development at RohitGroup.com.
Rohit Group is a privately owned national real estate company operating in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. The company’s subsidiaries enrich communities by providing land development, home building, commercial real estate, residential rentals and infrastructure. Since being established in 1986, Rohit Group has grown to deliver over 1,400 residential units on an annual basis nationally, with an interest to expand across North America.
