A tech hub at Lansdowne Park? We talk to two tech firms about why they’ve made it their home

January 15, 2026

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For more than a decade, Brock Murray moved his Ottawa-based marketing firm, seoplus+, all over the city before he found the right fit. And it’s a location that many would be surprised at. Back in 2012, employees went to an office in the west end of the city near Pinecrest Road. Then seoplus+ made a home in the heart of the city, on Murray Street in the ByWard Market. After that, it was headquartered in Little Italy. Now, it has established itself at Lansdowne Park, where it’s been located for about two years. While the natural choice for many tech firms might be to settle in Kanata among their peers, Murray isn’t the only founder of a tech or digital-first company that has decided to call Lansdowne home. A short walk away from seoplus+ is cybersecurity company Field Effect and e-commerce software firm Noibu. So, could Lansdowne become Ottawa’s second tech hub? For Murray, he said the decision to settle just off of Exhibition Way was made to give employees a mix of work and play. “We have a hybrid kind of environment, so a lot of employees come in three days a week. Obviously, we want (the office) to be somewhere that’s exciting to come to … For us, having a central location is important and a location where there’s things to do around (it). After work, you can go do an activity or grab something to eat,” he said, adding that the office’s proximity to grocery stores and the Rideau Canal is also a plus. With an emphasis on workplace culture, Murray said having his headquarters at Lansdowne allows his team greater choice and flexibility when it comes to team-bonding activities. “For example, last week we went to the canal with the team to grab some Beavertails and go skating. In the summer, we do a run club along the canal and it’s natural to go down the street and get some drinks,” he said. Lansdowne can be busy when there is an event at the stadium or arena, Murray said, which means traffic is a larger issue than usual on some days. But no workplace is without its little headaches, he added, and it isn't enough to deter him from continuing to call Lansdowne home. However, while he believes that Lansdowne is a great place to work and has the potential to become a tech hub in Ottawa, it is missing some key infrastructure. “I think the challenge would potentially be being able to have the square footage that tech companies would need. Along Bank (Street), the types of office, retail or commercial spaces have smaller footprints,” Murray said. For staff, Murray said a lack of transportation infrastructure can be an issue. “There’s lots of parking, especially compared to the ByWard Market, but I think they can continue to add more transportation options (at Lansdowne) to make it more accessible.” With big redevelopment plans in the works for Lansdowne over the next few years, the area will see a flurry of construction activity, perhaps leading to disruptions for nearby offices. Murray said he isn’t worried, adding the company will “take it one day at a time.”

Sports teams a draw for Field Effect

Eight years ago, Field Effect left its space in the ByWard Market to move into a new office at Lansdowne Park. Co-founder and CEO Matt Holland told OBJ that the central location, access to amenities and proximity to some of Ottawa’s biggest sports teams made the decision to move to Lansdowne easy. “The parking availability at Lansdowne is very similar to our old situation. The sports team was a big driver when we moved in,” Holland said. “When you’re going to work, you want to go to a spot that’s buzzing, where there’s motion and things happening.” One perk of being located at Lansdowne is that it “feels like a unified complex,” Holland added. “It’s all connected underground by a parking garage, so it’s very easy to move from building to building. When the weather is (snowy) like today, you don’t have to throw your coat on. I’ll go grab lunch at Whole Foods or go to the gym at GoodLife (by) just walking underground.” Similar to Murray at seoplus+, Holland said one of the only downsides of the location is the lack of transit and hectic parking on game days. When Field Effect was located in the ByWard Market, Holland said the office was within earshot of the then-ongoing construction for the new LRT station at Rideau. Looking ahead to Lansdowne 2.0 and its related construction, Holland said he hopes it won’t affect the day-to-day. But all in all, he thinks Lansdowne has the potential to become another tech hub for Ottawa, especially if the building management groups get on the same page. “At one point we were in two buildings. One building was dealing with one management group, then the other building was dealing with another management group and the parking (garage) was controlled by another group. Getting anything done or having any kind of unified experience was a challenge. Moving forward, if the owners wanted to turn (Lansdowne into a tech hub), I think they could do it,” he said, adding that he would emphasize Lansdowne’s sports experience as part of the value of the area. As a mission-driven company, Field Effect is perfectly located in order to scale long-term, Holland added. “I think the way it contributes to the culture is that it’s not just a place to work … We’re a company that has a long-term mission and will be around for quite a while. So helping people build bonds and interest in the well-being of one another is facilitated by social engagement.”