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 […]
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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.”
