Windmill Development Group says it hopes to start construction later this year on a 24-storey highrise at 384 Arlington Ave., just west of Bronson Avenue, as well as two buildings at 2475 Regina St., just north of Richmond Road on the west side of the Kichi Zibi Mikan Parkway.
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The Ottawa firm that launched the Zibi waterfront development is poised to break ground on two new rental apartment complexes at sites currently occupied by non-profit organizations.
Windmill Development Group says it hopes to start construction later this year on a 24-storey highrise at 384 Arlington Ave., just west of Bronson Avenue, as well as two buildings at 2475 Regina St., just north of Richmond Road on the west side of the Kichi Zibi Mikan Parkway.
The new developments would add a total of more than 850 units to the capital’s stock of rental housing, with 566 units planned for Regina Street and 296 apartments slated to be built on Arlington Avenue.
Windmill president Jeremy Reeds told OBJ this week the company aims to include a “significant” amount of affordable housing at each site and hopes to qualify for funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. designed to help finance such projects.
Ottawa city council has given both proposals the green light. Reeds said the firm has applied for building permits in the hope of putting shovels in the ground within the next six months.
The new developments use a template Windmill has employed in the past – redeveloping aging community landmarks such as churches and incorporating new, eco-friendly residential components.
“In Ottawa, it’s very easy for us to be recognized as that player in that space,” Reeds said.
The Regina Street project ultimately calls for three buildings near Lincoln Fields on a two-acre property that’s currently home to Parkway House, a non-profit organization that houses 12 adults with physical disabilities who require 24-7 care.
The plan includes two highrises of 28 and 16 storeys, as well as a seven-storey building that will feature a new home for Parkway House on the ground floor and six storeys of rental apartment units on the floors above.
The seven- and 16-storey buildings, which will be located on the eastern edge of the site, will be constructed first, Reeds said. The tallest tower will be built later where Parkway House now stands.
In keeping with the city’s push for more “15-minute neighbourhoods” near transit nodes, there will be enough parking spaces for about half of the units. The site is located about 400 metres from the Lincoln Fields LRT station that’s now under construction as part of the expanded Confederation Line.
The development would include a mix of studio apartments as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom suites. While the first two buildings are planned as rental projects, Reeds said Windmill hasn’t decided whether the 28-storey tower will be a rental building or a condominium.
“Ottawa is a smaller market, so there’s definitely a sweet spot of how many units in a condo building you want,” he explained.