Insider Only Ottawa, Real Estate

Windmill to build nine-storey condo at former All Saints church site

June 19, 2023
4:38 PM
ET

Organizations: All Saints Developments, Epic Investment Services, Linebox Studio, Neuf architects, Windmill Development Group

People: Jonathan Westeinde, Leanne Moussa

Windmill Development Group says it’s working on a proposal that would see a nine-storey condominium with about 100 units constructed next to the 123-year-old church on Chapel Street.

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A prominent Ottawa-based real estate developer is planning to build a condo next to the former All Saints Anglican Church in Sandy Hill, one of several environmentally-friendly projects the company is launching in the capital with proceeds from a green building fund. Windmill Development Group says it’s working on a proposal that would see a nine-storey condominium with about 100 units attached to the 123-year-old church on Chapel Street. It’s the latest attempt to add a residential component to the property beside All Saints, which held its last service in 2014 and was sold the following year for about $1.5 million to a group that included Ottawa resident Leanne Moussa, some of her family members from Alberta, and other local residents and businesspeople. The for-profit group formed a company called All Saints Developments and eventually filed a proposal to restore the church and build a nine-storey, mixed-use project next door. City council approved the plan in 2018, but the proposal was withdrawn later that year. The heritage church – which hosted a royal wedding and the state funeral of former prime minister Sir Robert Borden – has been converted into an events space with a 300-seat hall and a smaller room with a capacity of about 80 people. The space also includes a restaurant and an outdoor terrace. Windmill CEO Jonathan Westeinde credited All Saints Developments for doing an “amazing job” at creating the events space. He said his firm – which put in a competing bid for the church before Moussa’s group acquired it – has long coveted the site and ultimately purchased the rights to develop the adjoining property. “It was a natural synergy for us,” he said.

Wood-frame construction

Windmill has hired Linebox Studio – the Ottawa-based architectural firm best known for its work on Shopify’s former headquarters at 150 Elgin St. and CLV Group’s new rental conversion project at 473 Albert St. – to design the condo building. The development, which will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, is being billed as a “higher-end product,” Westeinde said. It is expected to include amenities such as a rooftop terrace and gym and will “blend in very well with the existing church and heritage structure,” he added. Westeinde said it will also feature an Ottawa first for a building of its height: rather than using concrete beams, it will be built from cross-laminated timber. Proponents of the specially engineered wood say it has a range of environmental benefits. It’s significantly lighter than concrete, meaning it requires less energy to transport. And while cement production is one of the world’s leading causes of carbon emissions, wood retains carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere. Windmill has submitted a site plan application to the city and hopes to start construction on the project later this year or early in 2024, with occupancy targeted for 2026. The All Saints development is one of nine multi-residential projects in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area that Windmill is financing through its $100-million One Planet Living Real Estate Fund. In partnership with southern Ontario’s Epic Investment Services, the fund aims to create sustainable developments that deliver social benefits as well as solid financial returns. Its projects adhere to the principles of the One Planet Living framework created by U.K.-based social enterprise Bioregional. Such developments are expected to be carbon-neutral, promote local food and agriculture and provide affordable housing, among other key elements. Windmill – whose other projects include the Plant, an urban agricultural-themed condo and townhome project in Toronto – is currently developing three other sites in Ottawa with proceeds from the fund. They include Stone Abbey, a condo project now under construction that is incorporated into the historic Southminster United Church in Old Ottawa South. Other local developments in the company’s pipeline are a plan to build three buildings with 510 residential units at 2475 Regina St., near the northwest corner of Richmond Road and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, and a 24-storey mixed-use highrise at 384 Arlington Ave. near Bronson Avenue that would include 294 rental apartments. The Arlington Avenue project is located on the site of the Ottawa Korean Community Church, which is moving to a new location outside the core.

Arlington Avenue project — Windmill's other planned Ottawa projects include a 24-storey apartment building on Arlington Avenue, just west of Bronson Avenue.

Westeinde said the apartment tower, designed by Neuf Architects, will keep the historic church’s facade and include a podium with a mix of residential, office and retail space. The company is aiming to set aside about 10 per cent of the units for affordable housing. “Generally, there’s been good support for the project,” he said, adding that Windmill is hoping to break ground on the building by next year. Westeinde said the firm is planning to push ahead with the projects even as rising interest rates and soaring inflation continue to drive up construction costs for multi-residential builds. “It’s a bit of a crystal ball,” he acknowledged. “The (Toronto) market’s really picked up a bit, and we find Ottawa is about eight months behind that. Generally, we’re still quite bullish long-term on the (local) market.” In addition, Windmill and Epic Investment Services are laying the groundwork for a second One Planet Living fund that is expected to be larger than the original and will finance projects beyond Ottawa and Toronto. The companies are aiming to launch the new fund this fall. “There’s a real need (for housing) … but timelines are very hard to predict these days,” Westeinde said. “Underlying all that, (market uncertainty) is just creating a further shortage of supply. So it’s just a matter of what’s going to cause the pressure release to allow a bit more activity in housing development.”