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Ottawa company looks to rezone seven-acre site near airport for commercial development

February 26, 2026

An Ottawa-based investment company is seeking approval to rezone a vacant property near the Ottawa International Airport to allow for commercial development.

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An Ottawa-based investment company is seeking approval to rezone a vacant property near the Ottawa International Airport to allow for commercial development. The site is more than three hectares (seven acres) and is located on the Rideau River at 2175 Prince of Wales Dr., near the intersection of Hunt Club Road. The area west of the site is mainly occupied by commercial properties, including retail stores, restaurants and religious institutions, with a low-rise residential neighbourhood to the south. Across the Rideau River to the east is the airport, which limits potential uses for the site. Ottawa company Zena Investment Corp. is seeking approval to rezone the property for commercial development, while also increasing the maximum building height to 12 storeys. “These uses will be appropriately located near other employment and commercial uses and will be complementary to the nearby airport use,” said a planning rationale document prepared for the company by Novatech. Properties near the airport are constrained by Airport Operating Influence Zone (AOIZ) requirements, which limit building heights and prevent “sensitive uses” such as residential, according to the planning rationale. The document said the proposed height increase would not affect airport operations. “The proposed increase in height will fit in with the neighbouring office uses and will comply with the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Zoning Regulations’s maximum height limit,” it said. According to the planning rationale, the site carries the designation “Neighbourhood in the Outer Urban Transect,” which restricts building heights to four storeys. It is also zoned “development reserve,” which recognizes it as a site for future urban development while limiting, but not preventing, future development options. The application proposes rezoning the property to a “general mixed use zone,” which allows for residential and commercial uses, as well as mixed-use developments. “The type of use has not been determined at this time,” the document said. It said the proposal “will facilitate the development of a vacant site with commercial and employment uses in an area that cannot be developed with residential uses,” adding the site “is well located and is an adequate size to support commercial and employment uses.” Though details have not yet been determined, possible developments could include automotive businesses, retail shops, office buildings or hotels, the document said.