Clusters of non-governmental organizations are scattered across Ottawa, but plans are underway to bring some of them together under a single roof within walking distance of Parliament.
For years, Centretown has been a hub of head offices for NGOs and lobby groups trying to influence federal policies and, as soon as fall 2011, some of them may share a new 30,000-square-foot Centretown building.
Diane Touchette, director of operations at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is spearheading a project called Under One Roof. The initiative aims to bring non-profit organizations, as well as other socially, environmentally or culturally focused projects together into an eco-friendly building where they can share costs, resources and ideas.
Touchette says she’s in the process of purchasing a building, but can’t give specific details about the location because negotiations are still underway.
There are already many NGOs and businesses that are committed tenants, including the CCPA, the Council of Canadians, Canada Without Poverty and the Canadian Health Coalition.
Touchette says there are many benefits of NGOs and non-profit organizations sharing a workspace.
“Obviously you’re saving money,” she explains. Touchette also says that sharing a space would promote connectivity, help people share ideas and develop better social solutions together.
“The biggest thing for me is to get the small groups out of isolation and talking to each other,” she says.
Touchette says they’re keeping an open mind when considering tenants. The building wouldn’t just be reserved for major NGOs, but also students and artists.
“The same goes with people who work on their own, like consultants. We want to get them out of their house coats or out of the nearest Starbucks and actually have a desk that they can go to – and again, share resources and ideas,” she says.
The plan for the building includes an art studio, bookstore and a coffee shop.
The different organizations and tenants would share a bilingual reception, as well as mail, Internet, security and maintenance costs.
Ellen Adelberg is the director of communications and marketing at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, which currently runs out of the City Centre office building. Adelberg says she saw a similar project developed in Toronto.
“It’s a great idea. It helps people economize on things like meeting rooms, administrative costs for things like copiers and all the kind of infrastructure you need to run an office,” she says.
Since NGOs run largely on donations and fundraising, Adelberg says saving money is a benefit, but so is sharing ideas and projects with like-minded organizations.
Although the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is not currently connected to the Under One Roof project, Adelberg says it’s something the organization would be interested in.
“If there were a facility that could accommodate us and was very reasonable in rent then we would absolutely be interested,” she says.
John Bennett, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, says that his organization has been trying to do something similar to the Under One Roof project for about 10 years. However, Bennett explains that the amount of time and capital needed to successfully pull off the project is more than they have been able to give.
Currently, the Sierra Club is housed in an office tower at 1 Nicholas St., and Bennett says the environmental group’s employees are constantly looking for meeting spaces, and are working in “cramped quarters.”
Bennett also explains the office tower Sierra Club works out of now is not a “green” building, which is hard for the organization to rationalize as a charity that aims to promote sustainable living.
Bennett says the possibility of the CCPA’s Under One Roof project poses a “huge opportunity” for the Sierra Club and other NGOs.
“If the stars line up and the costs are right, we would be glad to get into a green, healthy building.”