Ottawa’s downtown skyline could soon be getting a lively new addition. A pair of towers, boasting a unique, lattice-wrapped glass design, are being proposed for the site of the former National Hotel and Suites.
“It’s architecturally significant for the block,” says Bernie Myers, Eastern Canada vice-president for Morguard Corporation, which owns the property.
“It provides a little bit of park space – some open area – as well as giving the neighbourhood some very nice and modern-looking towers that fit in. They’re contemporary and stylish, but not out of place.”
Morguard closed the hotel in December 2013 to undertake a significant ‘renovation and repositioning,’ but for nearly two years, the building sat idle.
Myers says his firm had to carefully weigh its options for the site’s future, before committing to a plan.
“We went through the whole process as to whether we could renovate or redevelop and that process takes time,” he says.
“When we looked at all of the needs of both the hotel industry and the residential market, and the cost to renovate, we figured we could get better product and better end result by starting afresh.”
Over the summer, Morguard filed applications with the city to demolish the derelict hotel and build two high-rise buildings on the National property at the corner of Bay and Sparks streets. The first of the towers features a first-of-its-kind concept for the city – slated to house not one, but two hotels under the same roof.
“It’s actually going to be one tower with two different Hilton brands. It’ll be partly a Hilton Garden Inn, which is a conventional hotel, and the other is Homewood Suites. There isn’t one in Ottawa as of yet and that’s meant for longer stays.”
The 27-storey structure would hold common amenities for guests at both hotels, including a fitness centre, pool and dining areas – and those within the hospitality industry are excited about the project.
“It’s really good. It’s a good location on Sparks Street and Morguard is a pretty progressive builder, so we’re excited,” says Steve Ball, president of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association.
“The National was just so old – it didn’t meet today’s standards of room and bathroom size,” he adds.
“It’s time to take it down and build it right.”
The other proposed tower – standing at 23 storeys – is designated for residential use, but it’s bucking a recent trend among local developers by offering purpose-built rental units, instead of condominiums.
Morguard plans to keep the existing office tower on the site, but spruce it up at street level through a multi-level “podium” linking all three buildings both physically and visually, while also containing commercial space.
“We’re going to look for restaurant uses, coffee shops and then we’ll see what the market wants once we get construction underway,” Myers says.
Myers says he’s hoping the development, if approved, will inject new life into the sleepy area along the west end of Sparks Street, near the Place de Ville complex.
“We’re looking at making it much more retail-focused. The main floor of the office building was previously the meeting rooms for the old hotel, so we’re planning to convert that into retail space,” he says.
“Everybody I’ve talked to in the area is favourable towards this project. I wish we could start building it tomorrow.”
But others living nearby aren’t as thrilled about the proposal. At a community meeting on Sept. 17, city planner Allison Hamlin says the biggest concern voiced by residents was the potential shadow impact from the new towers.
She says she’ll be bringing forward several recommendations to the developer, which will have to be addressed and could delay city council’s vote on the project, originally scheduled for later this fall.
Still, Myers believes his firm’s plans for the site will get the green light soon.
“We’re pretty confident. We’ve gone and met with the city numerous times and are working through all the processes,” he says.
“We’re hoping to get approval from the city by the end of the year.”
Pending approval, Morguard is aiming to break ground in January, with an estimated completion date of mid-2017 to early 2018.