After holding a public information session on March 8 for its major property redevelopment at 900 Albert St., Trinity Development Group is beginning to prepare a more thorough plan for the City of Ottawa.
The proposed redevelopment would be located on a wedge of land in the northwest corner of Centretown between the City Centre and the forthcoming Ottawa LRT’s Bayview Station.
And while the proposal is still in its early stages, it’s an ambitious plan that would include mixed-use development with indoor and outdoor commercial retail, residential units, offices, and green space.
Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney says she’ll be watching the proposal closely but is impressed with what she’s seen from Trinity so far.
“I am encouraged by the fact that Trinity has stated that they are seeking partnerships with grocery stores and local food stores,” she says. “This area of the city is in much need of a grocery store.”
Trinity’s public meeting was well attended, she said, and the community is invested in the project.
“The community understands the importance of this site and wants to make sure that whatever is built here is done right,” she adds. “It has to serve the immediate neighbourhood by promoting walking and biking and providing neighbourhood-oriented commercial uses.”
Brad Caco, Trinity’s vice-president of development and design, says the reception was positive at the public meeting.
“It’s going to create jobs, it’s going to add ridership to help substantiate the investment that’s gone into the Confederation Line and the new Bayview Station as well as the O-Train corridor,” he says. “It will be a very positive thing from a community perspective.”
A cost-benefit analysis has already been carried out in partnership with the city and has yielded positive results. Trinity hopes to have approval for the development’s risk-analysis plan completed by June or July.
The city says it is dedicated to working with Trinity but admits there are challenges that lie ahead.
Robin Souchen, the city’s manager of real estate partnerships and development, says there’s a lot of work still do be.
Trinity’s “interesting scheme” has forced the city to consider, for example, the underlying sewers that service the downtown core and run directly through the property, says Souchen.
“The sewers service a quarter of the city,” he notes. “They were built in the 60s but they last for centuries and if they do leak or need to be repaired we repair them by re-lining them from the inside — it’s making us think about this.”
In the meantime, Trinity is evaluating the cost of accommodating the sewer line, which will be “millions and millions,” according to Souchen.
Ideally, the city would like the development to be primarily residential and commercial due to the extensive office space that already exists in the area.
In order to accomplish this, Trinity is seeking air rights over the future rail line, possibly with an eye to building a structure above the O-Train tracks. Carleton University has already built a parking structure over the rail line at the north end of its campus, but the line was shut down at the time.
That would be more difficult to do with the new line, says Souchen.
But if Trinity, the city and local residents can work through the plan, the development will help revitalize the area.
“It would develop a new node to the city,” says Souchen. “They (Trinity) know it’s aggressive.”
Trinity purchased the land more than a year ago and hopes to have all of its preparatory work wrapped up sometime in 2017.
And while 900 Albert St. isn’t the only land in the area slated for redevelopment, it’s particularly important because of its proximity to LeBreton Flats and the Ottawa LRT intersection, says McKenney.
“This area will be undergoing quite a lot of change over the next few years.”
Another community information session will be held in April or May.