A development company is one step closer to giving Ottawa and Gatineau an actual waterfront.
Windmill Development Group has filed its re-zoning applications to rehabilitate and develop the old Domtar lands on Chaudiere and Albert Islands on the Ottawa River. The 37-acre property includes access to historic Chaudiere Falls, which has essentially been closed off to the public for decades.
“Think of this as an urban infill mixed-use community full of waterfront restaurants, residential, public squares,” says Windmill’s Jonathan Westeinde
The plans includes multi-dwelling homes for around 35-hundred residents, along with up to 200-thousand square feet of retail space, and up to 400-thousand square feet of commercial space. Some of the sites historic buildings will be preserved and incorporated into the design. “The majority of our buildings are 4-6 stories with some selective high-rises which can range anywhere from 15 on the Ontario side to 20 plus on the Gatineau side,” says Westeinde.
It’s estimated the project will cost around a billion dollars and take ten to fifteen years to complete.
The company is also touting the project as one of the most sustainable developments in the world, hoping to qualify for something called “One Planet Community” status.
That’s good news for Meredith Brown of Ottawa Riverkeepers. She is concerned that any development take into account the river’s environmental, and cultural significance. “There's nothing more important than preserving the ecological integrity of the river. And that cultural and heritage value is incredibly important as well,” says Brown.
That said, she’s hopeful that anything Windmill can do will be an improvement over the shuttered, contaminated site it is today.
Jonathan Westeinde says that, with the filing of their applications, his group will trigger lengthy consultation processes on both sides of the river.
