NCC reveals preferred bidder for LeBreton Flats 'library parcel'
The National Capital Commission has revealed its preferred bidder for the next step in the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats.
Dream LeBreton, a group led by Dream real estate company, which is overseeing the nearby Zibi development, has won the chance to redevelop the so-called ‘library parcel’ of land west of downtown.
The 1.1-hectare space at 655 Albert Street is immediately west of Ottawa’s planned central library and is the first step in redeveloping LeBreton Flats under the NCC’s new master plan for the land, which has sat empty for decades.
“This team has gone beyond our expectations in their innovative, thorough, and highly integrated proposal,” Katie Paris, the NCC’s director of the LeBreton Flats redevelopment project, told the commission’s board of directors on Thursday.
“Dream’s Library parcel development plan is very exciting as a first phase of developing LeBreton.”
The Dream proposal includes 601 residential units for the site in two towers of 30 and 35 storeys, each with a separate four-storey terrace podium. The housing will range from studios to three-bedroom units.
Forty-one percent of the units—247 of them—will be affordable housing, exceeding the 30 per cent minimum the NCC set in its request for proposal. And 31 per cent will meet or exceed accessibility standards and be barrier-free.
Multifaith Housing Initiative, a non-profit affordable housing developer, will own 130 of the units. The proposal also includes an Algonquin Nation benefits plan.
The Dream LeBreton design team is led by KPMB Architects and Perkins & Will, supported by Two Row Architect and Purpose Building, with PFS Studio as the landscape architect, EllisDon as the construction manager and Innovation Seven as the Indigenous engagement consultant.
The Dream LeBreton proposal beat out two other groups, one led by Windmill Developments and the other by Trinity Development Group.
The NCC is using a phased approach to redevelop LeBreton Flats after a joint bid from Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and Trinity Developments fell apart amid legal acrimony.
In October, the NCC launched a request for expressions of interest for two parcels of land farther west, which the commission hopes will feature major attractions.
Paris said the NCC would be open to a possible NHL arena on that site. Those proponents are being asked to submit ideas by the end of next month.
The new central library, a joint project between the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada, is set to open in mid-2026. A city report in October revealed the project was $131 million over budget due to rising construction costs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.