Developer Turn Group plans to include various types of residential units, medical offices, and a grocery store in its new project at 299 Carling Ave. near Dow’s Lake.
Turn Group, which has offices in Ottawa and Calgary, is proposing a four-tower mixed-use development on the three-acre parcel east of Preston Street that’s currently occupied by a parking lot. Ranging from 13 to 30 storeys, the towers would include 750 residential units and 600,000 square feet of mixed-use space that would include commercial and retail uses, including a grocery store.
With an influx of development in the area, Turn Group CEO Ash Mahmoud said he wanted to set the project apart by designating space for private medical facilities and offices.
“It’s a very common, known model, when you have a hospital,” he said. “You can have things like X-ray specialists and other specialized doctors. They have to be close to the hospital, either because they work there or they have clients there.”
The three-acre parcel was previously owned by Canada Lands Company (CLC), a Crown corporation specializing in real estate and development. Under its ownership, the site was approved for a three-tower redevelopment project that would have featured approximately 600 residential units.
According to Mahmoud, the project came to Turn Group’s attention while the firm was in the bidding process for a separate CLC development. Mahmoud said it was a “quick decision” to take over ownership, but he felt he could draft a new plan to better suit Little Italy’s evolving landscape.
“The concept that was approved, it didn’t make sense for us,” he said. “The initial plan was to do rental apartments. But when we looked at the development, we found that it’s pretty close to the new (Ottawa Hospital) Civic campus. We are 600 metres away, so we thought, this is something we need to capitalize on.”
In addition to designating space for private medical facilities, Mahmoud said the development will include a more diverse tenant mix that will benefit from the project’s amenities and location.
While most units will be designated for typical rental housing, about one-quarter will be dedicated to independent senior living. The project also maintains a previously established agreement with the Algonquins of Ontario to create a certain number of affordable units.
Altogether, Mahmoud said the project’s commercial and tenant mix will tap into several demographics where demand is high.
“The way we look at it is to diversify the product, make it less risky,” Mahmoud said.
“The medical industry is very stable, so it’s not an area where businesses go up and down. All of us need to go to the doctor. And, of course, senior housing is its own kind of stability, and (there is a shortage of) affordable housing. So we have components of all typical market rentals in this project.”