The redevelopment of Tunney’s Pasture offers to transform its 49 acres of mostly federal office space into a refreshed urban neighbourhood with thousands of new residential units.
The project made headway at the beginning of September when the City of Ottawa received a Plan of Subdivision application. Broadly, the application is a suggested layout for the new neighbourhood.
The plan supports a proposed 7,000 to 9,000 residential units, 93,000 square meters of office space and 8,000 square meters for commercial use as well as five mixed use blocks, four open space blocks, one transit block and eighteen public roads.
It’s a change toward modern urbanization in what has historically been a one-dimensional federal office centre, according to Kitchissippi Ward Coun. Jeff Leiper.
“You don’t see a lot of office campuses being built anymore,” Leiper said. “The thrust of 21st century planning is towards mixed use.”
Since it was approved by the National Capital Commission in 2014, the Tunney’s Pasture Master Plan has looked to redevelop the area into a vibrant, mixed use neighbourhood. For Leiper it’s a welcome change of direction.
“I think I share a lot of residents’ excitement about the potential to put this campus to good use as a mixed-use dense residential neighbourhood with commercial and office uses that is immediately adjacent to LRT and immediately adjacent to excellent cycling infrastructure and immediately adjacent to amazing green space,” Leiper said.
The redevelopment plan’s modern vision will be supported by Ottawa’s expanding transit network, which aims to have 77 per cent of Ottawa residents within five kilometers of the O-Train light rail. While Tunney’s Pasture is the end of the line for the LRT’s confederation line today, this means the redeveloped neighbourhood will be far more accessible by public transit.
“By the time there are shovels in the ground on any of the buildings here, the LRT is going to extend to at least Moodie from Trim,” Leiper said.
Today, Tunney’s Pasture is home to around 12,000 federal employees across a vast campus of office buildings, at least from nine to five. Those workers are supported by few businesses throughout the work day, but there’s currently little need for local goods and services beyond supporting workers on lunch break.
While the number of federal workers will reduce with less office space, the new plan to add thousands of residential units is an opportunity for new businesses to support residents full time. That’s a big addition in a ward of just under 50,000 people and will create a need for businesses, grocery stores and amenities to support a full mixed use neighbourhood.
“I absolutely believe that the development of Tunney’s pasture for thousands of new residences is going to create both economic and cultural vibrancy,” Leiper said. “Adding more people just means more demand for shops and services.”
The City of Ottawa is set to make a decision on the proposed subdivision layout by Oct. 24.