Construction has started on a 37-storey mixed-use rental tower at 1047 Richmond Rd. in Westboro, a project its developers say will add 425 homes to one of Ottawa's most sought-after neighbourhoods.
Fengate Asset Management officially broke ground on West Orchard Urban Rentals earlier this month. The tower is the first phase of a larger plan, with a second residential building now being designed for a second phase.
The project is being built by the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada in partnership with Fengate and The Hi-Rise Group. It is the partners' third residential community in Ottawa, following Milieu at 175 Main St. and Ballantyne at 1140 Wellington St. W.
"LiUNA is proud to continue investing in Ottawa and delivering the housing Canadians need," Joseph Mancinelli, chair of the pension fund and LiUNA's regional manager for Central and Eastern Canada, said at the groundbreaking.
What the building will include
The development will offer a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom suites along with select townhomes. Fifteen units are designated as affordable housing.
Amenities are set to include a fitness centre, yoga studio, coworking and social lounge space, a sports theatre, a kid zone, private dining areas and a penthouse sky lounge, with ground-floor retail at the base of the building. The project is targeting LEED certification and will include roughly 1,000 square metres of new public park space.
"Residents will have access to a full suite of amenities including a fitness centre, yoga studio, coworking and social lounge space, sports theatre, kid zone, private dining areas and a penthouse sky lounge, accompanied by ground-floor retail," Fengate said in a press release on the groundbreaking ceremony.
Transit and location
The site sits near a network of bus routes and the future New Orchard LRT station, which is projected to open in 2027. Its location near the Ottawa River also puts residents close to trails, bike paths and public green space, according to the developer.
"West Orchard Urban Rentals reflects Fengate's confidence in Ottawa and the strength of its rental housing market," Fengate president Jaime McKenna said in the release. "As our third residential community in the city, this project builds on our established presence while reinforcing our long-term commitment to delivering high-quality rental communities in well-connected neighbourhoods."
Fengate and the LiUNA pension fund bought the Richmond Road property in March 2022 and initially sought rezoning for three towers with up to 1,300 units. The current plan calls for two towers.
Bigger pipeline
The Westboro project will fall under Fengate Communities, a brand the company launched this April to bring its multiresidential properties under one name. Fengate manages more than 25,000 units slated for delivery over the next decade.
"Fengate brings institutional investment management, development execution, and asset stewardship; LiUNA brings long-term capital with a clear mandate and alignment to job creation and building communities," Carolyn Poirier, vice-president of sales, leasing and marketing at Fengate Real Estate, told RENX.
She said the partnership has kept the company's development pipeline moving despite a challenging market, and that the projects create union labour hours for LiUNA members while providing stable returns to the pension plan.
"It's a fully aligned, cyclical model, with both LiUNA and Fengate invested in delivering projects that support member livelihoods and long-term value creation," Poirier told RENX.
