Echo Drive redevelopment plan delayed past Ottawa election

OTTAWA · A controversial proposal to replace a four-storey apartment building in Old Ottawa East with a taller structure has been delayed and will not be considered by the city's planning committee until after the Oct. 26 municipal election. The plan for 441-443 Echo Dr., located at the eastern end of the Flora Footbridge overlooking the Rideau Canal, calls for demolishing the current building and constructing a six-storey one with three levels of underground parking. The project was originally expected to go to the planning committee on Sept. 2, but the developer has postponed its bid for approval. The delay leaves many tenants and community members uncertain about the future of the neighbourhood.

The proposal challenges the city's zoning bylaw, which sets a maximum height of 14.5 metres for the area. The new structure would be 19.5 metres tall. "The zoning bylaw in the official plan provides for very carefully thought-out rules in the city," said Anthony Leaning, chair of the Old Ottawa East Community Association's planning committee. "Here we have a case where a developer is going to try their luck," Leaning said, referring to the proposal for a bylaw exemption from JBHoldings Inc. He said while the project could help grow the area's population, the city's zoning regulations cannot be ignored.

John Bassi, president of JBHoldings Inc., met with Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard, who is seeking re-election, and the company decided to postpone its planning approval bid. Neither Bassi nor Menard could be reached for comment. Allison Pilon, a tenant of 441 Echo Dr. for almost four years, said she is confused by the timing of the proposal. "I get that they want to increase the density in the urban area," Pilon said. "There's lots of other places to renovate." She started an online petition against the redevelopment five months ago to advocate for her friends and neighbours.

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Pilon said a lack of communication from the city and developers about when construction might begin has residents on edge. "There are people who've lived in this building for 30 or 40 years who are going to have no place to go," she said. She shares a unit with her son, who has autism, and said some tenants might struggle to find affordable rent elsewhere if the project is approved. "I think for the most part, people are waiting to see what happens," Pilon said. "Even once they get it through, they have to end up filing their permits and give us notice and all that before they actually bring the wrecking ball."

At a recent Rogers TV debate for Capital Ward, Menard addressed what he called the Echo Drive "demoviction" plan, a term referring to the eviction of tenants from a building facing demolition. "Governments have been tripping over themselves to give more and more tax breaks to large development corporations, which is doing actually nothing to increase our affordability," Menard said. Jaac Doduck, a candidate for councillor in Capital Ward, criticized the city's methods in an email. "The biggest weight the city should be comparing across is whether the infrastructure of a neighbourhood can support the infill development," Doduck wrote.

Doduck added that while he generally supports building tall, he is aware of the demoviction issues with this project and would likely not support it until those concerns are met. Leaning said city planners are aware of affordability issues with new housing developments but are not writing solutions into their official plans and bylaws. "The developers are using the housing crisis as a reason for all sorts of things these days," Leaning said. "It's a very convenient argument to make." Echo Drive is not the first proposal to challenge Ottawa's zoning laws, as local developers have sought exceptions at multiple locations in recent years.

With files from Capital Current