Mattamy Homes has signed on to become the next builder at Wateridge Village. Breaking new ground – both literally and figuratively – the company will be making its first foray into urban Ottawa and will offer a mix of housing types that include six-storey condos.
As one of Ottawa’s largest builders, Toronto-based Mattamy is primarily known as a low-rise suburban builder, although the company acquired a lot of high-rise expertise when it purchased Monarch Homes in 2014.
Acknowledging in a release that the move is a way of diversifying itself, Ottawa president Kevin O’Shea said Mattamy was “looking forward to the opportunities this will create for the company to venture into more infill opportunities.”
Various builders involved
Wateridge Village is the redevelopment of the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe, which is about five kilometres from Parliament Hill near St. Laurent Boulevard and Montreal Road. The land is owned by the federal government and its real estate development arm, Canada Lands Company (CLC), is overseeing the project and selling off slices in stages to various builders.
There are strict guidelines that govern what can be built and how, with an overriding theme of providing a transit-friendly village within the city where residents can live, work, and play all in the same space. The mixed-use community will eventually see about 9,500 residents and 5,300 homes, along with a commercial core, lots of green space and other amenities on its 310 acres.
The nearly 14 acres that Mattamy has purchased represent the second round of land sales. The first, known as Phase 1A, was roughly 50 acres sold to builders Uniform Urban Developments, Claridge Homes and Tartan Homes. They launched a lower-density mix of 214 townhomes, semis and single-family homes in November.
A map of the development phases shows the four blocks Mattamy will build in blue, as well as the area already under construction, bottom towards left.
“We’ve got some very good response. People are excited about the project,” says Jean Lachance, CLC’s senior director of real estate. “In Phase 1A, it was singles, semis and towns, and some people have been asking for condos and some smaller product. So, I think what Mattamy brings to the table will be able to meet some of that demand as well.”
Mattamy is the only builder so far in this higher-density second round, which is referred to as Phase 1B. The company has four separate chunks of land and plans to build about 650 units over the next five years that will include rear-lane townhomes, stacked towns and the six-storey mid-rise construction.
Phase 1B will include additional blocks of land that builders can buy for development later, but the land is unlikely to be available for at least another year, says Lachance.
Expect new designs
It’s a safe bet that there will be new designs and floor plans from Mattamy, given that the housing types include ones not previously offered in Ottawa, although Mattamy declined an interview request to confirm. Designs have not yet been submitted to CLC for approval and Mattamy doesn’t expect to open its sales centre until next spring. First occupancies are not anticipated until spring 2019.
In the meantime, Uniform, Claridge and Tartan are still selling and CLC expects to have two of the development’s 10 parks and parkettes finished this year.
CLC says it will continue to update its website with additional information as it’s available.
Related
Wateridge Village development profile
