Windmill Development Group chose Earth Day to submit rezoning applications to the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau for the former Domtar lands, a step toward developing what the company is calling the “world’s most sustainable community” on the post-industrial waterfront property.

The billion-dollar project, if approved by various levels of government, would eventually be home to about 3,500 people in apartments, condos and townhouses, as well as numerous parks, a hotel, stores, restaurants and loft-style offices in “innovation hubs.” Windmill anticipates another 3,500 people would work on the site. The project is expected to take about 15 years to complete.

The development would, for the first time in a century, give the public a close look at the spectacular Chaudière Falls, which have long been locked behind closed gates and industrial buildings. The falls, considered sacred to the Algonquin people, were at one time the second most-popular tourist site in Ontario, after Niagara Falls. Windmill has plans to build a viewing platform at their edge with patios and restaurants located in nearby stone heritage buildings.

Windmill officials opened parts of the 37-acre site to the media Tuesday for a tour.

“This is a milestone for us to be able to formally talk about our plans,” said Jonathan Westeinde, managing partner of Windmill Development Group, who led reporters to the roof of a former warehouse to view the fog-shrouded site.

“We plan to bring new life and energy to this once-bustling heart of industry, and to do it through historically and environmentally sensitive redevelopment,” said managing partner Rodney Wilts. “This should become one more big tourist destination.”

Windmill has not yet purchased the site. Its deal to buy the land from Domtar is contingent on successful zoning approvals.

Tuesday’s applications were to rezone the property from industrial to mixed use. Each building would require further review.

Ottawa councillor Peter Hume, who chairs the city’s planning committee, said there are hurdles to be overcome before the project becomes a reality. But it is an exciting concept, he said, “and one that will ensure we bring some life back to a former industrial site.”

The focus of attention now, Hume said, should be on how the project integrates into the urban fabric of Ottawa and Gatineau.

“It is one of the few sites that you would say, if we get it wrong, it is catastrophic.”

Hume said access to the water and flow of transportation around the project are important, and so is design.

“This is where we can really aspire to great urban design and great public access.”

He said Windmill has a track record of sustainable, interesting urban development, but said there is a role for the City of Ottawa in making sure the project is a success. “We need to step up and take leadership and say this is an important site.”

Windmill also released drawings and a master plan for the proposed development. The construction will make use of heritage buildings on the site, Windmill says, and, once finished, will give priority to pedestrians and cyclists over cars. The company also suggests it might develop its own site-based public transit in the form of a shuttle, although both Ottawa and Gatineau buses run along the Chaudière Bridge.

“The redeveloped lands will feature a mix of uses in a compact form, integrating existing heritage resources where possible and emphasizing sustainable and active transportation through a network of shared streets that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists over automobiles,” according to the project summary.

The project will be built using “One Planet Community” guidelines which call for zero carbon footprint, zero waste, sustainable transit and sustainable materials.

The project, according to the project summary, “will be built on a strategy of ecological urbanism which can be defined as the rethinking and restructuring of the built environment in response to and in collaboration with the natural environment.”

Windmill says an uninterrupted series of cycling routes will give bicycles access to the entire site. A pedestrian and cycling bridge will connect the development with the Canadian War Museum.

The project will also borrow the Dutch concept of woonerfs, streets that give pedestrians priority over cars, as well as public plazas and squares. In addition to being pedestrian friendly, the streets on site would be narrower than average city streets to give the property a European feel.

And Wilts said Windmill would like Chaudière Bridge, which is federally owned, to become pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly to act as the main access to the site.

Windmill says it plans to do on the former Domtar lands what local officials have long talked about — making both cities’ waterfronts more accessible and vibrant.

“Creating new riverfronts that have not been publicly accessible for generations will create new and vibrant waterfronts for both Ottawa and Gatineau.”

Proposals include “a wide selection” of waterfront food and beverage offerings, accessible waterfront and public gathering spaces with a view of the water, as well as views of Ottawa landmarks.

The property, especially the falls, is considered of significance to First Nations. Windmill has had discussions with Algonquins of Ontario and Kitigan Zibi about the project and says it is committed to initiatives including a First Nations route through the site, interpretive signage, “themed places” and areas of contemplation. It is not clear whether there has been agreement among Algonquins to work with Windmill. But officials say they were told they were the first private developer to ever engage in discussions with Algonquins about a development.

The project has received warm reviews from many observers, but there a numerous hurdles before work can begin, including site remediation and zoning. The city straddles the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau as well as federal and National Capital Commission lands, which makes zoning potentially complex, but both cities and the NCC co-ordinated the “first-ever” joint design review panel, consisting of design expertise from across the country, to look at early plans.

“This project appears to have captured the hearts and imagination of the community,” said Westeinde. He said the current plans will be a “springboard” for further consultation and public engagement. “None of this is final yet.”

MTBA have been retained as special consultants for heritage and planning  on Windmill’s team for the Isles project.

Article author:  Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen

Image Source:  Windmill Developments

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