EDC | 78.2 m | 19 fl | Completed
 

NAME - EDC (New Headquarters)
HEIGHT - 78.2 meters
FLOORS - 19
STATUS - Completed
Location: 150 Slater 227 Laurier
Rendering:

http://www.broccolini.com/UploadedIm...dc3%20copy.jpg

Live Construction Cam: http://www.broccolini.com/150%20slater.html

Website: http://www.broccolini.com/Broccolini...?ProjectID=166

New EDC office tower plans filed
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Sep 15, 2008 12:00 AM EST

LEED Gold building could connect to future underground LRT station

Detailed site plans for Export Development Canada's new 19-storey headquarters at the corner of O'Connor and Slater streets have been filed with the city, as the Crown corporation finalizes its agreement with the build team led by Broccolini Construction and Canderel.

The new tower would contain 403,000 square feet of office space along with 14,000 square feet of other commercial space, according to background studies accompanying the site plan.

Beneath the building will be three floors of underground parking with 216 parking spaces. There will also be 150 indoor bicycle parking stations, contributing to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

And while insiders maintain a deal isn't done just yet, many in the development community add they expect one within the next several weeks.

A conceptual drawing of the tower shows a glass-plated surface rising from roughly the fourth floor of the building. Below, an overhang extends from the structure, separating the upper glass exterior from a mixed-window and solid-wall surface on the second and third floor.

The well-defined "podium" blends the lower section of the building with the streetscape, observed Rick MacEwen, a partner at Watson MacEwen Architects.

After viewing the site plans, Mr. MacEwen also observed the building's upper part is slightly pulled back from the lower podium and "articulated," containing small irregular setbacks in the floorplates.

"It reduces the apparent mass and bulk of the building and gives a little bit more breathing room to the street, so it's not a big box that simply comes crashing down into the sidewalk," he said.

"At first glance, this has a lot of admirable qualities to it ... This development for EDC looks to be a very promising addition to the city."

The development could also accommodate an underground pedestrian tunnel connecting the building to a future LRT system, according to a transportation impact study prepared by Novatech Engineering Consultants Ltd.

The site was previously identified as a potential station location by the Downtown Coalition, a transit lobby group of major city centre landowners who expressed interest earlier this year in entering a series of public-private partnerships with the city to develop downtown stations.

The proposed building will replace a 100-vehicle surface parking lot, three single-storey brick buildings, a two-storey brick building and a three-storey brick building.

Preparations are underway to demolish these existing low-rise structures. While city staff can issue demolition permits for four of the buildings, councillors on the city's planning and environment committee will have to approve the demolition of 115-119 O'Connor St. because it contains dwelling units, said city planner Julie Sarazin.

She said she expects a staff report will be brought to committee next month.

Broccolini Construction Ltd. project manager Anthony Broccolini said the site plans were submitted to the city in advance of a contract being signed as "part of our due diligence on the site." Ms. Sarazin said the site plan could be approved as early as next month, before the city and the developer enter into a site plan control agreement.

David Brouse, of Brouse Holdings, which owns the property, would not comment on the project's status.

EDC currently occupies 394,000 square feet in two neighbouring buildings at O'Connor and Gloucester streets, and has been looking to consolidate its operations in a single downtown location.

In addition to the site at O'Connor and Slater streets, sources told OBJ earlier this year that EDC's options included Great West Life's property, currently a parking garage next to the Bank of Montreal building on Laurier Avenue between O'Connor and Bank streets, a Brookfield site on the southeast corner of Kent and Queen streets, or the status quo.

Occupancy for the building is expected in 2011, according to background studies. With a final agreement imminent, an official announcement regarding EDC's new building is expected by the end of the month, said spokesperson Phil Taylor.

---

WHO'S INVOLVED

- Broccolini Construction Ltd.

- Canderel

Architect: Beique, Legault, Thuot Architects

Civil: Novatech Engineering Consultants Ltd.

Structural: Halsall Engineers Consultants

Mechanical/electrical/civil: Pageau Morel and Associates

LEED: Jacques Whitford

Landscaping architect: Gino J. Aiello

Looks much better than most buildings downtown.Will probably be the first building with LRT access.

Here's a pic of the site that I took last June..



Proposal looks nice.

That rendering looks awesome...

Very nice proposal and it will partially obstruct that terrible blank wall on the right side of the picture. They shouldn't be allowed to build those unless there is for sure gonna be another building right beside (of the propper height). They are a scar on our downtown: that ugly green one, The Lithwick, Pinnacle, giant grey piece of crap on Bank Street near Sparks....

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__7IAMP3

cash in lieu of parking application

here's the main city application page

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__6BLDR8

I think they originally tried, albeit w/o success, to get the parking shortfall approved by the Committee of Adjustment (Panel 1...not the easiest panel in the world to deal with) and it looks like on a jurisdictional issue, they told the applicants to go through a Cash in Lieu of Parking process (which costs more and takes longer).

The render looks a little shorter than 78m.

Although this is the kind of contemporary architecture our CBD desperately needs. The glass looks really nice also, I hope the developer isn't deceiving us.

Oh god! I'm having nightmares of the entire front face being covered in Claridge plaza teal cladding now!

In other news Laurier Computer has completely shifted out of their old building now (they are right next door at 219 Laurier) and I think I overheard them say it is scheduled for demolition shortly.

I think I just wet myself.

:(

EDC Ottawa
 

Don't get excited yet. There are still two tenants on site that have not vacated yet. Also with the economic downturn the Gov't agency budget could get cut next April putting the project on hold. EDC better hope funding is in place already because TB can backtrack.

Remember the Federal Court was promised a new building in front of the Supreme Court and the growing populous of MPs and staff was promised a new Parliament Precinct building at Bank St. on the Hill.

Good Luck.

Interesting design. If they're going to consolidate, are they moving out of the taller EDC building?

Any idea why they are only getting 19 floors in 78m? The Mondrian (Laurier/Bank) gets 24 floors in 73m. Are commercial floors that much taller (4m/fl) than residential ones (3m/fl)?

^ Yeah, that's largely the reason.

May as well post these links here (I know Waterloowarrior posted the main page already)

Site plan:

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...12-08-0149.PDF

Architectual Plan:

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...12-08-0149.PDF

EDC land deal closes for $18M
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Thu, Mar 5, 2009 9:00 AM EST

Click to Enlarge
Artist's conception of the proposed EDC headquarters and O'Connor and Slater streets. (Photo courtesy of the City of Ottawa)

Broccolini Construction has purchased the land to build Export Development Canada's new downtown headquarters at the corner of O'Connor and Slater streets from Brouse Holdings Inc. for $18 million, land registry records show.

The land was transferred to 150 Slater Street (Ottawa) Inc., which is associated with Broccolini Construction.

Site plans filed with the city show Broccolini is planning to build a 19-storey, 403,000-square-foot office tower for the Crown corporation, which currently occupies 394,000 square feet in two neighbouring buildings at O'Connor and Gloucester streets.

There was a $268,475 provincial land transfer tax levied on the sale, the records show.

Broccolini Construction was installing a Mobile Home (site office) for construction early this week. Are we close to starting demolition???

Pile of rubble shot on my cellphone from a moving bus this morning. Looks like this one's actually gonna happen despite economic turmoil :tup:. Though I can't believe that they tore down the nicest building of the bunch (see Harls' pic above). It looks from the rendering like all of them will go eventually and the new tower will abut (and obscure) that god awful unfinished facade.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5553/0504091406.jpg

Whoa.. I didn't think they'd be moving so fast on this!