Windmill Group Unveils Sustainable Master-Plan for Ottawa
By Penny on Apr 30, 2014
Known for their visionary green building practices, The Windmill Group (Windmill) submitted rezoning applications to the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau for the former Domtar lands.
Windmill claims the project will be the “world’s most sustainable community.” Planned for a former post-industrial waterfront property, Windmill will spend the next 15 years developing homes for more than 3,500 people in apartments, condos and townhomes. In the plans for the 37-acre site, there will also be several parks, a hotel, retail, restaurants and loft-style offices in “innovation hubs.”
“This is a milestone for us to be able to formally talk about our plans,” said Jonathan Westeinde, managing partner of Windmill.
“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.”
What is most exciting about this development is that it would provide residents and tourists with an incredible view of the breathtaking Chaudiere Falls, which were previously hidden behind industrial buildings. Over a century ago, these falls were the second most-popular tourist attraction in Ontario and were considered a sacred site to the Algonquin people. Restoring the value of the Chaudiere Falls by building viewing platforms on patios and restaurants of the streets that trickle down the stone heritage buildings, developers are confident that this new community will be a colossal success.
The applications submitted on Tuesday aim to gain approval to rezone the site from industrial to mixed use. Until then, Windmill will not purchase the site from Domtar. Supporters emphasize Windmill’s reputation in the community as builders who focus on sustainability in terms of water, air, energy and waste management, generating over 3,500 new job opportunities if this application is approved.
The presentation also unveiled drawings and a master-plan for the development, which highlighted many of the environmentally conscious features they promote, like transportation routes that prioritize cyclists and pedestrians over cars. Windmill also revealed soft plans for creating their own site-based public transit shuttle that would facilitate access between Ottawa and Gatineau with buses along the Chaudiere Bridge.
In accordance with the international “One Planet Community” guidelines, which promote zero carbon footprint, zero waste, convenient transit, and use quality materials, this community, according to the representatives at Windmill, “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.”
Though none of this is for certain yet, we hope to see the applications gain approval, making this incredible community possible!
Images via windmilldevelopments.com
