TCU Development Corp. says it aims to break ground early next year on Soul, a 21-storey highrise on the northeast corner of Ogilvie Road and Cummings Avenue that will include about 280 rental suites.
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An Ottawa developer is set to launch construction on a proposed rental apartment complex on the former site of a popular Chinese restaurant in Gloucester as its pipeline of projects in the neighbourhood continues to grow.
TCU Development Corp. says it aims to break ground early next year on Soul, a 21-storey highrise on the northeast corner of Ogilvie Road and Cummings Avenue that will include about 280 rental suites.
The firm has the green light to build up to 30 storeys on the property, which is currently home to a strip mall that includes the former Mandarin Ogilvie restaurant, a popular eatery that ended its 36-year run in 2024. The plaza will be demolished to make way for the new development.
TCU’s original proposal called for a 24-storey tower on the site. The firm’s director of asset management, Stefania Parnanzone, told OBJ Wednesday the decision to reduce the building's height was "a strategic one" aimed at making the design as efficient as possible.
“Construction costs have begun to ease since the peaks we saw during COVID, creating a more stable environment for project planning," Parnanzone said.
The company is also revising other elements of its original plan, which proposed about 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
The updated proposal now includes a mix of public and private space on the ground floor. The plan calls for a cafe or quick-service restaurant to occupy about 1,500 square feet, with about 1,200 square feet set aside for co-working space.
Other amenities include a lounge, fitness centre and four “personal service hubs” – small, private offices that would be rented to solo entrepreneurs, Parnanzone explained.
“I don’t think that work from home is really going anywhere,” she added. “Although the government and a lot of the private sector are calling their employees back to work, I think there is always going to be some manner of that hybrid, work-from-home option. We want to make sure that we’re accommodating that in the building’s design.”
The proposed development also includes two levels of underground parking as well as a ground-level lot that will feature EV charging stations.
Parnanzone said the exact number of parking spaces is still “in flux,” but will likely be in the 100 to 120 range – fewer than the 186 spots proposed in the original plan. She said the company is looking at partnering with a car-sharing service to cater to residents who don’t own cars.
Pomerleau will construct the highrise, which is being designed by Roderick Lahey Architects and Toronto-based interior design firm U31. TCU is aiming to have the project ready for occupancy by 2028.
The Ogilvie Road building is one of several multi-residential construction projects in TCU’s current pipeline.
Across the street at 1188 Cumming Ave., the firm is poised to start leasing a six-storey, 188-unit rental building that’s expected to be ready for occupancy in February. TCU is also targeting a February move-in date for tenants at a six-floor, 100-unit mixed-use development at nearby 300 Tremblay Rd.
The company has also just completed leasing up a six-storey, 117-unit multi-family development at 1155 Joseph Cyr St., just east of the St. Laurent Shopping Centre.
Meanwhile, TCU has purchased the property at 1151 Ogilvie Rd., next door to the Soul project. The firm plans to redevelop the site, which is currently occupied by a vacant restaurant building, with two towers of 20 to 24 storeys and a total of about 300 rental units.
“We’ll assess the market and decide when we're going to move forward on breaking ground there,” Parnanzone said.
“There have been several new purpose-built rental completions in recent months, but that level of activity is expected to ease moving forward. It positions our projects well as demand continues to remain strong."
