535 Legget Dr, Kanata [Office conversion] | 11f | U/C

[rocketphish]

KRP Properties converting Kanata North office tower to residential units

David Sali, OBJ
June 5, 2024 1:52 PM ET



KRP Properties plans to convert a 10-storey office building near the Brookstreet Hotel into a residential complex as the firm tries to diversify its portfolio amid the ongoing shift to hybrid work. Kanata’s largest property manager says it has informed tenants of the tower at 535 Legget Dr. that the 140,669-square-foot building will be turned into rental apartments in the near future.

In a news release this week, the company says it is “looking at getting ahead of the curve” as the office-to-residential conversion trend gains momentum in the wake of the widespread move to remote and hybrid work during the pandemic. “This new residential tower would add essential inventory to the residential shortage in Kanata North and also offer an opportunity for companies looking to bring employees closer to office, and looking to attract domestic and international talent,” KRP said, adding the property “will soon undergo a refit to convert into an upscale residential apartment complex.” Officially known as Tower C, the building opened in 2000 and is the newest of three office highrises at 535 Legget Dr. in the heart of the Kanata North tech park.

The company said this week the building has a vacancy rate of 21 per cent.

KRP would not disclose the current tenant list, citing confidentiality agreements. The tower’s past tenants included fast-growing software firm Solace, which previously occupied several floors in the building before relocating to nearby 4000 Innovation Dr. earlier this year. In an email to OBJ on Tuesday, KRP spokesperson Jeremy Pimenta said the timeline for the project would be “revealed shortly.”

Pimenta said the tower’s “excellent location” near the Brookstreet Hotel and The Marshes Golf Club as well as its proximity to public transit, the Queensway and amenities such as shopping centres and grocery stores make it a viable candidate for conversion. He cited office downsizing in the wake of the pandemic as well as the “rising need for residential inventory in Kanata North” and the growing push for tech companies to offer “residential experiences close to office” as key factors in the property management firm’s decision to redevelop the building. KRP, which manages more than three million square feet of real estate in Kanata, is the latest Ottawa property owner that is opting to repurpose underused office space as apartments. Half a dozen such projects have been launched in the past year – most of them in the downtown core, where office vacancy rates have soared since the COVID-19 crisis.

KRP’s plan is the second conversion announced for a suburban property this spring. In April, Gatineau-based Devcore Group said it will redevelop most of a 230,000-square-foot office complex on Telesat Court in Ottawa’s east end into loft-style studio apartments. The Legget Drive project will be the first of its kind in Kanata North, which has traditionally not featured much residential development.

That’s changing, however.

Just a few blocks west of Legget Drive, telecom giant Nokia is preparing to tear down its existing campus on March Road and replace it with a new 500,000-square-foot office and R&D hub and as many as 11 residential highrises. Meanwhile, several developers are also planning to add more housing density to the neighbourhood, a trend that has accelerated since the City of Ottawa adopted a new Official Plan two years ago that allows for greater density along major corridors such as March Road and eliminates rules that require a certain percentage of dwelling types on such properties. Gatineau-based Brigil, for example, is ramping up a plan to build more than 1,900 residential units on 50 acres of land northwest of The Marshes Golf Club on March Road.

In addition, Toronto’s Main and Main Developments wants to transform a 13.6-acre site at the corner of March Road and Terry Fox Drive into a cluster of mid- and highrise buildings that would include more than 2,000 residential suites. Asked if KRP plans to convert any other office properties to residential use, Pimenta said the company would reveal more details about its long-term strategy “shortly.”

https://obj.ca/krp-properties-to-convert-kanata-north-tower-to-residential/

[J.OT13]

Wouldn't have thought that tower was a good candidate for conversion. Hoping they can redevelop some of the surface parking as well. Kind of sad the Nokia Building, the best looking of the bunch, will come down, while this suburban snoozer will stay. Hopefully comes with a good reclad.

[rocketphish]

KRP Properties is proposing a project at 535 Legget Drive which involves the conversion of an existing 11-story office building into a residential apartment complex, consisting of 115 rental units. A 400m2 portion of the ground floor will be retained as office use.

New vehicular and pedestrian accesses will be provided from Legget Drive. 108 car parking spaces will be provided. A total of 95 bicycles spaces will be provided, of which 89 will be in the basement and six near the building entry.

Several changes will be made to the existing building, the key external ones being a new residential entry at the southwest corner (the existing entry on the north side will be retained to access the office space and recladding including Juliette balconies. A new ground level canopy will be added. The back of house and move in/out loading space at the rear of the building will also be re-arranged. A connection to the Brookstreet Hotel will be provided and the facilities of the Brookstreet Hotel will be available to residents.

Architect: NEUF Architects


Development application:
https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D02-02-24-0058/details

Location:




Plans:








Renderings:






Before & After:

[Richard Eade]

I guess that Marvell Tech must have consolidated its Kanata-North operations at 340 Legget (Rianta's old digs).

[Marshsparrow]

No balconies... ouch.

What happened to the other tower proposal adjacet to Brookstreet?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

No balconies... ouch.

What happened to the other tower proposal adjacet to Brookstreet?

I can't recall a single conversion (at least in Ottawa) where they added true balconies. I think they added doors to a railing at Trebla.

[Richard Eade]

The text description mentions Juliet Balconies (basically a door leading to a railing) - but they do not appear to be depicted in the rendering.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

The text description mentions Juliet Balconies (basically a door leading to a railing) - but they do not appear to be depicted in the rendering.

We see them in the floor plans. I think the split windows in the renderings are the Juliette balconies. Really just big opening windows with a non-opening window on the bottom third.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

The text description mentions Juliet Balconies (basically a door leading to a railing) - but they do not appear to be depicted in the rendering.

Might these be glass panels, acting as Juliet balcony railings? I can see what appears to be a door frame continuing to the floor behind it.

[905er]

that's going to make for one ugly neighbourhood for residents. this doesn't make much sense to me.

[Richard Eade]

I think that you are correct about the glass panels being the balcony 'railings'. Good spotting for those who saw them. Better than my eyes. Thanks for pointing that out. I was looking for conventional railings. My error.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

I think that you are correct about the glass panels being the balcony 'railings'. Good spotting for those who saw them. Better than my eyes. Thanks for pointing that out. I was looking for conventional railings. My error.

No worries. Might be a good thing that it's not easily perceived.

[Marshsparrow]

Originally Posted by 905er

that's going to make for one ugly neighbourhood for residents. this doesn't make much sense to me.

A Burger King within walking distance - score!

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by 905er

that's going to make for one ugly neighbourhood for residents. this doesn't make much sense to me.

Directly across the street would be the new Nokia development. Not sure how its much different that residential and offices co-existing downtown...I'd also assume its the first of a few (they have 4 buildings that are this design)

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

Directly across the street would be the new Nokia development. Not sure how its much different that residential and offices co-existing downtown...I'd also assume its the first of a few (they have 4 buildings that are this design)

I'd say the continued existence of surface parking lots. Sure they'll be fewer than today, but far more than Downtown or any other urban neighbourhood (in Ottawa).

[rocketphish]

Wesley Clover unveils details of office-to-residential conversion project in Kanata North

David Sali, OBJ
March 10, 2025

An office building in Kanata that is slated to be converted into a residential complex will include a direct connection to the nearby Brookstreet Hotel so tenants can use the resort’s amenities, new documents show. In a site plan application recently filed with the city, Wesley Clover International, which owns the hotel, The Marshes Golf Club and the adjoining office property at 535 Legget Dr., says the repurposed 11-storey tower will contain 115 rental apartments and about 4,300 square feet of ground-floor office space. The plan calls for several changes to the existing building, including a new entrance for residents at the southwest corner. In addition, the tower will be recladded and Juliette balconies will be added. Residents will also gain access to facilities at the Brookstreet, which is located just east of the office tower, and the adjoining golf club.

“A connection to the Brookstreet Hotel will be provided and the facilities of the Brookstreet Hotel will be available to residents,” the document says. “These include restaurants, fitness facilities, spa, golf course and meeting and event spaces.”

The property will include parking spaces for 108 vehicles, with 85 reserved for residents and 23 for visitors. Wesley Clover says “new vehicular and pedestrian accesses” to Legget Drive will be created to make it easier for tenants and visitors to enter and exit the property. The office building is currently accessed via 555 Legget Dr., “and the intention is to visually and functionally separate the residential building from neighbouring office buildings,” the site plan document explains. Wesley Clover says the proposed development will bring new residents to Kanata North. It says its plan “supports the objectives of 15-minute neighbourhoods by providing additional housing near parks and greenspaces, active transportation routes and future bus rapid transit services.” The current proposal does not include a retail component. Noting there is already a “small commercial cluster” next door at 555 Legget Dr., Wesley Clover says the new residential complex will also be served by more than 20,000 square feet of new retail space that’s expected to be built just a stone’s-throw to the west at 570 March Rd. in Nokia’s renovated office and R&D campus. KRP Properties, which manages the office tower, announced the plan to turn the 140,669-square-foot building into an apartment complex last year.

The company said it is “looking at getting ahead of the curve” as the office-to-residential conversion trend gains momentum in the wake of the widespread move to remote and hybrid work during the pandemic. Officially known as Tower C, the building opened in 2000 and is the newest of three office highrises at 535 Legget Dr. in the heart of the Kanata North tech park. As of last June, the building had a vacancy rate of 21 per cent. KRP would not disclose the building’s tenants to OBJ last year, citing confidentiality agreements. Past occupants included fast-growing software firm Solace, which previously occupied several floors in the building before relocating to nearby 4000 Innovation Dr. early in 2024.

Wesley Clover is just the latest Ottawa property owner that is opting to repurpose underused office space as apartments. Half a dozen such projects have been launched in the past two years – most of them in the downtown core, where office vacancy rates have soared since the COVID-19 crisis. The Kanata project is the second office-to-residential conversion announced for a suburban property in Ottawa. Last April, Gatineau-based Devcore Group said it will redevelop most of a 230,000-square-foot office complex on Telesat Court in Ottawa’s east end into loft-style studio apartments. The Legget Drive conversion will be the first of its kind in Kanata North, which has traditionally not featured much residential development. That’s changing, however. Nokia, for example, is planning to eventually tear down its current office tower at 600 March Rd., just north of its new R&D campus, and replace it with apartment buildings, Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry told OBJ in December. Meanwhile, several developers are also planning to add more housing density to the neighbourhood, a trend that has accelerated since the City of Ottawa adopted a new Official Plan two years ago that allows for greater density along major corridors such as March Road and eliminates rules that require a certain percentage of dwelling types on such properties. Gatineau-based Brigil is ramping up a plan to build more than 1,900 residential units on 50 acres of land northwest of The Marshes Golf Club on March Road. In addition, Toronto’s Main and Main Developments wants to transform a 13.6-acre site at the corner of March Road and Terry Fox Drive into a cluster of mid- and highrise buildings that would include more than 2,000 residential suites.

https://obj.ca/wesley-clover-unveils-details-of-kanata-office-conversion-plan/

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I'd say the continued existence of surface parking lots. Sure they'll be fewer than today, but far more than Downtown or any other urban neighbourhood (in Ottawa).

Tunney's Pasture West

[rocketphish]

Kanata tech park office conversion passes at city committee
Work is already underway on the project, which looks to add 115 housing units to Kanata North

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: May 21, 2025 2:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago



An office conversion project in Kanata North sailed through a city committee today, with the local councillor hoping it will help transform the area's tech park.

The 11-storey building at 535 Legget Dr. is one of three identical glass office towers surrounding a parking lot. Owner Wesley Clover International, chaired by billionaire Terry Matthews, wants to convert it into a mixed-use development with 115 housing units.

Council's planning and housing committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve the required zoning changes. Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry called it an exciting project that will change the dynamic of the community.

"Right now, it has 570 companies where people work — just the work hours — and then they leave," she said. "Well now, with people living there, it will bring about more restaurants, more nightlife, more activities that people can participate in, which will bring a lot of life to the park and make it more attractive."

She said the project isn't a one-off, but part of a trend toward more residential development in the technology park. Main and Main is planning an expansive housing development in Kanata North that could add 2,100 housing units.

The city's top planning document aims to transform the Kanata North Economic District from a 1970s-era business park built around the automobile to a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community focused on innovation.

The conversion plan for 535 Legget Dr. calls for replacing the existing window walls with a new facade including Juliette balconies. The developer is also planning to add green space, and to connect the building to the neighbouring Brookstreet Hotel to allow residents to access restaurants, a spa and The Marshes Golf Club.

While the upper floors will be residential, the plan would retain about 4,300 square feet of office space on the ground floor.

The developer also asked the committee to relax minimum parking rules. It plans to provide 108 parking spaces for the 115 units, including visitor spaces. The committee agreed, and also voted to ban auto-focused uses such as drive-thrus from the site.

The committee's decision must still go to a full meeting of council for final approval. But Curry said work has already begun, and CBC witnessed crews at work on Wednesday. Large panels of windows have already been removed.

"The preliminary construction starts because they can do that without getting this final approval," said Curry. "I'm in the park a lot and I talk to the people who are running this project and they are full steam ahead."

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, who chairs the planning and housing committee, said city council is keen to see more office conversions. But based on his discussions with the industry, he admits it might not be a quick fix to the city's housing shortage.

"There are economic challenges to doing conversions, and some of the advantages that are purported to be part of those may not materialize," he said. "That said, certainly if developers are interested in converting, as a city council we're here to support them."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ka...rsion-passes-at-city-committee-1.7540148

[GeoNerd]

August 1, 2025

[rocketphish]

KRP turns office tower into apartments in Canada's largest tech park
Ottawa developer and property owner converts 10-storey office building into 115 apartments in Kanata North business park

Don Wilcox, RENX
Jul. 10 2025

Every office-to-residential conversion project is unique, but then there are those which truly forge new ground. Such as the conversion of a 10-storey former office tower in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata, being undertaken by KRP Properties.

Why is it unique? It’s smack dab in the middle of Canada’s largest tech research and development hub - the Kanata North business park.

While the location (535 Legget Dr.) might seem unusual, when building owner KRP considered options for the property due to the office sector slowdown, it didn’t take long for rental apartments to dominate the conversation.

“The building was constructed around the 2000 mark,” KRP president Terry Young told RENX, “and it had a great run. (It’s) glass-metal curtain wall construction, and the footprint is exactly, if you were to design a residential building, it's the same footprint.”

KRP was founded in 1986 and is owned by Ottawa tech entrepreneur Terry Matthews and his holding company, Wesley Clover International.

The building is part of a multi-tower office complex and is also linked to the four-diamond Brookstreet Hotel, providing an opportunity to offer higher-end amenities - while not having to build them into the repurposed tower. Brookstreet is popular with executives and guests visiting the business park, as well as sports teams and entertainers playing at the nearby Canadian Tire Centre arena (home of the NHL's Ottawa Senators).

So KRP studied the potential for the property to host mid- to high-end apartments, looked at cost, and then drafted a plan for approximately 115 apartments, including four multi-level penthouse suites.

Young credits the “brilliant” members of the development team, including Montreal’s NEUF architects and RECL Contracting of Ottawa, with helping bring the concept to fruition: “These are a team that we've actually used throughout the years, very trusted. So we all got together and decided, let's go.”

Interior demolition is well under way.

“The actual construction of it is probably going to be (late) July, August kind of thing,” he said, “and we're hoping about 18 months after we get full go, we'll be fully operational.”

With its location in a tech hub, it’s not surprising KRP is “going to drive a lot of technology in there.” That includes linking residents to the hotel’s service-on-demand platform provided by 1Valet, which is based just across the Ottawa River in Gatineau.

“It's going to be a full-service kind of play, which gives us a little bit of a competitive advantage,” Young explained. “For instance, if you want to have a grilled cheese sandwich, a glass of wine and your laundry done, and your apartment cleaned, I can do all that on Tuesday if you want."

With the target audience including people who work within the business park and adjacent businesses, there will be a large base of potential residents.

“First of all, we're in Canada's largest tech park, which is amazing. We have, you know, 200-plus tenants. We have 30-plus buildings,” Young said of KRP's portfolio in the hub. In total, about 12,000 people are employed in the park.

“You talk to these guys and then come to find out that these are the leaders, not just in North America and Canada, but in the world. You know that Erickson, for instance, their biggest and largest R & D facility in North America, in the world, is just right here.”

KRP is also not the only significant real estate owner in the area. Young said there are over 600 companies large and small in the sprawling hub, including world-leading firms such as Erickson and Nokia. Many of those employees are also well paid.

Hence what KRP believes is a formula for success, though the project is a “significant” investment. Young did not want to disclose renovation costs: “It’s a lot” was his reply.

While KRP isn’t pursuing environmental certifications for the building, it’s being renovated to the equivalent of LEED gold or platinum.

KRP and RECL are reusing and repurposing as many building materials as possible, right down to efforts to rip out ventilation components, store them in the basement and then reinstall when the new system goes in. He said 75 to 80 per cent of material removed during the demolition will be diverted from landfills - including glass which will be recycled as asphalt.

The building will also employ a cutting-edge variable refrigerant flow (VRF) HVAC system, which is now out for tender.

Young likened it to “a giant set of heat pumps working simultaneously, so it allows for precise temperature control and energy savings in particular networks. You can actually have it per floor. It's a little bit labour intensive . . . to install this stuff, but it regulates the amount of refrigerant flowing between individual zones.”

When it’s completed, the tower will be the only apartment complex in the immediate area, although other developers are building in adjacent neighbourhoods. Young hopes to be able to take the apartments to market about six months prior to completion.

He also hopes to see a critical mass of housing grow in the area, creating a community where tech workers and others can live, work and play. Young said that will help local business attract and retain the best employees.

Developer Main + Main has plans for a multi-tower residential and mixed-use development just a few blocks away which would include approximately 2,000 new housing units, and telecom giant Nokia is redeveloping its nearby office and R & D campus with longer-term plans for up to 11 towers and almost 2,000 more homes.

“I think when Nokia and Main + Main and ourselves get sorted out here, we're going to have a bit of a Main Street,” he said. “There's going to be room now for the restaurants (and) the bars, a little bit of expansion of retail.

“You're going to see this evolution, I think, over the next four or five years, of how the community is going to look differently.”

https://renx.ca/krp-kicks-off-office-to-res-conversion-in-huge-ottawa-tech-hub