The transformation of Vanier

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords

Well, New Edinburgh really is Upper Vanier, as everyone knows...

LOWER Vanier, given the way the Rideau River flows.

[c_speed3108]

Betting on Vanier...

BONA raises questions with 10-storey office building



Published on November 1st, 2010
Peter Kovessy
Ottawa Business Journal


Public Works says it’s not affiliated with project

An Ottawa developer with a history of speculative builds is raising eyebrows by constructing a new office tower with no confirmed government tenants in a market with weak private-sector demand.





Bona Building and Management Co. is excavating its property at 140 Jeanne Mance St., just off the Vanier Parkway between Montreal Road and McArthur Avenue. The property previously featured a one-storey industrial building, according to the city.

Last December, the developer filed site plans with the city to build a 10-storey office building, containing 273,400 square feet and three levels of underground parking.

Bona head Robert Vocisano received numerous messages from OBJ but “doesn’t do interviews,” according to his assistant. A company official, speaking on background, said the new building is being constructed on “spec,” meaning no would-be tenants have pre-leased space inside the new tower.

This was no surprise to some local commercial real estate watchers.

“Bona is known for (building on spec),” said Nathan Smith, senior vice-president at Cushman & Wakefield Ottawa, during a panel discussion last month at the Ottawa Real Estate Forum.

“Maybe they know something we don’t know,” Brian Murray, Sakto Corp.’s director of leasing and business development, later added during the same panel discussion.

Some local brokers said there are rumours that the RCMP will eventually take a portion of the new building.

For its part, the federal government denied any deals to occupy the new building.

“(Public Works) has made no commitment to lease space at 140 Jeanne Mance St.,” said department spokesperson Nathalie Bétoté Akwa. Public Works handles accommodations for the RCMP, a spokesperson for the national police force said.

But some said it’s hard to imagine a tenant other than the federal government occupying the new building, given sluggish private-sector sector demand for office accommodations.

Furthermore, tenants looking for space have other competitive options, both in the downtown core as well as in the eastern suburban market.

If truly being built on spec, the project also raises questions about how Bona is financing the building. Lenders usually require a building to be 50-per-cent pre-leased, at minimum, before making a loan.

Ottawa’s last speculative office building – the city’s first in several years – was completed slightly more than a year ago by Minto at 180 Kent St.

However, the company was building in a very different environment than Bona is now. When Minto broke ground, the downtown vacancy rate was below three per cent and the federal government was snapping up almost every available block of space in the core.

Minto – which has thousands of rental units providing it with a steady income stream – was also building on a prime downtown location, adjacent to its existing office towers.

Speaking at last month’s real estate forum, Greg Rogers, executive vice-president of Minto Commercial Properties, said one floor remained vacant at 180 Kent, but that he expected the building would be filled by the end of the year.

[rocketphish]

A great place to start a business

OBJ Sponsored Content
Published on October 11, 2016

Why did these diverse entrepreneurs choose Vanier?

Vanier is becoming a great place to live, work and play, regardless of whether you think a T-shirt is underwear or formal wear.

Millions of dollars of new commercial and residential investment is already pouring into this area. The population is growing, incomes are rising, and so too are expectations for goods and services that are just a short walk down the street.

The area is proud of its Francophone roots and French is still the mother tongue of some 40 per cent of residents. However, Vanier is fluently multilingual, with locals and visitors easily conversing in English, French and a host of other languages from around the world.

This is reflected in the variety of businesses that operate in the area. Don’t come to Vanier expecting to find the big box landscape of the ’burbs. Vanier businesses are as unique as the people who run them.

Pizza and coconut cream pie, oh my!

Just ask Rema Saab.

In the 1960s, her uncle Louis came over from Lebanon and started up his own restaurant in a converted house at 181 McArthur Ave. Almost 50 years later, Louis’ Restaurant and Pizzeria is still going strong at that same location, now owned by Rema’s parents and employing multiple members of her family.

This old school diner, known for its pizza and a mountainous coconut cream pie that has to be seen to be believed, attracts customers from as far as Stittsville, Rockland and Gatineau. It still features the original orange seats, because Rema’s father thought the colour brought him luck.

Much of Rema’s family has put down roots in Vanier. Her sister runs a beauty boutique next door, her uncle a hair salon across the street.

“It’s very friendly people here, we love the people, they’ve accepted us, it was a very successful place for us to start a business,” Rema said. “It’s a point of pride now to tell people we’re from Vanier.”

Tex mex with a Salvadoran twist

The combination of strong Francophone roots and multicultural diversity drew Maria Ventura and her family to Vanier 26 years ago. Their household spoke French and Spanish, and found Vanier to be an inclusive community where they fit right in.

“I like Vanier because you can find people from everywhere,” Maria said. “I’ve raised three teenagers here and I’ve always been happy and comfortable to be part of this community.”

Eight years, ago, they realized her husband Roberto’s dream and parlayed his restaurant experience into their own eatery. They chose Montréal Road because it was an affordable commercial location with high visibility and lots of pass-by traffic.

Today, Tukan Restaurant is a bustling success. It’s one of only two restaurants in Ottawa to serve authentic Salvadoran cuisine, with a twist—it combines on the menu with Tex-Mex. Folks from all over the National Capital Region and even further come to enjoy traditional dishes made with rice, red silk bean, plantain, pork and fried fish, with alguashte (a sauce made with pumpkin seeds) and pupusa (stuffed corn tortillas).

“Vanier has changed a lot through the years and people have a very different concept of the community now,” said daughter Carolina. “There are more kids around, more families.”

Fine art and great stories

When Abed Younes decided he was too young to retire and looked to start up his next new business, he too found himself drawn to Vanier.

It’s fair to say he considered his options. Palestinian by birth, Abed lived for years in Germany, working with the Red Cross to help countless refugees and immigrants from all over the world settle into new lives. When he came to Canada in 1990, he rented a car and spent five months exploring the country to better understand his new home.

He then decided his best way to put down roots was to start his own business. Over the past 25 years, Abed has built up and sold several local businesses, all in some way art-related, including Picture Plus. About 18 months ago, he started up his latest venture, a custom framing and fine art prints shop on Beechwood Avenue called Art House Custom Framing.

“People ask me why I work with art,” Abed said. “Art is the only way to run away without leaving your home.”

It hasn’t taken him long to build up a strong customer base from among local residents and even nearby embassies with hard work, a focus on quality and word of mouth. Social work is still in his blood and his shop has become a local favourite for regulars who often drop by just to chat.

“This is such an amazing area,” Abed said. “Beechwood is booming.”

French maracons … by way of Venezuela

David Seba, owner and manager of Quelque Chose Pâtisserie on Montréal Road, found the same welcoming community as the Venturas years later.

He and wife Julia, a pastry chef trained in Paris, decided Vanier was the place to be when they came to Canada three years ago from Venezuela. With a large local customer base, few established competitors in the area and affordable real estate, Vanier offered the opportunity to give their small business a strong start.

While Quelque Chose makes a variety of tasty treats, Julia’s specialty is macarons in flavours ranging from vanilla to salted caramel and dulce de leche with puffed quinoa.

“The community is very thankful to us for bringing a nice bakery here,” David said. “We took a chance and I think it was worth it.”

Entrepreneurs like David and Julia are investing in Vanier because of its diversity, strong sense of community, quick transportation link to downtown and affordable commercial real estate.

Is Quartier Vanier Ottawa’s next ‘it’ neighbourhood?

Vanier is a community pulling itself up the bootstraps, like Westboro did in the ’90s. It’s a developer’s dream, with prime locations at eye-catching prices.

There just isn’t another neighbourhood so close to downtown Ottawa that still offers such untapped potential for mixed-used development, building a business or putting down roots to grow a family.


This story is the first of a three part series, click below to read the next article in the series.

A natural hotbed for the arts and entrepreneurship

To learn more about business and investment opportunities in Vanier, visit www.vanierbia.com or call the Quartier Vanier BIA office at 613-745-0040.

http://www.obj.ca/Sponsored-Content/...ss%26nbsp%3B/1

[rocketphish]

A natural hotbed for the arts and entrepreneurship

OBJ Sponsored Content
Published on November 07, 2016

Vanier’s natural attributes fuel its gentrification

Local leadership with an eye to the future and deep respect for the past. A community mindset that embraces and celebrates “different.” An affordable neighbourhood with a great location adjacent to downtown.

Vanier is levering all these strengths to build a bright future for all its residents. “Gentrification” isn’t something that’s being forced upon this unique community. It’s the natural next step in its evolution.

Just ask social entrepreneur Janak Alford, founder of prototypeD TEAM Inc.

Grounds for creativity to grow

Janak came to Vanier several years ago, searching for the right location on which to develop a new housing development that would respect the character of its neighbourhood. Vanier residents impressed him with the pride they took in their community’s eclectic diversity and their desire to maintain its authenticity and integrity as they look to the future.

His development – a four-unit apartment building with a renovated 1950s bungalow – completed in January. By that point, he had already become a resident of Vanier.

“I really love Vanier,” he said. “We wanted to live in this community because it has been so receptive and supportive of our crazy ideas. It’s a fun community to walk around and bike around. My son and I are always going to new places.”

Janak gives full credit to Vanier’s community leaders for their efforts to grow the neighbourhood in a positive way while remaining true to its roots. He considers the most important Vanier narrative to be the one that recognizes it as a hotbed for the arts and entrepreneurship.

“Groups of creative people who are following their passions for entrepreneurship or the arts have to make sacrifices,” he said. “More affordable neigbhourhoods like Vanier naturally become grounds for creativity to grow. Vanier definitely has that appeal because it is more affordable for young families and entrepreneurs and it is getting that cachet.”

Cachet, indeed. But don’t just take his word for it. Just look at the numbers.

Running with the last available census data, Vanier’s population grew by 2.8 per cent between 2006 and 2011. Household incomes climbed by almost 13 per cent during this period. One quarter of Vanier’s population has an annual household income over $100,000. Almost half of the working population within the boundary of the Quartier Vanier BIA work in the federal public service.

And why not? Consider how easy of a commute it is from Vanier to the government, professional and high-tech jobs downtown – some 285,000 jobs, just to the east and south.

The opportunity to bring more high-end goods and services to the area shouldn’t be overlooked. As of 2013, Vanier businesses were capturing less than half of residents’ collective $820 million in annual retail and service spending.

Riding the crest

This trend is paying off for Beechwood Avenue business owners Lauren Power and Greg Boone. Like Janak, they have found Vanier fertile soil in which to seed something new.

Lauren was no stranger to Vanier when she and Greg launched Red Door Provisions two years ago. She had spent her teens in the area, attending high school in neighbouring Rockcliffe.

After 10 years away, she returned to Ottawa to find big changes afoot in her old stomping ground.

“We saw that Beechwood was right on this crest of new development, with proposals for upscale condo projects,” she said. “We knew the potential of the neighbourhood and we wanted to be part of this renewal, part of the boost.”

This “boost” is happening across Vanier, from Beechwood, to McArthur Avenue and Montréal Road.

“Vanier is an up-and-coming place for sure,” Greg said. “It’s changing every day. We like the neighbourhood aspect – everyone knows everyone. It’s not overrun by big commercial entities. It still feels like most every business is unique to this area. Even the big box stores have this community vibe to them.”

As entrepreneurs, location combined with affordable real estate in their choice of Vanier. Manageable startup costs have allowed them to flourish. Their lunch café and bakery features a unique mix of fresh-made treats, great coffees and house sodas, hearty brunch fare, and Lauren’s own signature jams, marmalades, chutneys and garlic scapes.

Driving the eat local movement

Over on McArthur Avenue, Chef Eric Patenaude found the same key ingredients to build his dream business – Todric’s Restaurant and Catering.

When Eric decided to expand his catering business with a restaurant nine years ago, he wanted a location with room for growth that he could afford to purchase outright instead of lease. That search led him to Vanier. He not only became a business owner in the area, he became a resident, too.

Todric’s draws its own loyal following of customers from the community and big local employers such as the RCMP. It also serves as a tasty advertisement for the catering side of the business.

Don’t expect grocery store-style sandwich catering here. Todric’s is known for the quality, originality and healthy variety of its menus, based around fresh produce sourced from local farmers. The catering business is in demand for everything from cocktail receptions and embassy events, to corporate functions and life events like weddings.

“It’s a great location geographically, giving us quick access to client locations downtown,” Eric said. “We’ve certainly seen a lot of change since we moved in. I’ve even had customers who haven’t been to Vanier in a while comment on how different it is from what they remember.”

Become part of the community

Vanier is growing in size and affluence. Its diversity, affordability, authenticity, and appeal to artists and entrepreneurs alike makes it one of the most distinct and dynamic communities in the National Capital Region.

“People forget how gorgeous the area is – we’re on the water, there’s tons of greenspace and parks, we’re five minutes from the ByWard Market,” said Lauren. “We have so much to offer. We really are stoked to be a business in this neighbourhood and be a champion for Vanier.”


This story is the second of a three part series, click below to read the next article in the series.

A great place to start a business

To learn more about business and investment opportunities in Vanier, visit www.vanierbia.com or call the Quartier Vanier BIA office at 613-745-0040.

http://www.obj.ca/Sponsored-Content/...epreneurship/1

[rocketphish]

Developers understand Vanier is the next place to be

OBJ Sponsored Content
Published on December 05, 2016

Revitalizing a neighbourhood is never easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

Vanier has become a hive of activity in recent years as developers pursue various projects to give old landmarks a new lease on life and remake old properties into something new.

It all comes down to dollars and cents – these savvy businesspeople see the value of being part of a new Vanier that remains true to its roots.

Contributing to Vanier’s authenticity

One of these is Domicile, co-founded by long-time area resident John Doran. Over the past 40 years, Domicile has built a strong reputation across the National Capital Region for infill developments that drive neighbourhood rebirth. According to Domicile Senior VP David Chick, Vanier is on the crest of the same wave that swept through Westboro after Mountain Equipment Co-op moved in.

“We have a good feel for Ottawa and communities with great potential,” he said. “Since we entered the Vanier market we’ve seen a ton of new investment follow us. People see the potential.”

Domicile first ventured into the Vanier market eight years ago, with the 37-unit River Court Lofts condo development. Recently, it has reclaimed an old Esso gas station site in Vanier’s Beechwood Village for The Kavanaugh. This is Domicile’s largest build to a date, a 124-unit condo with the builder’s signature features – a grand lobby, a rooftop sunset lounge and terrace, and ground-floor retail. It’ s also a completely smoke-free building.

The key to a successful infill project is respecting the character of the existing neighbourhood, Chick said.

“I personally like the Kavanaugh site because it anchors the northeastern gateway to Beechwood’s eclectic mix of shops, businesses and services. We like that – places that are organic and have a certain authenticity to them. You certainly find that along Beechwood and in the rest of Vanier.”

A cheerleader wooing new commercial residents

Ryan Goldberg, Director, Investment and Leasing at The Regional Group, agrees.

“Like Westboro and Hintonburg before it, this community is holding onto the best of its unique identity and character as it renews itself,” he said. “More people will choose to locate a business here, live here and invest here, but everyone – residents, business owners, property owners and the City of Ottawa – must work together to ensure growth and development is done responsibly and for the overall benefit of the community.”

The Regional Group has been active in the local commercial and residential real estate markets for almost 60 years. It manages a number of commercial properties in the Vanier area, but its latest gem is the revitalization of the old Desjardins building on Montreal Road. This five-storey building offers ground floor retail with office space above.

“We have pushed the idea of Vanier to different tenants around town, for both office and retail,” Goldberg said. “When they come and see this building and all the activity in Vanier, they see the area in a new light. We believe in Vanier, and we are excited to be part of its rejuvenation.”

A developer and a new resident

Over near McArthur Avenue, Longwood Building Corp. is preparing to break ground on Sonia by the Rideau.

This eight-storey luxury condo development offers 70 suites and 29 different floorplans. Suites feature nine-foot ceilings and curved high-efficiency window walls. Two months before construction is due to start, the Sonia is already more than 50 per cent sold.

Project Manager Florent Filion has already purchased one of units and will become a resident of Vanier for the first time when the building is complete in 2018.

Why did he choose to move to Vanier?

“This is a great location with a view of Rideau River, only five minutes from downtown, with easy access to community services such as hospitals and just down the road from the airport,” he said. “It’s all the benefits of living downtown without having to be right downtown.”

Like Domicile and Regional Group, Longwood is committed to maintaining the community character that makes Vanier unique.

“Every community needs to revitalize itself with new residents,” he said. “We are serving that need with a residential property that fits in and benefits everyone.”

Filion expects new developments like the Sonia to appeal to local government workers and perhaps even draw back to Vanier residents who may have left.

“We considered no other neighbourhood for the Sonia,” he said. “Everybody knows Vanier is the next place to be.”

Vanier is the place to be

Businesses want affordable, quality real estate in a community that’s rich with character, shops and services. Young professionals want an affordable and stylish living option close to downtown in an “authentic” community that walks to the beat of its own drum.

They can all find what they want in Vanier, and this is just the beginning.

Did you know..

In the first half of this year, 61 homes sold in Vanier. About 72 per cent of them sold for less than $400,000. Compare that to Hintonburg, where only half of the homes sold during the same period priced under that amount. In the Preston Street area, only 24 per cent of homes sold for less than $400,000. In the Chinatown area, it’s only nine per cent. Another point to consider – all these other neighbourhoods also saw far less selling activity than Vanier during this period.

“Based on these residential stats of central areas that are in similar gentrification as Vanier, nothing compares to Vanier in terms of affordability and volume,” says Subhir Uppal, broker/ manager with Metro Ottawa-Carleton Real Estate Ltd. “You can buy a decent detached home in the $200,000 to $400,000 range which is not the case in comparable urban areas.”


This story is the last of a three part series, click below to read the first article in the series.

A natural hotbed for the arts and entrepreneurship

Interested in setting up shop in Vanier, visit www.vanierbia.com or call the Quartier Vanier BIA office at 613-745-0040.

http://www.obj.ca/Sponsored-Content/...-place-to-be/1

[Norman Bates]

In 1987 I was telling people that Vanier was going to be the next great place in Ottawa.

So far I've been wrong. And despite the OBJ's fluffing, I still see no change.

[Marshsparrow]

I agree with Norman - Vanier is Vanier is Vanier - gonna be a hard time to turn this one around!

[kevinbottawa]

I've been living in Vanier for the past five years and I haven't seen any improvement. I was eager to get out for a long time but in 2016 I embraced it. Just today I was thinking I need to contribute more to the area.

[YOWetal]

It could happen but it is certainly not inevitable. Many cities have well located neighbourhoods that are mired in poverty and surrounded by more expensive real estate. Also in Vanier's case minus the New Ed/Rocklicffe area most of the housing east of the river is pretty cheap. There seems to be a prejudice against the East side of Ottawa still.

A smaller pocket like Lowertown or Hintonburg are easier to gentrify than a huge chunk of real estate like Vanier. The blocks next to Beechwood should be the first to develop but I still don't see much happening.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

So far I've been wrong. And despite the OBJ's fluffing, I still see no change.

It isn't really fluffing, it is "sponsored content" probably paid for by the Vanier BIA.

[gjhall]

I don't think 'Vanier' as such will happen all at once anytime soon. Seems more likely to happen slowly from two directions:

1) Development of Beechwood, which seems to be getting there with the St Charles project now underway and the Minto and Domicile projects - still about 6 major sites left to be (re-)developed, then side street housing will follow. There's already a not insignificant amount of investment in single house projects happening, albeit gradually.

...followed by...
2)overflow from redevelopment of Rideau Street east. But why would you invest in a big project in Vanier on Montreal road now, esp in the condo/'luxury' market when you'll get bumped by numerous projects in the can along Rideau that are certain to take away any chance of sales/leasing further east in a less familiar and lower-amenity area?

[kwoldtimer]

Vanier is Ottawa's "it" neighbourhood of tomorrow. And always will be ....

[J.OT13]

The lack of decent transit will always prevent Vanier from becoming a new Westboro or Hintonburgh, both having the advantage of Transitway service (and will improve further with the conversion to metro).

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The lack of decent transit will always prevent Vanier from becoming a new Westboro or Hintonburgh, both having the advantage of Transitway service (and will improve further with the conversion to metro).

I am not sure how much transit plays into it. Though a train will be a game changer. New Edinburgh/Lindenlea are some of the more expensive parts of the city and are also undeserved by transit.

Westboro dragged Hintonburgh up. I guess the Beechwood gap was too hard to jump. The part of Lindenlea next to Beechwood was once very working class but almost completely gentrified.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

I agree with Norman - Vanier is Vanier is Vanier - gonna be a hard time to turn this one around!

Not sure about the latest figures, but in percentage (not absolute) terms, Vanier has had some of the highest increases in home resale prices and rents anywhere in Ottawa in the decade or so up to 2014ish.

It would greatly help the area if the city would realize that there are people and businesses living or operating east of King Edward Avenue, north of the Queensway, west of the Greenbelt, and south of the Ottawa River.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The lack of decent transit will always prevent Vanier from becoming a new Westboro or Hintonburgh, both having the advantage of Transitway service (and will improve further with the conversion to metro).

And the municipal amalgamation of 2000 put the suburban wards squarely in the political drivers seat, which is why Vanier and other inner residential/mixed-use areas are getting royally screwed out of transit investment, and why Vanier is getting screwed out of almost any investment at all.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I am not sure how much transit plays into it. Though a train will be a game changer. New Edinburgh/Lindenlea are some of the more expensive parts of the city and are also undeserved by transit.

The train is not going to change any transit game in the inner east area, apart from a few blocks in deep southern Overbrook. If anything, the changes that are already being made in anticipation of LRT are making transit service to these neighbourhoods worse.

Westboro dragged Hintonburgh up. I guess the Beechwood gap was too hard to jump. The part of Lindenlea next to Beechwood was once very working class but almost completely gentrified.

The housing stock in Lindenlea, and even many pockets of real New Edinburgh, is in many cases indistinguishable from that in Vanier. There are already a lot of savvy buyers who have noticed this, and more than a few smart higher-income civil servants who decided they didn't want to be house-poor New Edinbourgeouis or Westbourgeouis.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I am not sure how much transit plays into it. Though a train will be a game changer. New Edinburgh/Lindenlea are some of the more expensive parts of the city and are also undeserved by transit.

Westboro dragged Hintonburgh up. I guess the Beechwood gap was too hard to jump. The part of Lindenlea next to Beechwood was once very working class but almost completely gentrified.

I don't have any facts and figures (don't have the time to do the research right now) but I assume people living in Beechwood, Lindenlea probably drive.

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

And the municipal amalgamation of 2000 put the suburban wards squarely in the political drivers seat, which is why Vanier and other inner residential/mixed-use areas are getting royally screwed out of transit investment, and why Vanier is getting screwed out of almost any investment at all.

We were screwed as of 73' when the region took over transit responsibilities.

[YOWetal]

I assume they do drive but probably the same can be said for every b-ourgois neighborhood in the city.

You can make an argument that the area around the cemetery is equivalent to the Lindenlea or whatever the not quite Rockcliffe area is called are similar but the New Edinburgh side of Beechwood has a totally different vibe than the Vanier side.

I admit I don't know either side that well but would be surprised if the Vanier side has seen faster appreciation.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I admit I don't know either side that well but would be surprised if the Vanier side has seen faster appreciation.

It has, at least as of the last stats I saw about three years ago. (Remember, proportionally, not absolutely).