Ontario Construction News staff writer
An Ottawa-based developer has submitted a proposal for a new six-storey retirement residence at the former CFB Rockcliffe, marking the latest expansion in the city’s booming seniors’ housing sector.
Lifestyles Group is seeking to build the 188-unit Wateridge Lifestyles structure within the Wateridge Village community, a 3.1-acre mixed-use development near the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. According to planning documents, the project represents the first phase of a multi-staged seniors’ development that is expected to eventually include two additional apartment buildings totaling 270 units.
Allan Jackson and Neel Chadha are partnering with Wit Lewandowski (president) and Devon Purcell , Chadha wrote in an email to Ontario Construction News, correcting an error on our part in the developer’s name.
The proposal comes as the retirement living industry in the capital experiences a surge in growth. Industry experts attribute the “retirement boom” to a rapidly aging demographic and a critical need for specialized housing options.
“The acquisitions (in the sector) are part of increased activity … being fuelled by an aging population,” an executive from a retirement living company recently told the Ottawa Business Journal regarding parallel trends in the region.
The proposed building is designed to offer a full “continuum of care,” ranging from independent living for active seniors to assisted living and a secure memory care unit for those with cognitive impairments. Amenities planned for the site include an indoor saltwater pool, a movie theatre, a commercial kitchen with a chef, in-house physiotherapy, and a hair salon.
The development also promises a unique healthcare perk: “Residents will be guaranteed access to a family doctor should it be needed,” according to a community newsletter from the Wateridge Village Community Association.
The project is situated on land being transformed by the Canada Lands Company in partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario. The Wateridge Village Secondary Plan envisions a “design-forward” community that honours the site’s military history and its indigenous heritage.
The CFB Rockcliffe application follows closely behind other major seniors’ projects in the city, including a recently proposed 224-bed expansion of the former Madonna Nursing Home in Orléans.
City planners are currently reviewing the site plan application. If approved, the residence will be located directly across from the future Kishkabika Park, serving as a cornerstone for the village’s residential core.