The purchase of the 100,000-square-foot Deschâtelets Building by CECCE provided the opportunity to collaborate on a city-run community centre with a brand new attached shared gym amenity space. This summer, Ottawa City Council approved moving forward with a lease for the community centre, including funding for the core components and a direction to develop an annual operating budget as part of the 2023 budget. It also includes brand new city-run park space in front of the building.
“It’s great seeing this project come together,” said Councillor Menard. “We commend the residents and community groups, including the Old Ottawa East Community Association and Communities Activities Group, who have been pushing for a new recreation centre and for affordable housing in the community for a number of years. We were also able to invest enough Cash-in-lieu of Parkland funds for the new community centre and parks which allowed for the Old Town Hall on Main Street to remain public and saved from selling off.
“We appreciate the collaboration between CECCE and the City of Ottawa who, through creativity, have sorted through the challenges of shared space, ownership, timing and heritage preservation to arrive at this proposal which will provide residents in this rapidly densifying community a place to gather, learn and play.”
Construction continues, and CECCE and OCH are currently working through the contractual details, but both OCH and CECCE are committed to ensuring the successful delivery of affordable housing for seniors. As this year progresses, designs will be refined and a timeline for the completion of these new housing units will be set.
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