Approaching Christ Church Cathedral over the summer and this fall, it is impossible not to notice that big changes are afoot. The second phase of the Cathedral Hill development has begun with a huge excavation on the east side of the Cathedral where a multi-million dollar 18-storey seniors’ residence will be constructed.
Gwen Lévesque took over as chair of the Cathedral Hill Foundation (CHF) in June 2020 following the retirement of long-time chair Barbara Gagné. In an interview with Crosstalk, Levesque said the developer, Reichmann Senior Housing, had hoped to begin construction sooner, but like so many other things, it was delayed by the pandemic. “On the city side you have the requirement to get many permits and various other legal things completed, it dragged on, so ultimately once we got into 2021, a conditional permit was issued, but at least the work got started ,” she said.
The anticipated completion date is sometime during the year 2024. “But of course, no matter what the construction project is, that all depends on the availability of materials and contractors,” Lévesque cautioned. “As you probably know, because of COVID, things have been backed up and…materials can be in shorter supply than usual because distribution has been disrupted significantly. So, 2024 is the time frame they are expecting but that could change.”
Although people in the Cathedral parish and diocese may miss the parking lot and perhaps also the way the property used to be, the land leases and development provide compensations and benefits for Christ Church Cathedral and the Diocese, as equal partners in the Cathedral Hill Foundation. The development provides a guaranteed revenue stream.
The first phase of the development, the condominium tower on the west side of the Cathedral completed in 2015, included for the Cathedral the replacement of the Hall, the retrofit of the crypt, and for the Diocese the replacement of the Archives and repairs to JC Roper House. Payment for the first phase was taken as lump sum (with replacement and retrofits/repairs paid from the lump sum). The balance of the lump sum was invested in the Consolidated Trust Fund (CTF) and dividend income received annually (50/50 to Christ Church Cathedral and Diocese).
Lévesque explained that the second phase development is again a land lease with the Cathedral Hill Foundation…but rather than a lump sum payment, it is for an annual rent. The Foundation will allocate money from the rent to the Cathedral and Diocese as the two equal partners.
She noted that the annual rent won’t be paid until the construction is finished and the City of Ottawa provides an occupancy permit. Prior to that, however, there is an annual amount of $30,000 being paid during the construction to replace lost parking revenues, which is allocated to the Cathedral.
Once the seniors’ residence is complete, some underground parking will be designated for the Cathedral:
• 10 spaces on an exclusive use basis 24/7 plus 15 spaces on an exclusive use basis on weekday evenings (6 p.m. – 6 a.m.) weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays. Five (5) additional spaces for special events with notice
• There was also a lump sum payment as compensation for additional parking spaces sought, negotiated; under the terms of the lease payment anticipated in 2022.
Qu’est-ce que le bonheur?