The massive Lansdowne Live development has transformed an area of Ottawa into one of the premier places in the nation’s capital to live, work and play and another phase of the mixed-use project is being launched.
The entire Lansdowne Live lifestyle centre is 38.5 acres.
David Scorniaenchi, Vice President of Leasing for Trinity which is the property manager of the iconic project, said Lansdowne Live is truly a unique mixed-use development and maybe one of two in Canada that includes sports (four professional teams, 1 amateur team), residential, flagship retail, community/city event spaces, office, and year-round programming.
‘We have had tremendous success recently with bringing in a mix of high-end tenants and local businesses that stretch across a diverse mix of uses. We have also been approved for a significant redevelopment that will include redevelopment of the north end of the football stadium stands which will add two new residential towers with 900+ units, 50,000+ square feet of new flagship retail at grade, and a new 5,500 seat entertainment and sports facility with Live Nation,” he said.
The approved redevelopment is called Lansdowne Live 2.0.
Trinity works closely with partner OSEG (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) on the Lansdowne development.
The first phase of the huge development has 340,000 square feet of retail, 116,000 square feet of office, 280 residential units and 1,430 parking stalls. The residential units are in one condo building.
On the retail side of Lansdowne Live the tenant roster includes:
- National anchors:
- Whole Foods, Cineplex VIP, Winners, Goodlife, Sporting Life, LCBO, TD Bank,
- Premium Restaurants:
- JOEY, Local, Craft Beer Market, MED Supper Club (opened recently), Delysees (opened recently),
- Casual Dining:
- Milestones, Jack Astors, Crust & Crate, Happy Days Burgers & Poutine (opening soon), Sunset Grill
- Dynamic Destination Retail:
- Nespresso, Audi Showroom, Porsche NOW (one of five boutiques that will open in Canada, coming June 2024), Cigar Store, Kari Design & Build (luxury millwork, coming summer 2024)
- Personal Wellness:
- Glorious Nails Spa, Pro Physio Therapy, WAXON, and Mane Collective, Lansdowne Dental
- Unique QSR’s and Local Businesses:
- Chung Chun, Roll’d Ice Cream (local business), Beandigen (local Indigenous café start up), Mr. Puffs, Cinnaholic, Canadian Institute for the Blind
- Educational:
- Blyth, Scholars, Ottawa Montessori School
- Office: 50,000 square feet of second floor office space including PWHL head office.
“Located in the desirable Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa, Lansdowne Live has become a focal point for retailers entering or expanding in the Ottawa market. Ottawa is typically a one or two store market for retailers and many are looking for a place that offers an enhanced customer experience. With over four million visitors annually, this mixed-use lifestyle centre features unique and elevated building designs, expanded sidewalks and promenades, large restaurant patios, four professional sports teams, 1 amateur team, concerts and entertainment programming, cultural and seasonal events, a beloved farmers market, a renowned Ottawa Christmas Market, and is supported by over 1,430 parking stalls at and below grade – a rarity for an urban mixed-use development,” said Scorniaenchi.
“These features allow for a dynamic merchandising mix that includes retail, F&B, entertainment, health and wellness, educational, and office. . . . There are few lifestyle centres in Canada that have the array of offerings that can be found at Lansdowne Live . . . We have reached 100 per cent occupancy with recent additions including premium and luxury tenants including Nespresso, MED Supper Club, Delysees, Kari Design & Build, Waxon + Sous La Face, and we are thrilled to welcome Porsche NOW – one of five approved boutiques in Canada and Happy Days Burgers & Poutine into the retail mix.
“We have additional destination uses under discussion which we hope to be able to announce in the coming months. We have seen this retail segment navigate their interest to Lansdowne Live over the last few years due to the unique features and demographics of the Glebe.
“We are also proud of our tenant incubator program that allows us to work with local start-ups who are looking for prime retail space to grow their business. In 2022, we welcomed Beandigen Café and Roll’d Up to our incubator program. Beandigen is an Indigenous owned and operated café featuring coffee, art, and the culture of Indigenous people. Roll’d Up features Thai style rolled ice cream, and other specialty dessert items.
We have utilized creative deal making to help work with retailers that allow them to build the retail experience they need to meet their customers needs. In turn, the retail mix continues to diversify at Lansdowne Live and we are able to continue to enhance the offering for the over four million visitors each year.”
He said there is one upcoming vacancy at 3,000 square feet that can be demised that is being marketed for lease. Officials are targeting destination retail uses (not including F&B) for this unit which sits below Whole Foods, and is in the same retail run as Sporting Life, Waxon + Sous La Face, and Nespresso.
“With the recent council approval for Lansdowne Live 2.0, this one of a kind mixed-use lifestyle centre in Canada is set for its second transformation and will enhance the offering of all existing elements. This will be anchored by a new 5,500-seat sports and entertainment centre, 50,000 square feet of net new flagship retail space across two levels in the podium of two new residential buildings with over 900+ residential units,” said Scorniaenchi.
“We are currently working with multiple uses that will enhance the entertainment offering for Lansdowne Live and will look to complement this with flagship retail and F&B for our at grade component. This will further cement Lansdowne Live as the place for dynamic retail, sports, entertainment, and culture in Ottawa.”
Scorniaenchi said officials are currently in the planning stages with the City of Ottawa and hope to start construction with the new entertainment centre which will take two years to complete. When that is built, the north end of the stadium stands will be demolished where two towers will be built with additional retail and office space.
The entire project will take another four to five years to complete.
“There is a demand and a need in Ottawa for live, work, play type situations and it’s been tried but this has been a success in terms of that use and mix that we want where people live here, work here and play here. The restaurants we have, the amenities, the grocery store. It all fits in terms of fitting that model and I think really right now when retailers are looking at Ottawa . . . you really look at (CF) Rideau Centre, you look at Westboro if you’re looking for more of a boutique, higher end and you have Lansdowne on Bank Street in the Glebe,” he said.
“The Glebe is a fantastic neighbourhood. It’s one of the better neighbourhoods in all of Ottawa. Ottawa for many retailers is a one to two store market and the natural assumption right away is to go to Rideau Centre that’s where all the retail is, that’s where the mall is, but I think people are starting to realize the streetfront opportunity that we have here in this mixed use component.
“The design here, the neighbourhood, and the demographic that we get, and just the quality of the retail buildings and all it has to offer here is really attractive to people.
“This is really the home for entertainment and culture right now in Ottawa. You add another 5,500 seat arena to that, you add in 900 more residential units, you’ve got something that is unique to all of Canada here.”
Current sports teams playing there include Ottawa Redblacks – CFL; Ottawa 67’s – OHL; Blackjacks – Canadian Elite Basketball league; Atletico Ottawa – Canadian Premier League; and Ottawa – PWHL.
The old Lansdowne Park, situated near the Rideau Canal, Ontario’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and along Bank Street, has been around since 1868. It has been a cultural, entertainment and sports hub since then.
