A proposal to build two high-rise residential buildings in Hintonburg could mean the demolition of the existing building at the site and the closure of a popular café. An application has been filed with the City of Ottawa to build a 33-storey mixed-use building and a 31-storey residential building on a property at Breezehill Avenue North and Laurel Street, one block away from the Corso Italia O-Train station. If it goes ahead, businesses at the current site will be forced to shut down, including the original Happy Goat Coffee location on Laurel Street. “This is our flagship. We have a lot of customers that visit us every day, and we have not only regular customers but visitors. We’re more of a destination because of our roasting. It will be a hard for us to replace that,” said Henry Assad, CEO of Happy Goat Coffee Company. The local company’s original coffee shop and roastery has been at the location for 15 years. The company now operates over a dozen locations and kiosks in Ottawa-Gatineau. It also recently opened a location in Kingston and two cafes in Montreal. “It’s really sad because it’s a great spot,” said Ian Parks, a customer visiting Happy Goat on Monday. “It’s a little bit of a kind of local secret to a lot of people. It’s going to be a big loss.” Assad says they invested heavily in the location and will be hard for the business, but it doesn’t come to him as a surprise. “I know that the landlords were trying to apply for a change of use of the building, from light industrial to multi-residential. So, it looks like the application is moving ahead,” said Assad. The development would fit into the city’s plan for intensification around transit hubs, with the area just steps away from Corso Italia Station. “I love this little area. Kind of like an artsy neighborhood. It makes me a little sad that they’re going to demolish these spaces,” said nearby resident Barbara Diaz. “At the same time, we need housing. I’m very much of a firm believer of build up and not out into the suburbs. I feel like I’m torn between two places.” If the development goes ahead, Assad hopes to be back when the development is complete. “We will look forward to moving the production, but we definitely will also look forward to coming back as a cafe and to the area. Hopefully it’ll work out,” said Assad. The application will be considered by the city’s planning and housing committee in November.
