Little Italy residents worried about plans to demolish homes for a high-rise apartment building

Some Little Italy residents could face eviction as the city plans to build a new 12-storey building in its place. CTV’s Leah Larocque reports.

Some residents in Little Italy were taken aback to learn their homes will be demolished to make way for a high-rise apartment building.

The Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) is seeking permission to build a 12-storey apartment building at the corner of Loretta Avenue South and Hickory Street, replacing existing townhomes and detached houses on the site.

Bev Schmidt is one resident who is impacted. She says she is feeling “anxious and worried.”

“We’ve lived here for 23 years. So, my kids grew up here. So, we’re losing their childhood, lifelong home.”

The affordable housing development proposed near Ottawa’s Dow’s Lake LRT station would bring more than 120 rental homes to the city’s west-central core if approved by council.

Schmidt says she learned about the plans when she received a letter in the mail.

“I love this place. I was very skeptical moving here, and it ended up being like one of the best moves I had,” she said.

Schmidt says she has potentially found a new place but isn’t sure what all impacted residents will do.

According to planning documents filed with the City of Ottawa, the proposed building would contain approximately 124 rental units, including affordable housing in a transit-oriented development located just a short walk from the Dow’s Lake O-Train station.

The project would require amendments to both Ottawa’s Official Plan and zoning bylaw before it can move forward.

The lot is currently occupied by CCOC-owned affordable townhouses and privately owned several detached homes. Those buildings would be demolished to make way for the new development.

The proposal includes limited vehicle parking, with a small number of surface and underground spaces. Bicycle parking and shared amenity areas, including a rooftop terrace, are also planned.

“This is the vision that the city has for areas that are close to transit like this, which is denser, taller housing, allowing more people to live car free, allowing people to live in areas where we don’t have to continue sprawling the city further and further out,” said Coun. Jeff Leiper, the area councillor and chair of the planning committee.

“So, is it necessary? I would suggest that it’s aligned with what our Official Plan sees as necessary for handling growth in the city.”

The project recently received support through the federal government’s Build Canada Homes initiative, which aims to accelerate the construction of new housing across the country.

Developers are asking the city to fast-track its review of the application. According to a city memo in April, construction on these projects is expected to begin in 2026 or early 2027, helping to rapidly bring new housing supply online.

“My understanding is that this will go in front for a vote on that zoning July 8. So that’s coming up fairly quickly. It’s maybe a little more accelerated than we might see in a private development. From there, they’ll need to get their site plan approval.” Leiper said, adding the finances also need to be finalized.

Application in its early stages: CCOC

In a statement to CTV News, CCOC says the planning application is still in its early stages.

“We understand this is having an impact on folks, especially the impacted households, and that this is really stressful. We have reached out directly to all affected tenant households, and we are committed to working with individual households to understand and support their needs as the project advances toward construction,” CCOC said.

“We strive to go above Residential Tenancies Act requirements, and we hope to always approach those conversations with compassion.”

According to ACORN, a community union of low- and moderate-income people, residents should be aware of their rights when it comes to compensation.

They define a demoviction by when a tenant is displaced because of their home being demolished.

Referencing the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), landlords must compensate tenants for N13 demovictions.

Compensation amounts depend on the size of the building. For example, tenants in buildings with fewer than five units can receive the equivalent to one month of rent. Buildings with five or more units would be equivalent to three months of rent.

According to the RTA, compensation must be paid on or before the termination date listed on the eviction notice.

“I’m feeling good that they’ll work with them and probably have a good outcome. But in many cases, those tenants who are being displaced by new developments are going to find the housing market very challenging,” Leiper said.

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