Building LeBreton

LeBreton Flats offers a unique opportunity to create an exciting destination and a dynamic new community in the heart of the Capital. The NCC has created a renewed vision for this important site, and is in the process of bringing it to life through the Building LeBreton project.

LeBreton Flats is a 29-hectare site anchored by two LRT stations at Pimisi and Bayview, aqueduct water features, and Nepean Inlet, with access to the Ottawa River.

The latest on the project

The Flats Phase development

Library Parcel development

LeBreton Flats major attractions

Master Concept Plan

LeBreton Flats pathway

Public Advisory Group

Memories of LeBreton Flats

Guiding principles

The project objectives will be based on the following guiding principles.

	Enhance the Capital Experience Reflect the national significance of LeBreton Flats by creating an ambitious new Capital destination that celebrates Canada.
	Build Community Create an inclusive place where anyone can live, work and play. Provide for facilities, services and public spaces that are active, lively and flexible and that contribute to community health and well-being.
	Create Connections Connect people and place by creating interactive public spaces and linking to amenities and surrounding communities. Build on access to LRT, and establish active transportation networks using a Vision Zero approach.
	Value Nature Prioritize the importance of the environment through design that restores, enhances and protects the natural features of the site, and provides greater accessibility to waterways. Utilize green infrastructure, promote biodiversity and create new green spaces.
	Foster Sustainability and Innovation Embed a culture of excellence throughout the life cycle of the project, and provide opportunities for innovation in design and sustainability. Build in climate mitigation and resiliency measures to aim to achieve a zero carbon community.
	Honour the Past Honour and interpret the role LeBreton Flats has played as a place of significance for the Algonquin Nation and in the development of the Capital, and connect this story to the site’s future. Recognize the lasting effects of important milestones such as the community’s expropriation.
	Make It Happen Ground the vision in a strategic implementation approach supported by market feasibility. Consult with the public and collaborate with partners to support timely progress and generate social, environmental and economic returns.

Process and timeline

The Building LeBreton project was launched in March 2019 and is ongoing.

The Building LeBreton project was launched following the cancellation of the previous LeBreton redevelopment project.

The first public consultation on the Building LeBreton project was held from June 18 to July 2, 2019.

A second public consultation on the draft Master Concept Plan was held November 21 to December 6, 2019.

On January 23, 2020, the NCC Board of Directors approved the preliminary Master Concept Plan for LeBreton Flats.

On October 30, 2020, the NCC launched a request for qualifications for the first phase of the Building LeBreton project: the Library Parcel development.

On April 22, 2021, the NCC Board of Directors approved the updated Master Concept Plan for LeBreton Flats. The NCC also announced the shortlist of proponents for the Library Parcel development.

In October 2021, the City of Ottawa Council approved its new Official Plan, which integrated most of the policies of the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan.

The first public realm project, the LeBreton Flats pathway, opened in December 2021.

Also in December 2021, the NCC launched a request for expressions of interest to seek proponents for innovative and ambitious destination anchors at two sites at LeBreton Flats. This process is ongoing.

In January 2022, the NCC announced Dream LeBreton as the successful proponent for the Library Parcel development. Dream LeBreton will build one of Canada’s largest residential net-zero developments at the Library Parcel, 665 Albert Street.

The NCC expects to release the next development phase of the Building LeBreton project, the Flats Phase, to the market in June 2022.

In mid-2022, the NCC plans to submit an Official Plan amendment for the City of Ottawa. The proposed change would turn the planned Preston arterial road extension into an active-mobility link over the O-Train tracks at LeBreton Flats, as envisioned in the Master Concept Plan.

Public and economic benefits

The Building LeBreton project is founded on important public and economic benefits. These include providing affordable housing, remediation of contaminated soil, creation of parks and public spaces, and supporting transit use and active transportation.

Based on a study commissioned by the NCC, it is estimated that construction spending over 30 years will contribute about $13.2 billion (in 2020 dollars) to the Canadian economy, generating millions in taxes each year. Each dollar spent during construction will have an impact of $3.57 to the Canadian economy.

During construction, the project will create 1,743 construction jobs per year.

The municipal and federal governments will also benefit from significant annual revenue (in 2020 dollars):

Average $1.2 million in development charges per year to the City during construction;
$13.7 million in annual property taxes to the City after build-out; and
$20.3 million in annual federal income tax during construction.

See the executive summary for more details.

History of LeBreton Flats

The NCC became custodian of LeBreton Flats in the early 1960s, when the land was expropriated, displacing the previous residents. This site, located just 1.5 kilometres west of the Capital’s Parliamentary Precinct and central business district, is steeped in Canada’s history.