LeBreton Flats Redevelopment

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Project status
Planning underway

History of LeBreton Flats

The neighbourhood of LeBreton Flats is located in downtown Ottawa, west of Bronson Avenue, east of the Trillium transit line, south of the Ottawa River and north of Albert Street.

Historically, LeBreton Flats was an industrial and working class neighborhood. In the early 1960s, the Government of Canada expropriated the lands to build an office campus and placed the lands in the custody of the National Capital Commission (NCC). For a number of reasons, the federal office campus was never built and LeBreton Flats remained vacant for decades.

The redevelopment of LeBreton Flats began with extensive decontamination of the soil and the construction of the Canadian War Museum in 2005. Soon after, new residents moved into the first new residential buildings in the area. Over the next two decades, many exciting projects in LeBreton Flats will help to transform the area into a thriving community again.

Please visit the National Capital Commission’s website  to learn more about the history of LeBreton Flats. 

Building LeBreton

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. This area 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: the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan, which was approved by the NCC’s Board of Directors in April 2021. The plan is based on public feedback and outlines a multi-decade vision to transform LeBreton Flats into a complete urban community and Capital destination.

The plan envisions a place that is pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly, surrounded by lively and active parks and plazas, including the dynamic Aqueduct District, the Ottawa riverfront and a large Park District. A diverse residential community will be supported by retail and employment opportunities, capitalizing on direct access to two O-Train stations.

The Master Concept Plan contains almost 30 implementation targets that form the core of the NCC’s commitment to the creation of public benefits. Progress toward achieving the targets will be reported to the NCC’s board of directors on an annual basis.

Latest on the project

Official Plan amendment application – Preston Street corridor

The NCC has applied to amend the City’s Official Plan to remove plan for an extension of Preston Street as an arterial road bridge through LeBreton Flats from Albert Street to Wellington Street. Instead, the NCC is proposing a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists only. Find out more here.

665 Albert Street development applications

The City of Ottawa has received Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan Control applications to permit the development of two high-rise buildings (31 and 36 storeys), including amendments to the permitted height, permitted floor area, setbacks and mobility network, and lifting of the holding symbol. This proposed development is the first phase to be implemented from the NCC’s LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan as part of its Building LeBreton project.