Vacant Industrial and Business Park Lands Survey

The 2020 to Mid-2022 Vacant Industrial Land report marks the first assessment and monitoring of vacant industrial land in the city of Ottawa based on the latest city of Ottawa Official Plan adopted by Ottawa City Council in November 2021. This report examines employment lands under the previous Official Plan and the impact of the new employment areas designated under the new Official Plan. 

Data from the survey have a wide variety of applications, including information for economic development, assessing the capacity of various areas to meet Official Plan policies for a balance of jobs and housing, and monitoring of supply adequacy and land consumption rates. This report includes detailed mapping of all industrial and business park areas in urban, suburban and rural parts of the city.

This report changes the reporting period of industrial and business park lands from a calendar year to a mid-year to mid-year period, beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2022.

Highlights

The total city-wide supply of vacant industrial and business park land stood at 1,081 net hectares as of June 30, 2022. This is a decrease of 419 net hectares since last reported for the end of 2019. Approximately 60 per cent (653 net hectares) of the vacant land supply was located in the urban/suburban area, split between 69 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and 583 net hectares outside the Greenbelt. A total of 428 net hectares of vacant land were provided in the rural area. 

For Industrial and Logistics designated land, the 53 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and the 416 net hectares in the urban area provided for a total of 469 hectares of urban designated land. Approximately 393 net hectares of Rural Industrial and Logistics vacant land was found in the rural area. This mid-2022 is sufficient to satisfy the intent of the policies found in section 1.3.2.7 of the 2020 Provincial Policy Statement to accommodate the needs for lands supportive of industrial development during the time horizon of the Official Plan or until 2046.

Based on the results of this report, there are roughly 40 years of vacant urban land designated as Industrial and Logistics when only development for industrial uses is considered and 31 years when all types of development are considered. There are 33 years of supply of vacant lands designated as Rural Industrial and Logistics land in the new Official Plan.

Vacant Industrial and Business Park Lands Survey 2020 to mid-2022 [ PDF 10.6 MB ]

The Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department updates the City’s inventory of vacant industrial and business park land every two years. The 2018-19 survey reports detailed results as of December 31, 2019. The survey also estimates the vacant industrial land supply as of July 1, 2018. Data from the survey have a wide variety of applications, including information for economic development, assessing the capacity of various areas to meet Official Plan policies for a balance of jobs and housing, and monitoring of supply adequacy and land consumption rates. This report includes detailed mapping of all industrial and business park areas in urban, suburban and rural parts of the city.

The total city-wide supply of vacant industrial and business park land on July 1, 2018, was estimated to be 1,566 net hectares, with approximately 818 net hectares within the urban area and 748 net hectares in the rural area.

The total city-wide supply of vacant industrial and business park land on December 31, 2019 is estimated to be 1,500 net hectares. This is a reduction of 119 net hectares from the supply at the end of 2017 and are mainly the result of Official Plan Amendments and zoning changes in several industrial areas.

At the end of 2019, 53 per cent (798 net hectares) of vacant industrial land was located in the urban area, with 257 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and 540 net hectares outside the Greenbelt. A total of 703 net hectares of vacant land were provided in the rural area in 2019.

Between 2018 and 2019, a total of 73 gross hectares of industrial land were developed, comprised of 60 gross hectares in 2018 and 13 gross hectares in 2019. This figure drops to 68 gross hectares when land developed for non-industrial uses is excluded.

Eighty-five per cent of the land in business parks inside the Greenbelt had been developed as by December 31, 2019. Of the remaining vacant land, roughly 75 per cent (193 hectares) in 2019 were in public ownership, primarily by the federal government (mainly the Airport Authority).

Using running average rates of consumption over the last 35 years, the December 31, 2019 inventory will last for approximately 20 years in urban and suburban areas. The rural area at historic rates of development has about 62 years of supply.

Vacant Industrial and Business Park Land Survey 2018-2019 [ PDF 7.890 MB ]

This report is an update of the City's inventory of vacant industrial and business park lands. The survey reports on the inventory of vacant industrial and business park land in the urban, suburban and rural areas of the City of Ottawa as of the end of 2017. Data from the survey have a wide variety of applications, including information for economic development, assessing the capacity of various areas to meet Official Plan policies for a balance of jobs and housing potential, and monitoring of supply adequacy and land consumption rates. The report includes detailed mapping of all industrial and business park areas in both urban and rural parts of the city. Additional detail is contained in the report.

At the end of 2017, nearly 50 per cent (810 net hectares) of vacant industrial land was located in the urban area, with 270 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and 539 net hectares outside the Greenbelt. A total of 809 net hectares of vacant land were provided in the rural area in 2017.

Between 2016 and 2017, a total of 49 gross hectares of industrial land were developed comprised of 32 hectares in 2016 and 16 hectares in 2017. This figure drops to 29 hectares when land developed for non-industrial uses is excluded.

The report indicated that almost eighty-four per cent of the land in business parks inside the Greenbelt had been developed as of the end of 2017. Of the remaining vacant land, 70 per cent (189 hectares) in 2017 were in public ownership, primarily by the federal government (mainly the Airport Authority).

Expansion Land – Remaining lots that are judged to be of significant size when only a portion of a property parcel gets developed. These “expansion” lots are not counted as part of the overall vacant industrial land supply unless at some point the area is severed and a new lot is created.

Vacant Industrial and Business Park Lands Survey 2016 - 2017
Part 1 [ PDF 1.872 MB ]
Part 2 [ PDF 10.855 MB ]
Part 3 [ PDF 2.766 MB ]

Highlights

Inventory of Vacant Industrial and Business Park Lands 2014-15 [ PDF 2.186 MB ]

This report is an update of the City's inventory of vacant industrial and business park lands. The survey reports on the inventory of vacant industrial and business park land in the urban, suburban and rural areas of the City of Ottawa as of the end of 2015. Data from the survey have a wide variety of applications, including information for economic development, assessing the capacity of various areas to meet Official Plan policies for a balance of jobs and housing potential, and monitoring of supply adequacy and land consumption rates. The report includes detailed mapping of all industrial and business park areas in both urban and rural parts of the city. Additional detail is contained in the report.

At the end of 2015, nearly 54 per cent (1,009 net hectares) of vacant industrial land was located in the urban area, with 256 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and 753 net hectares outside the Greenbelt. A total of 843 net hectares of vacant land were provided in the rural area in 2015.

Between 2014 and 2015, a total of 38.6 of industrial land were developed comprised of 16.1 hectares in 2014 and 22.5 hectares in 2015. This figure drops to 30.2 hectares when land developed for non-industrial uses is excluded.

The report indicated that almost eighty-five per cent of the land in business parks inside the Greenbelt had been developed as of the end of 2015. Of the remaining vacant land, 67 per cent (172 hectares) in 2015 were in public ownership, primarily by the federal government (mainly the Airport Authority) and the City of Ottawa. Using running average rates of consumption over the last 31 years, the city has an estimated 24 year supply of urban employment land. The rural area at historic rates of development has about 81 years of supply.

Expansion Land – Remaining lots that are judged to be of significant size when only a portion of a property parcel gets developed. These “expansion” lots are not counted as part of the overall vacant industrial land supply unless at some point the area is severed and a new lot is created.

Net/Gross – Net vacant land is derived by applying an 85 per cent factor on lots greater than 5.0 hectares and some smaller sized lots if they are adjacent to these large lots.

Highlights

Inventory of Vacant Industrial and Business Park Lands 2012-13 [ PDF 18.4 MB ] 

The total city-wide supply of vacant industrial and business park land stood at 1,817.1 net hectares as of the end of December 2013. This is a decrease of 368 net hectares since last reported for the end of 2011. Much of the difference is due to removal of previously inventoried land that has been zoned for non-industrial uses and to make consistent lands classed as "expansion" which do not form part of the vacant land supply.

Approximately 58 per cent (1,052.9 net hectares) of the vacant land supply was located in the urban area, split between 265.6 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and 787.2 net hectares outside the Greenbelt. A total of 764.2 net hectares of vacant land were provided in the rural area.

During 2012 and 2013, a total 18.5 hectares of industrial land were developed comprised of 10.5 hectares in 2012 and 8.0 hectares in 2013 (Table 4). This figure drops to 14.9 hectares when land developed for non-industrial uses is excluded (Table 5).

Nearly eighty-five percent (84.9 per cent) of the land in business parks inside the Greenbelt had been developed as of the end of 2013. Of the 265.6 net hectares that remain, 63 per cent (166.9 hectares) are in public ownership, primarily by the federal government (mostly the Airport Authority) and the City of Ottawa.

Using running average rates of consumption over the last 29 years, the city had an estimated 24 year supply of urban employment land at the end of 2013. The rural area has an even larger supply; at historic development rates there are over 72 years of rural supply.

Applying the methodology of the Employment Lands Study, 2012 Update, the urban land supply at the end of 2013 was sufficient for 31 years, and the rural supply for 79 years.

Highlights

Cover page : [ PDF 552 KB ]
Pages 1 – 18: [ PDF 1.64 MB ]
Pages 19 – 35: [ PDF 18.1 MB ]
Pages 36-46: [ PDF 16.3 MB ]
Pages 47–63: [ PDF 6.43 MB ]

The total city-wide supply of vacant industrial and business park land stood at 2,185.5 net hectares as of the end of December 2011. This is a decrease of 185 net hectares since last reported for the end of 2009.

Approximately 56 per cent (1,220.9 net hectares) of the vacant land supply was located in the urban area, split between 329.9 net hectares inside the Greenbelt and 891 net hectares outside the Greenbelt. A total of 964.6 net hectares of vacant land were provided in the rural area.

During 2010 and 2011, a total 106.8 hectares of industrial land were developed comprised of 61.8 hectares in 2010 and 45 hectares in 2011 (Table 4). This figure drops to 92.9 hectares when land developed for non-industrial uses is excluded (Table 5).

Over 80 percent (83.8 per cent) of the land in business parks inside the Greenbelt had been developed as of the end of 2011. Of the 329.9 net hectares that remain, 66 per cent (219.1 hectares) are in public ownership, primarily by the federal government (mostly the Airport Authority) and the City of Ottawa.

Using running average rates of consumption over the last 27 years, the city had an estimated 29 year supply of urban employment land at the end of 2011. The rural area has an even larger supply; at historic development rates there are over 86 years of rural supply.

Applying the methodology of the Employment Lands Study, 2012 Update, the urban land supply at the end of 2011 was sufficient for 36 years, and the rural supply for 100 years.