Committee approves zoning for new wellness spa in Kanata

The Planning and Housing Committee today approved a zoning change that would allow a new destination wellness spa to be built in Kanata North.

The Planning and Housing Committee today approved a zoning amendment to facilitate development of a destination wellness spa in Kanata North.

The main spa building would be three storeys tall and would include spa services and a restaurant. Several smaller buildings are also planned to offer additional personal services. The site would include outdoor pools and treatment areas inside a fenced, landscaped space, with walking paths connecting the different areas. The spa would be located northeast of Solandt Road and Legget Drive and would be connected to the nearby Brookstreet Hotel.

The zoning change would rezone the property to allow the planned business type. It would also set a maximum building height of 44 metres and increase the amount of space allowed for personal services, restaurants and retail. Redeveloping this underused site supports the City’s Official Plan, which aims to create a mixed‑use, transit‑friendly innovation district in Kanata North.

This initiative is considered a High Economic Impact Project that will support the City’s economic development strategy and broader city-building priorities. It will generate new construction jobs and permanent employment opportunities, and represents a major private investment in Kanata North. By fostering projects like this, the City helps create the conditions businesses need to grow, encourages new companies to locate in Ottawa, and supports a strong local workforce.

Landmark buildings promise significant Centretown park space

The Committee approved changes to the Official Plan and Zoning by-law, along with a heritage permit, to allow two landmark buildings to be built on O’Connor Street between MacLaren and Gilmour streets. The project meets the City’s criteria for landmark buildings, which allows taller buildings than normally permitted under the Zoning By-law.

The proposal includes two towers, one with 27 storeys and the other with 25 storeys. Together, they would add 513 new homes in a walkable neighbourhood that is well served by transit. The base of the buildings would be four storeys tall and would include shops or other commercial uses at street level. About 40 per cent of the site, roughly 1,600 square metres, would be set aside as park space. That is roughly equivalent to a full city block of green space for residents to enjoy. The design also provides gradual height changes between the new buildings and nearby homes, and limits shadows on the park.

A heritage permit is required because the site is located within the Centretown Heritage Conservation District. The project would replace a surface parking lot and an existing building that does not add to the area’s heritage value. The base of the building will be clad in red brick to reflect the colours and materials used in nearby buildings and across the Centretown neighbourhood.

Tracking Ottawa’s housing approvals 

To help address the housing crisis, City Council committed to providing home builders enough opportunities to build 151,000 quality market homes by 2031. The City tracks the progress of residential development in Ottawa and shares that data through an interactive housing approvals dashboard.

Tracking began in January 2023, and between that time and the end of Q2 2025, Council has provided approvals for more than 60,000 new homes. In Q3 and Q4 of 2025, it is estimated this committee provided approvals for another 8,650 new homes, bringing the overall total of dwellings approved since tracking began to more than 68,650. That has put applicants in a position to build roughly 45 per cent of the homes required to meet that 2031 goal. In addition, zoning permissions for significantly more units have been granted through Council’s approval of the new Zoning By-law. 

If Council approves the land-use permissions that the Committee recommended today, applicants will be able to build another 513 new homes. Since the start of 2026, it is estimated this Committee has enabled the development of about 826 new homes.

City Council will consider the recommendations from today’s meeting on Wednesday, April 22.