Council approves high-rise towers proposal across Central Experimental Farm

Ottawa City Council has given thumbs up to a high-rise towers proposal across the street from the the Central Experimental Farm.

Eighteen councillors voted yes and seven said no to the plan at 1081 Carling Avenue that would see an existing building and parking lots turn into two towers, one that is 16 storeys tall and the other being 27 storeys tall.

The City’s planning and housing committee approved the plan, located at 1081 Carling Avenue, for a second time on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Councillors had previously voted to send a controversial proposal for two high-rise buildings across from the Experimental Farm back to the City of Ottawa’s planning and housing committee because the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) was not provided enough notice about the meeting when the plan was approved.

The proposal features more than 350 residential apartments and has faced opposition, including the issue of shadowing from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and its impacts on research done at the Experimental Farm.

The developer, Taggart Realty Management, said the proposal meets all the guidelines within the City’s Official Plan, and the area councillor, Jeff Leiper agrees, even if he doesn’t “love the project.”