Brigil buys Ottawa’s Central Bus Station, plans to turn it into bustling hub

Ottawa’s Central Station bus station will have a new owner come the spring, with plans to replace it with a bustling hub of hotels, condos and stores, among other amenities.

Brigil, an economic development company, has acquired the site at 265 Catherine Street, at the juncture of the Glebe, downtown and Little Italy.

The company says it already envisions a hub of luxury rental condos, office space, hotel buildings, neighbourhood restaurants and speciality stores to occupy the 2.55 acre site.

“When the broker presented us with the business opportunity, I immediately started visualizing countless ways to make the most of this tremendous location,”  Brigil president and founder Gilles Desjardins said. “I am delighted that the Brigil team is the one that get to conceptualize this new project, committed as we are to building comprehensive living environments where residents can thrive. We build with a purpose.”

The offer to buy the property was accepted and the conditions were set in December 2020.

The transaction will officially close on March 1.

“This is a gem,” Jean-Luc Rivard, director of land development and infrastructure, said. “It will be able to accommodate thousands of people who will bring the area to life. The economic impact will be enormous for the neighbourhood. And of course, Parliament is only 1.5 km from the site, making it an ideal location for workers and tourists.”

The company is still in the preliminary design phase, and expects to file its project with the city in the spring, with plans to start construction in 2023.

An architectural design competition involving local, Montreal and Toronto architectural firms is already underway.