Confederation Heights Master Plan

Learn about the Confederation Heights Master Plan, which will transform federal buildings and properties into a sustainable, mixed-use, transit-oriented, complete community in the nation’s capital.

Project overview

Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Type of project: Master planning
Lead department: Partnership: Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Canada Lands Company

Project description

PSPC and Canada Lands Company are working in collaboration to prepare and deliver the Confederation Heights Master Plan. The master plan will guide the development of the site into a sustainable, transit-oriented, urban, mixed-use community. This site will continue to have a federal employment presence over the next 25 years.

PSPC and Canada Lands are developing the plan through engagement with Indigenous Peoples and a wide range of stakeholders, including:

the National Capital Commission (NCC)
federal government departments and agencies
the City of Ottawa
residents

Confederation Heights is an existing federal employment area located approximately 5 kilometres south of Ottawa’s downtown core, totalling approximately 188 hectares (464 acres). The site is bound by:

the Rideau River to the north and west
the Airport Parkway and Data Centre Road to the east
Hog’s Back Road and Brookfield Road to the south

Within the site, PSPC owns 70 hectares (173 acres) of property. Other federal custodians include the NCC, the Canada Post Corporation and Health Canada. The City of Ottawa also owns a significant amount of land on the site, including public rights-of-way and the O-Train line.

Buildings on PSPC property include:

875 Heron Road:
- Taxation Data Centre and Headquarters Building (recognized heritage building)
719 Heron Road:
- Sir Leonard Tilley Building
- Wings A and B (recognized heritage building)
- Wings C and D
- Annex E
2720 Riverside Drive:
- Sir Charles Tupper Building (recognized heritage building)
1500 Bronson Avenue—former Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) building:
- Headquarters Building (classified heritage building)
- Annex F
790 Heron Road:
- Private Branch Exchange Building
2451 Riverside Drive:
- Recreation Association (RA) Centre Building
501 Heron Road:
- Central Heating and Cooling Plant Building

View enlarged image of an urban map with labels for surrounding landmarks — Map of Confederation Heights and surrounding landmarks in the City of Ottawa, including Dow’s Lake, Bronson Avenue, Bank Street, Lansdowne Park, the Rideau Canal, Old Ottawa South, the Billings Bridge Mall, the Heron Park community, the Airport Parkway, Riverside Park, the Rideau River, Hog’s Back Park, Vincent Massey Park, Heron Road, the Central Experimental Farm, the Rideau Canal and Carleton University
(Click to view enlarged image.)

Project updates

Canada Lands Company and PSPC are holding multiple rounds of public engagement sessions throughout the master planning process. For updates and details regarding the master plan, and to subscribe to the project’s mailing list, visit Confederation Heights: Realize the potential.

Photo gallery

Click on the image to view a larger version.

View enlarged image of an arial view of office building and parking lot in fall with overcast skies.

View enlarged image of an arial view of office building surrounded by manicured lawn in fall.

View enlarged image of an office building surrounded by trees and tall grasses.

View enlarged image of an arial view of office building surrounded by roads, manicured grass lawn and trees in fall.

View enlarged image of a ground perspective photograph of industrial-style building surrounded by asphalt parking lot and high fence.

View enlarged image of a ground perspective photograph of office building with manicured grass lawn and large ornamental trees, surrounded by high fence.

Benefits to Canadians

The partnership will deliver important socio-economic benefits for Canadians, including:

ensuring environmental stewardship and sustainability
providing new residential housing, such as:
- affordable housing
- community amenities
facilitating the shift toward sustainable modes of transportation, including:
- walking
- cycling
- public transit

Project background

Confederation Heights, originally called Rideau Heights, includes 188 hectares (464 acres) of land owned by the federal and municipal governments, including the City of Ottawa’s O-Train Trillium line and the Canadian National Railway (CNR) and VIA Rail line.

Confederation Heights is located on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnabe. In the 18th century, the site became an area of European settlement along the Rideau River. It later evolved into an employment-focused area after 1950, when Jacques Gréber’s plan for the National Capital Region identified the site as a federal employment campus. Today, the site is an employment area characterized by federal office buildings, surface parking lots and open spaces.

Many of the federal buildings and assets in Confederation Heights were built throughout the 1950s and into the 1970s. They are now reaching an age where they require repairs and rehabilitation. The master plan will consider opportunities to transform this federal employment area. It will look to change the area into a sustainable, mixed-use, transit-oriented community that connects better with surrounding neighbourhoods and includes new housing, high-quality public realm spaces and amenities.

Page details

Date modified:: 2024-03-07

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