By John Chenier
Thus far, Lowertown has managed to avoid the scourge of student bunkhouses that has infested the Sandy Hill community. While there are students living in the rooming houses, condos and houses in our community, we have not suffered from the proliferation of large boxy structures extending from lot line to lot line often just attached onto the back of a small house.
There are many types of student accommodation available these days, many of them projecting the illusion that they are somehow associated with the University of Ottawa. The Echo committed an error in the last issue when we stated that the new THÉO student residence development at King Edward and Rideau had been somehow sanctioned or sponsored by the University of Ottawa. In order to clarify the relationship the university has with various residences and to learn more about current residences and future plans, the Echo spoke with (interviewed?) Michel Guilbeault, Associate Vice-President, Student Life.
JC. How many residence buildings does the university operate?
MG. The university operates 11 residences and 25 off-campus houses located in Sandy Hill.
JC. How many have been added in the last five years?
MG. In the last five years five residences have been added and one has been decommissioned, Friel [240 Friel, a former seniors residence], Rideau [King Edward and Rideau, a former hotel], Henderson [202 Henderson], 45 Mann, and The Annex [265 Laurier]. The decommissioned one is Brooks, located on King Edward Avenue.
JC. How many were new construction buildings and how many were repurposed?
MG. Friel and Rideau were repurposed; the other three are new construction.
JC. How many students can now be accommodated in university residences?
MG. 1860 new spaces have been created in the last five years, and there are currently 4200 now that Brooks has been decommissioned.
JC. In Lowertown you have the former hotel on the southwest corner of King Edward Avenue and Rideau Street and the former senior’s residence on Friel? Are these private-public or joint-venture partnerships?
MG Yes, we do not consider them joint ventures, but all the new residences but one are done in partnership with private-sector investors. The exception is Henderson, which is owned by the university. However, all five are managed by the university, and they all provide amenities and services aimed at student success unique to living in a university residence.
JC. Do you have any links, formal or informal, with other outside providers of student accommodation?
MG. We do not. However, we are usually made aware of plans others may have for housing students, and we do have informal discussions with people considering building residences geared towards students.
JC. Do you have plans for adding any new residences in the next five years?
MG. Absolutely. They are plans which are not ready to be shared at the moment.
JC. Will these be done in partnership with private-sector investors as well?
MG. Possibly. The university remains open to offers. However, it has criteria that would need to be met. Location is the key. It will not accept new development in the heart of the Sandy Hill community; the project must be financially sustainable; and it must be possible to do programming and provide other necessary supports for students.
JC. Thank you for taking time to answer our questions
As noted above, the office building on the northeast corner of King Edward and Rideau is also being repurposed as a privately run student residence. THÉO, opening in the fall of 2019, offers upmarket amenities and living accommodation priced slightly above that of the university’s residences.
It is highly likely that more student residences will be built in Lowertown, either as private ventures or in partnership with the university. The Envie brand, an Ashcroft offshoot, already has plans to expand into the area. Their model is very interesting. The following is taken from their website.
A recognized builder of lifestyle communities
With over 25 years of experience and innovation, Ashcroft Homes has entered the ‘branded student lifestyle’ category with ENVIE. Like ALAVIDA LIFESTYLES, our senior-focussed communities, ENVIE brings Value-Added Property Management to the student accommodation market. From sourcing great locations and designing optimum condo suites for the student market to offering great amenity spaces in its communities and running the “ENVIE Student Life Program”, ENVIE offers added value to both students and investors. https://enviestudent.com/investors/
Individual investors, you ask? Yes, the business model is based on investors buying units, either singly or in blocks. How does it work?
Envie is offered as a pre-packaged income property and the easiest way to own student housing as an investment. Both the location and design of the building are optimized so that investors can own for less and rent for more. Hands-free benefits of condominium ownership are combined with a Property Management Service that manages leases and tenants and acts as the landlord for unit owners. https://enviestudent.com/investors/
One of the towers in the Trinity development at Rideau and Chapel is also rumoured to be a student residence of this type. It is somewhat ironic that it will be built right across the street from 160 Chapel , an apartment tower that housed the former Pestalozzi College, built as a student co-operative residence when student accommodation was much in demand in the 1970s.
But that’s another story for another issue of the Echo.