FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29^, 2022

MP YASIR NAQVI ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF A TASK FORCE TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN OTTAWA

Ottawa, Ontario —

Today, Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, announced the creation of the Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force. The members of the Task Force represent a strong and diverse collection of voices, and community partners invested in the rejuvenation and revitalization of Ottawa’s downtown core.

Following the last two years of pandemic hardship, downtown Ottawa has changed significantly. Downtown office workers from communities across the region have changed their commuting habits. A business community that once relied on daily foot traffic in the tens of thousands is struggling to get by. Ottawa’s transit system, once envisioned to bring workers from the suburbs to downtown, has yet to re-gain its pre-pandemic ridership. Recognizing this, Yasir Naqvi, in his capacity as the local MP for Ottawa Centre, is bringing together community and business representatives to propose creative ideas for Ottawa’s downtown core, post-pandemic.

The Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force includes affordable/social housing advocates, not-for-profit and for-profit housing developers, Indigenous leaders, sustainability advocates, local business improvement area representatives, and tourism stakeholders. This represents a comprehensive table of community and business leaders with the knowledge and experience needed to propose innovative, ambitious ideas for downtown Ottawa’s successful future.

“We need to take a deep look at the future of downtown Ottawa with all relevant and interested voices around the table,” says Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, the riding that includes much of downtown Ottawa. “With the continuation of hybrid working arrangements, and need for more affordable housing in the area, it is important to create a space for people with diverse backgrounds and expertise to come together to develop new ideas and strategies to reimagine the downtown of Canada’s capital city.”

The Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force will focus on bringing innovative ideas to tackle the challenges faced by Ottawa’s downtown communities. The group will study possible avenues to address known challenges to affordable, accessible housing in the area, reinvigorate local businesses by catalyzing the return of residents and tourists, provide ideas for a more sustainable environment, and more inclusive community spaces that promote Indigenous reconciliation.

“Downtown Ottawa needs more affordable and social housing,” says Graeme Hussey, President of the not-for-profit housing developer Cahdco and Co-Chair of the Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force. “With federal government employees and other office workers remaining at home, the time is right to evaluate what else can be done with all of this empty office space.”

The Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force will begin meeting in August, and will continue to meet on a regular basis over the next several months to develop a robust suite of proposals. The recommendations developed by the Task Force will be shared with federal and municipal governments as a resource to help rejuvenate our downtown core post-pandemic.

“The creation of this Task Force comes at the perfect time,” says Neil Malhotra, Vice President of Claridge Homes and Co-Chair of the Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force. “We need to build consensus on a way to move forward to bring activity back to Canada’s national capital, and we’re all excited to see what we can come up with as a group representing many different voices within our community.”

Quick facts:

• Statistics Canada estimates that 46 per cent of Ottawa’s workforce is still working from home. Elsewhere in the country, that rate is roughly 28 per cent of the workforce.
• Demand for office space has remained between half and two-thirds of the pre-pandemic rate of demand, according to the VTS Office Demand Index.
• The average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the Centretown neighbourhood of Ottawa is roughly $1,600 per month.
• The average cost to purchase a home in Ottawa is $690,940. To purchase a condominium, the average price is $438,980.
• The Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force Committee is composed of:
  • Graeme Hussey, President of Cahdco (Co-Chair)
  • Neil Malhotra, Vice President, Claridge Homes (Co-Chair)
  • A Representative from the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition
  • Mary Huang, President, Centretown Community Association
  • Sueling Ching, President and CEO, Ottawa Board of Trade
  • Christine Leadman, Executive Director, Bank Street BIA
  • Kevin McHale, Executive Director, Sparks Street BIA
  • Catherine Callary, Vice President of Destination Development, Ottawa Tourism
  • John Thomas, Founder, Azure Urban Developments
  • Christophe Rivet, Director - Strategies, EVOQ Strategies
  • Catherine McKenney, Councillor, Somerset Ward (Observer)
  • Mathieu Fleury, Councillor, Rideau-Vanier Ward (Observer)
  • A Representative from the City of Ottawa Mayor's Office (Observer)

Media Contact:

Jared Maltais

Office of the MP Yasir Naqvi

[email protected]