What’s the future for development along Isabella and Chamberlain Streets?
This site on Isabella just east of Bank has approved zoning for a 16-storey residential building with about 250 apartments, with ground-flood commercial space.
What’s the future for development along Isabella and Chamberlain Streets?
By Carolyn Mackenzie
Residents of the Glebe may not be aware of development activity along the Isabella and Chamberlain street corridors on the neighbourhood’s northern edge. These streets form a key connection to Centretown and downtown and are now the focus of several development proposals that could bring meaningful change in the coming years.
One example is 180–200 Isabella Street, just east of Bank Street, a site currently enclosed by a chain-link fence. The City has approved rezoning for a 16-storey residential building with approximately 250 new housing units, primarily one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with some ground-floor commercial space. A site plan application is now in progress.
The Glebe Community Association (GCA) has been working with both the City and the developer, Minto, to help ensure the project delivers not only much-needed housing, but also an attractive addition to what is currently a stark and underutilized stretch of the street.
To the west of Bank Street, at 30–48 Chamberlain Avenue, rezoning and site plan approvals are already in place for another 16-storey residential building, also with commercial uses at street level.
At the corner of Bank Street and Chamberlain Avenue, a City-owned parking lot is in the process of being transferred to Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation. The goal is to develop a mid-rise building providing permanently affordable, mixed-income housing. Expanding housing options like this within the Glebe and nearby areas is essential to maintaining a diverse and inclusive community.
Taken together, these projects reflect a broader shift toward intensification along key urban corridors. While growth brings challenges, it also creates important opportunities. Adding residents in this area supports local businesses, strengthens public transit and represents a more cost-effective approach to growth by making better use of existing infrastructure – rather than expanding outward and building entirely new roads, pipes and transit systems.
The GCA continues to actively monitor these proposals, working with residents, the City and developers throughout the process. While we recognize the urgent need for more housing – particularly affordable housing – we believe this must be balanced with thoughtful design, appropriate scale and meaningful improvements to the public realm for both new and existing residents. The GCA is also focused on holding the City accountable for ensuring that investment in public amenities keeps pace with intensification. This includes close attention to traffic impacts, pedestrian safety and overall neighbourhood livability.
A key example of needed public investment is the proposed multi-use pathway along Chamberlain and Isabella, from Percy to Elgin streets. The City’s early design envisions a full corridor transformation, including a continuous multi-use pathway, separation from traffic, safer redesigned intersections, reallocation of road space and stronger connections to the broader cycling network.
Such a corridor would give residents viable alternatives to driving, helping to ease congestion while encouraging more active, everyday transportation. However, although a functional design study was completed several years ago, the project has not advanced.
It is widely understood that the City is unlikely to move forward with detailed design or construction until at least some of the adjacent development projects proceed – along with the additional tax revenue they would generate. This creates a clear link between new development and the delivery of long-promised public infrastructure.
While the community has limited control over whether private developments move forward, there are opportunities to support projects that align with community priorities – and to invest in our community. In particular, the upcoming affordable housing development at Bank and Chamberlain represents a chance to both address housing needs and help build momentum for broader improvements along the corridor.
As plans continue to evolve, the GCA remains committed to ensuring that community voices are heard, that new development contributes positively to the neighbourhood, and that critical projects like the active transportation corridor are advanced. By aligning growth with investment in public amenities, there is an opportunity to create a more connected, inclusive and livable corridor along Isabella and Chamberlain streets.
Residents are encouraged to stay informed and engaged as these projects progress by joining the Glebe Community Association.
Further updates will be shared as more details become available.
Carolyn Mackenzie is chair of the GCA Planning Committee.