On November 3, 2021—inspired by the One Planet Living principles—Windmill Developments broke ground on a new pipeline of comprehensive, community-focused redevelopments, marking the occasion with a small ceremony at Southminster United Church in the Old Ottawa South neighborhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Flanked by members of the Church, Windmill CEO Jonathan Westeinde was on site to celebrate this important collaboration and the start of construction of the Stone Abbey Residences.
The redevelopment of an underutilized community room structure will introduce a six-story, nineteen-unit, boutique building onto a severed piece of the church’s property.
To ensure the Church’s longevity and continued operations, Windmill advanced a portion of the development proceeds ahead of the new Stone Abbey building being constructed to revitalize the 90-year-old church, which remains a vibrant, vital part of the community.
Church improvements included relocating community meeting space into the full renovated basement of the original structure and improving overall building systems and performance.
“Seeing the initiative for redeveloping our space come to fruition is a truly rewarding milestone for our congregation. This is the next milestone in a positive and rewarding collaboration with Windmill Developments,” says Andrew Brewin, Co-Treasurer and Chair of the Redevelopment Committee of Southminister Church.
“We are excited to see this development raise the profile of this corner of Ottawa between the canal, Bank Street and Aylmer, not only as an historic landmark but also as an important new component of our community,” he added.
Launched as a partnership between Epic Investment Services and Windmill, the One Planet Living Fund is a closed-end, mixed-use opportunistic real estate development impact fund designed to accelerate the implementation of impact investing principles in real estate while generating market returns.
By launching The Fund, Windmill and Epic are hoping to popularize the adoption of the One Planet Living framework across Canada and North America with an initial focus in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area.
“We’re excited to be breaking ground on Stone Abbey and delivering a gentle mix of density into an in-demand neighbourhood in South Ottawa while also fortifying operations for a significant community hub,” continued Westeinde.
“This groundbreaking is particularly noteworthy for Windmill, because it represents the first project in our pipeline to receive funding from the One Planet Living Fund. As developers with deep roots in Ottawa, we recognize that our industry needs to shift how we build to better deal with the demands of both climate change and the housing crisis. The ten One Planet Living principles that inform this development embrace both social and ecological innovation, offering a viable path forward for all builders,” he concluded.
Stone Abbey is one of three projects to receive contributions from The Fund and the first to break ground. Other projects in the billion-dollar pipeline include Baker District in Guelph, Ontario and a site-intensification partnership with Parkway House in Ottawa.
Designed by Hobin Architecture and Michael London Design, Stone Abbey residences will range in size from 685 to 2,360 square feet. Blending the traditional architecture of the existing church with contemporary design, Stone Abbey embodies intimate sophistication centered upon wellness, beauty, and community connection.
A rooftop terrace offers future residents expansive scenic views of the canal, as well as community gardening plots. Along with adopting the principles of the One Planet Living framework, Stone Abbey will be targeting a LEED Platinum Certification, with plans to include geothermal heating and cooling.
Stone Abbey is a rare residence that will provide demonstrable impact via enhanced community services, as well as a low ecological footprint, while still delivering market-leading luxury with expertly curated suites starting from $1.1 million.
Photos courtesy of Windmill Developments.