A historic church in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood that now serves as a community hub will soon be linked to The Evergreen, a nine-storey, 121-unit condo development by local builder Windmill Development Group.

The tower is designed to serve a diverse set of downtown buyers with units ranging from studios to three bedrooms and penthouses. The Evergreen will be connected to the existing event space allsaints and its on-site restaurant and coffee shop, which occupy a building that was formerly the All Saints Anglican Church.

“For us, as a product offering, it creates a really unique opportunity to have condo living with a sense of community, very easy access to a great restaurant, coffee shop as well as an amazing neighbourhood,” Jeremy Reeds, president of Ottawa-based Windmill, said in an interview with RENX Homes.

The 125-year-old church building and condo tower will be along Laurier Ave., between Chapel and Blackburn streets.

As per its One Planet Living framework that places environmental sustainability at the forefront of its projects, The Evergreen will be developed as a net-zero operational building that prioritizes minimal carbon emissions and efficient resource use.

It is one of five condos and large-scale rental projects Windmill is developing in the city. Windmill is introducing more units to a market that not seen significant condo launches in several years, Reeds said. 

Another Ottawa church-based project for Windmill

Leanne Moussa, the owner of allsaints, led the redevelopment of the church with local investors, and spent two years rezoning the site for multiresidential housing. Windmill purchased the excess land on the site for The Evergreen, and the proceeds will be reinvested by Moussa into allsaints. 

For The Evergreen, Windmill partnered with Moussa through the entitlement process in 2022, and in earning the approval of the community.

Though the All Saints Anglican Church may no longer exist as a house of worship, its spirit will linger on via the architecture of The Evergreen.

“There’s certain heritage elements of the project that we had to be mindful of in the design,” Reeds said.

The church’s 27-inch-thick, two-storey limestone wall will be visible in the condo’s lobby, and the front entrance will feature glass walls and stained glass. The Evergreen’s north façade will borrow its design from the buttressing of the church and the window arrangement.

It is not the first time Windmill has developed a project connected to a church in Ottawa. Stone Abbey Residences is a joint Windmill-Southminster United Church effort consisting of condo units and townhomes. It is also located in the downtown area, along Aylmer Avenue at Bank Street.

Buyers for units at The Evergreen are expected to be families, working professionals and seniors. Prices will start in the mid-$300,000s for the smallest units up to approximately $2.8 million for the largest.

A common rooftop terrace is planned to provide a patio and a private dining space. Many of the units are expected to have private balconies and terraces. The ground floor will feature a lounge and a co-working space as shared amenities.

Just like Stone Abbey Residences, The Evergreen will be within walking distance of downtown Ottawa and the University of Ottawa. Plus, the parks and trail network of the Rideau Canal will be easily accessible.

The early sales launch is to take place this month, with first occupancy expected in the summer of 2028.

How The Evergreen will be a green building

Windmill undertakes many of its projects as partnerships with local landowners or building owners to create new spaces that envision the past and future of the community, Reeds said.

This ethos tracks with its commitment to the One Planet Living values, a 10-point set of principles that emphasize the environment and well-being.

As a net-zero operational carbon building, all units will be equipped with electric appliances and a geoexchange system will provide heating and cooling.

All the parking spaces will be electric vehicle-ready. To encourage residents to bike rather than drive, a one-to-one ratio of car to bike parking will be built into The Evergreen.

Rainwater will be captured and reused, which is expected to halve potable water use.

Up to 50 per cent of the embodied carbon emissions at The Evergreen will be cut with these design choices, Windmill says.

Windmill’s planned Ottawa, Toronto projects

Canada’s capital is “a great market, great location,” Reeds said, because of its stable economy and heightened political certainty since the federal election concluded.

Windmill is servicing a “unique market location where there is not a lot of stock of inventory on the market right now,” he explained, which puts the developer in a good position to introduce The Evergreen.

Windmill has 10 projects in various stages of pre-development and construction split evenly between Ottawa and Toronto, Reeds said.

In Toronto, those include Hälsa 230 Royal York, a three-tower co-op at 2444 Eglinton Ave. and Courcelette.

In Ottawa, it is also developing two large-scale rentals on 2475 Regina St. and 384 Arlington St. Reeds said construction on those two projects could be started later this year.