First phase of Brigil founder’s $300 million « dream project » comes to fruition.
An early evening sunset made for a stunning backdrop as Brigil’s founding president, Gilles Desjardins, held the official opening of The Dale, a $300 million community on Parkdale Avenue with spectacular views of the Ottawa River, downtown Ottawa and Gatineau.
Jim Watson, Mayor of the City of Ottawa, with Gilles Desjardins, Brigil’s founding president, and his sons Kevin and Jessy.
The event was held as the first 33-storey tower, Ottawa’s tallest residential rental skyscraper, reached completion at 121 Parkdale Avenue and work is underway on a second high-rise tower at 99 Parkdale Avenue, which will overlook the city at 29 storeys.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson joined in the festivities, toured the luxury building and congratulated Desjardins on the project and his contributions in giving back to the community.
Once completed, nearly 900 people will live at the Dale, which will, over the next few years, inject tens of millions of dollars into the community and to the approximately 600 shops, restaurants and local services located in the area.
Mayor Watson also noted the convenient location near light rapid transit (LRT) and the former Prince of Wales Bridge, which Ottawa city council recently committed $14 million to fixing for pedestrian, cross-country skiing and cycling use.
“Mayor Watson and the City of Ottawa’s administration have been invaluable partners in guiding us through this journey,” said Gilles Desjardins. “The Dale is an ambitious project and one I’ve been dreaming and working on for a long time.”
Also key to Gilles Desjardins vision for the project was meeting the rising demand for luxury rental accommodation, says Jessy Desjardins, Brigil’s vice-president of development and design.
“He realized that empty nesters didn’t really want to go into a retirement home right away after leaving their homes. The idea is to create a sense of community where people can gather and live together and have all the benefits of a very big home but with the chores of a small one.”
The Dale, however, is appealing to more than empty nesters. “We hear that people appreciate the diversity in the community,” says Jessy Desjardins. “There’s a strong connection between someone who has just retired and someone who has just started their career, and they can interact and benefit from each other. It’s the perfect lifestyle for empty nesters as well as young professionals.”
In addition, The Dale will offer a wide range of amenities that fit nicely into the area’s picturesque location in the Mechanicsville neighborhood.
In the first tower, there’s a beautiful lobby that extends into a lounge; plus a gym, a pool and patio, a fireplace and a rooftop lounge. More amenities will be added at the second tower with a link between the two residential towers allowing residents to enjoy the common spaces of both buildings.
Plans for the second phase include a creative room for arts and crafts, a co-working space, a kitchen area complete with a Japanese-style barbeque on the first floor, and a rooftop lounge “with a modern but different feel from the first tower. We’re pretty excited about that; the current residents will love having more to enjoy, access to over 17,500 square feet of shared space,” says Jessy Desjardins.
“In 2013, Gilles asked me to come and look at this site,” said Rod Lahey, architect for The Dale. “I fell in love with it. We talked about what this building could be…it’s a very exciting building. The trick was to do it in a way that is respectful to the environment.”
The Dale consists of one 33-storey tower, Ottawa’s tallest residential rental skyscraper which is now complete, and a second high-rise tower, which is now underway and will overlook the city at 29 storeys.
LOUISE RACHLIS – 13 nov. 2021
