442 Sunnyside to Become 17-Bedroom Student Rental

According to the permit that is affixed to the fence in front of 442 Sunnyside, Konson Homes is building a three-level triplex with twelve bedrooms — four in each unit. However, it doesn’t take an expert to see that the five “dens and offices” noted on the plans will likely be used as additional bedrooms, bringing the practical total to seventeen. The largest apartment, which will take up the below-grade level and the ground floor has four bedrooms, two offices, one den, four bathrooms, one family room and one living/dining room.

According to the Notice of Project on the same fence, the building is ‘single family housing.’ However, in a conversation with Zhisong Lin of Konson Homes, I was told the building will be a student rental. When asked how many students would live in each unit, he replied that it was “up to the students.”

Further details: there will be no onsite parking, which is not going to prevent apartment residents from owning cars. It will just add to the congestion on side streets, such as Hopewell, the route many kids walk to and from school.

The front is partially brick, but all other sides are corrugated metal, an unusually industrial choice for a mature neighbourhood where brick and wood are the predominant building materials.

As per Mélanie Boyer at Shawn Menard’s office, “The building height, from average grade to top of roof, is proposed to be 10.66 metres (34 ft, 11 ¾ inches). Zoning permits a maximum height of 10.7 metres (35 ft, 1 ¼ inches). There is a parapet projecting higher than the roof.”

There are currently no plans for garbage bin placement and garbage management.

One tree will be planted in place of the three mature trees, which were cut down just before the modest clapboard house on the lot was also demolished.

Shawn Menard is the City Councillor for Capital Ward, which includes Old Ottawa South. If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please email him at capitalward@ottawa.ca.

Anna Cummings is a resident of Old Ottawa South.

Featured in the September 2021 OSCAR.