Ottawa's Tallest Condominium - Claridge Icon Project

There’s been a lot of buzz over the construction of the Claridge Icon building at the corner of Preston Street and Carling Avenue at Dow’s Lake. Once completed, the Icon will be the largest residential building by about 15 storeys! The project is shaping up to be very impressive - a whopping 45 storeys with beautifully curved balconies. Construction started in 2014 with only 25% of the units sold. Now approximately half of the building is sold, with much of those units being the largest, on the highest floors, for a premium price.

We are seeing developers propose taller and taller condominiums for Ottawa. These heights pale in comparison to the heights of buildings in downtown Toronto, but it has caused quite a stir around Ottawa because we have a long history of height restrictions for builders. The National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa have a capital view protection policy which ensures that our national symbols (ie. the Parliament buildings) can be seen from viewpoints around the downtown core. We are seeing taller and taller buildings built just outside of this area. Buildings outside of the protected area are even subjected to a public view & skyline analysis, as we can assume was the case for the Claridge Icon.

The Icon is shaping up to be one of the leading projects of a changing landscape for Little Italy. Marketing material has featured a long list of amenities within the building, including a pool, fitness centre, movie theatre, guest suites, and concierge, and residents can also expect an influx of businesses and amenities to the neighbourhood. (Alongside all the amazing restaurants and independent boutiques that are already in Little Italy!)

Below are my top floorplan picks —
(you can see all currently available floorplans on their website)

1Bed Redford Floor Plan - Claridge Icon

- North side of building (Gatineau Hills & Downtown views)
- Units still available

Personally I like this floorplan over the 1Bed Gable because of all the window space — although the East-facing Gable units have a larger bedroom and are slightly less expensive. Depends what you are looking for!

2Bed Nelson Floorplan - Claridge Icon

- Northwest side of building (views of Gatineau Hills, Ottawa River, Lebreton Flats)
- Units still available

The Nelson is a great floorplan firstly because it is a corner unit! I also like the versatility of the unit as a compact 2 bedroom, perfect for a single person, a couple, or roommates. This versatility is very desirable as an investment property.

2Bed New Gehry Floorplan - Claridge Icon

- Southwest side of building (views of Dow’s Lake and Westboro)
- Units still available!

For me, this is one of the better 2 bedroom layouts - with great views and loads of balcony space.

SOLD - PH Unit Claridge Icon

For curiosity’s sake …

This is the floorplan of the 45th floor, rumoured to be the future residence of Claridge’s founder & CEO Bill Mahotra.

📸Steve Peippo

Claridge Icon is slated to be completed in 2020. With its height and proximity to Dow’s Lake, buyers can be assured that the views will be exceptional (especially on the south side of the building)!

If you are looking for a condo with a view ASAP there are resale units currently available in the following (25-32 storey) buildings:

• Le Parc (545 St-Laurent Blvd)

• Minto Metropole (38 Metropole Pvt)

• The Classics at Riviera (1480 Riverside Dr)