Bells Corners office market bounces back

Two major developments are bringing hundreds of engineering and high-tech jobs into Bells Corners, creating momentum for the oft-overlooked west-end neighbourhood.

Photo by Michael Hammond

Construction is underway on a new three-storey office building for engineering firm Golder Associates in Bells Corners.

By Michael Hammond

Construction recently began on a three-storey, 65,850-square-foot office building in the Bells Corners Technology Park, home to General Dynamics Canada. The new facility will be accompanied by the renovation of an existing 17,000-square-foot building, both of which will house the new Ottawa campus for engineering firm Golder Associates.

The $8.4-million project marks the first major commercial construction in Bells Corners in years.

Golders move from its Kanata location on Steacie Drive, combined with the growth of tech firm Fortinet, has injected optimism into Bells Corners at a time when commercial vacancy rates in Kanata remain the highest in the city at 13.4 per cent.

Earlier this year, Fortinet filled a long-vacant 27,000-square-foot space in the Lynwood Centre plaza on Robertson Road, bringing its workforce in the community to 125. That includes its engineering office on Moodie Drive.

Michael Anderson, Fortinets vice-president of global services and support, said the company will have as many as 160 employees by the end of the year and will add at least 100 more in 2015.

It was really important for us to be close to our facility on Moodie Drive, Mr. Anderson said, adding that the company did not want to disrupt its workforce. There were other choices in that area.

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Bells Corners office market bounces back