Often overshadowed by development in its bigger Ontarian brother Toronto, Ottawa proposals don't always get the same national and global attention. The Canadian capital is certainly no slouch when it comes to the scale of its newest proposals though, and both cities have plans in the pipeline that would see their current tallest buildings unseated. The rate of growth in Ottawa's Little Italy neighbourhood is particularly astounding, where projects like Envie/Capital Hall and SoHo Italia promise to remake the skyline. The under-construction, 45-storey Claridge Icon will soon become the tallest building in the city, but that title may be short-lived if a towering trio dubbed The Sky comes to fruition.

The Sky, image via Graziani + Corazza Architects

Located at 845 Carling Avenue, the three buildings would top out at 55, 45 and 18 storeys, coming to an impressive 191, 155 and 73 metres, respectively. Richcraft Homes is the developer behind the project, who have retained Toronto-based Graziani + Corazza, architects of Canada's tallest residential building, Aura at College Park. Together, they envision 1,120 residential units, commercial space at ground level, and a large public plaza. Two of the towers would take on a cylindrical shape, with offset portions making each building appear as three stacked volumes. Both of these towers, as approved, are taller than Claridge Icon.

The Sky, image via Graziani + Corazza Architects

The development was okayed by City Council back in February, but Ottawa's relatively soft condominium market means the project will not be getting off the ground anytime soon. The City of Ottawa is receiving $3.4 million from Richcraft for community benefits in exchange for exceeding the maximum permissible height and density regulations that were imposed for that site. Section 37 of Ontario's Planning Act allows this type of arrangement to occur, with the collected funds often going towards parks, transit, or other community facilities. For example, the money could be used to update the public realm of nearby Adeline and Sidney streets.

Former Honda dealership on site, image retrieved from Google Street View

If sales prove strong and the project begins construction, the skyline north of the manmade Dow's Lake will become even more crowded. Just to the south of Dow's Lake is Carleton University, which enrols over 26,000 students. Many residential projects in this area, including Envie/Capital Hall, are fuelled by the demand in student housing. While The Sky likely would not target students, the opportunity for buyers to rent their units could exist, helping ease stress on the student housing market.

The Sky, image via Graziani + Corazza Architects

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