By John Chenier
The City has posted a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) for the redevelopment of its property at 70 Clarence Street in the ByWard Market. The property currently houses six street-level retail stores and four levels of parking. The goal of the REOI is to generate inspiring redevelopment concepts, assess the timing of the initiative and gauge the interest of potential partners in the project.
The City touts the area as a major tourist destination “containing one of the oldest public markets in Canada, a mix of land uses, nightlife, outdoor vendors, courtyards and quaint streetscapes, surrounded by a residential neighbourhood.”

Photo from Google Earth.
This initiative is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-envision and redevelop 70 Clarence Street into a destination which will help reinforce the unique heritage character of the ByWard Market, potentially ignite a new phase of revitalization and strengthen economic recovery efforts.
The redevelopment is part of the ByWard Market Public Realm Plan, which will guide the evolution of the Market’s public spaces and provide a framework to coordinate investment opportunities in the precinct.
There is no firm date for completion. However, the City would like the redevelopment to be substantially completed for the ByWard Market’s 200th anniversary in 2027.
The REOI is now available through MERX Networks (a Cloud-based electronic tendering system) until May 10, 2022.
According to Mayor Jim Watson:
The redevelopment of this central ByWard Market building is another opportunity to add a world-class destination in this great neighbourhood and make Ottawa an even greater city to visit and to live in.
Councillor Mathieu Fleury is an ardent supporter of the redevelopment as per the Public Realm Plan. He views the Market precinct as a most important tourism hotspot when people visit our capital city and views this project as one to create a “destination building in the central part of the ByWard Market.” He also acknowledges that the new structure “must showcase its historic character and beauty and animate it to ensure it is a draw for locals and tourists alike.”
The President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. Michael Crockatt, is also expressing his enthusiasm for making this “a must-see destination when visiting Ottawa.’ He is encouraging proponents:
to think creatively about such a site and how it might offer versatile uses for the community, as well as leisure and business travelers , throughout the year. The opportunity presented here is an extremely rare chance to make a significant differentiating mark for Ottawa, to become an icon of our destination, and to take a place among Ottawa’s unique and defining destination attributes.
Perhaps someone will float the idea of an aquarium again.
Noticeably absent in all of this is the current corporation charged with rejuvenating “one of the oldest public markets in Canada” who is the manager of the site and the landlord of the businesses inhabiting the building that is likely to be demolished, Marchés Ottawa Markets.