Ottawa newcomer brings a touch of Montreal
One of Montreal’s most honoured condo builders, Samcon, has quietly arrived in Ottawa with a plan to buff up inner neighbourhoods, starting with a slice of land tucked off a dead-end street a few blocks from Dow’s Lake.
Three years ago, Sam Scalia, the third generation in a proud Italian construction family, started to investigate building opportunities in Ottawa, eventually buying a property hidden a few steps south of Carling Avenue on Cambridge Street South.
The project he now plans to build on that site, Summerhill at Dows Lake, sits between two hot real estate markets: the Glebe and Little Italy.
Cars and trucks rumble along Bronson Avenue to the east, while a few paces to the west, single homes line curved streets and NCC lands around Dow’s Lake. Earlier this month, wrecking machines demolished the low-rise building that once housed an architectural firm and the headquarters of the Royal Oak Pubs, making way for two condos with a decidedly Montreal flavour.
The first, a modest six-storey affair of red brick and white stone facing Dow’s Lake, launched in midSeptember, toting up 11 sales in less than a month, says Marnie Bennett, president of Bennett Property Shop Realty. The building appeals to boomers wanting to downsize because, at 39 condos, it’s small.
“We have had sales to boomers from Alta Vista, the Glebe and Manotick,” says Bennett.
There is a combination of oneand two-bedroom units, including two-storey designs with large terraces and big views to the west and parklands around Dow’s Lake.
There are big helpings of granite, hardwood and high-end appliances and balconies with barbecue hookups. Prices will start at $304,900 for the smallest one-bedroom, at 580 square feet, topping $620,000 for a two-bedroom, two-storey with 1,015 square feet.
The second building, a 12-storey condo with a higher percentage of one-bedroom units and likely appealing to a younger urban crowd, will sit behind its lower sibling, providing a buffer from Bronson Avenue. A Zen garden, with plantings and common areas, will sit between the two buildings. Underground parking will be accessible from Cambridge and Bronson.
“Construction on the first building will start when we hit 50 per cent of sales,” Scalia, president of Samcon, says from his headquarters in Montreal. “This is my first project in Ottawa. I have always liked Ottawa and have been coming for 10 years. It is a beautiful city. There is lots of greenery, and it is nicely organized. Now I want to develop in urban areas that are close to transportation. I am not a suburban man.”
Scalia has earned respect and a long list of awards for building excellence and after-sales service while building low-rise condos in often weary neighbourhoods, including Le Plateau and Atwater Market in Montreal.
“The buildings helped revitalize the neighbourhoods,” says Scalia, who knew that he wanted to be a builder when he was eight years old. His grandfather was in construction, and his father, David Scalia, joined his three elder brothers in construction at Scalia Brothers in Montreal in the ’60s, building across the city.
“We love to transform neighbourhoods, bring them back to life.”
He’s been an infill developer in Montreal for more than 20 years, overseeing his own company and more than 100 employees. Last year, his team sold 350 condos in mostly low-rise buildings, but recently he finished a pair of 15-storey condos called Le Metropol at René-Lévesque and Saint-Denis. He’s also building 24-storey and 22-storey towers near Sainte-Catherine Street.
He’s a careful entrepreneur, wanting to make sure his company and staff were ready to expand outside of Montreal.
“We had to get to the level that we felt comfortable and we were large enough to work in another city. You need precise and accurate systems,” says Scalia, named builder of the year in Montreal four times.
The Scalia team will use Ottawa trades for construction of the two buildings, which have been designed by long-term colleague and Montreal architect Marco Manini.
“We were going to hire a local architect, but city staff wanted us to bring something different to Ottawa,” he says, adding the six-storey building is based on similar and hugely successful Samcon buildings in Montreal.
Both the one- and two-bedroom units at Summerhill feature oversized bathrooms and oversized walk-in closets. In fact, Bennett asked Manini to tweak the one-bedroom designs so buyers could have the closet downsized and offer the option of a separate den.
Scalia expects a spring construction start if sales stay on track.