Here's a first look at the proposed Tewin development in Ottawa's southeast end

A look at the proposed Tewin development Ottawa residents are getting their first look at plans for the Tewin development. CTV's Kimberley Fowler reports.

Ottawa residents are getting their first glimpse at plans for the Tewin development, the proposed development in the city's southeast end with homes for approximately 35,000 people.

The project team released artist renderings ahead of a public meeting Thursday night at the Carlsbad Springs Community Centre. The images show a mix of "higher-density townhouses and apartments," shops and services "integrated with higher density mixed-use development," and a network of all-season trails dubbed "robust natural corridors with native plantings."

"This is building a new community at scale and that's not something that happens every day within a city," Craig Lametti, an urban planner with Urban Strategies Inc. told CTV News Ottawa.

"So that's going to enable us to coordinate the delivery of all different types of housing, new transit, infrastructure and amenities to support a more walkable, transit supportive and sustainable community.

"We like to think of that is sort of sustainable by design, so it will be a suburban community that makes it easier for people to make more sustainable choices."

Lametti says the project will feature a "broad mix of housing" including single-detached homes, townhouses and small walk-up apartments, aligning with transit, community spaces and services.

"We are looking at this place with different forms of housing to meet a variety of people's needs."

The Tewin development, a partnership between the Algonquins of Ontario and developer Taggart Investment, will be built on 445 hectares of land south of Leitrim Road and north of Thunder Road near Highway 417.

"The redevelopment of the Tewin lands will occur in a phased manner over time," says a handout from Tewin, called "what it could look like."

The so-called "Community Spine" of the development will feature pedestrian-focused spaces, streets "designed for pedestrians, cyclists, transit, cars and all forms of mobility," be connected to schools and community facilities and the streets will be "designed to integrate and support convenient transit use," according to the Tewin project team.

Ninety per cent of residents will be within a five-minute walk of the "transit spine road," according to the plans.

The handout says mixed-use neighbourhoods will have "larger flexible blocks with pedestrian focused mid-block connections," a mix of higher-density townhouses and small apartments, services and amenities within a "short walk" of homes and "opportunities for green roofs and infrastructure."

Artist renderings also outline plans for a "Tewin Experience Centre" to "teach people about the community and elements of cultural significance," and cultural gathering and learning spaces.

According to the plans, 90 per cent of residents will be within five minutes of nature or an open space network, and streets will be designed with parks or open spaces at the end of the blocks.

While the Tewin project team says the new subdivision will play a role in solving Ottawa's housing supply problem, development won't begin for years.

"We wouldn't expect the first development to occur until about the end of this decade, that's how long it takes to plan things these days," Lametti said.

"This is a carefully planned, comprehensive new community and these things take quite a bit of time to bring forward."

The Tewin development was included in the urban boundary expansion approved by the previous Council in 2021.

In June, Council approved the city's $2 billion Infrastructure Master Plan, which outlined $313 million in infrastructure spending to service the Tewin Development.  Additional funding is required for oversizing potential future development beyond the Tewin study area and some servicing required for the South Urban Communities.

Executive director of Ecology Ottawa, William van Geest, told CTV News Thursday though the topic of sustainability is "at least on the table," there is a need for "extensive community consultation."

"There's just been several points along the way in this whole process, (where) the community wasn't consulted," van Geest said.

"If we're talking about $600 million for water infrastructure alone, where is that money going to come from? It's taxpayers. Right? So this needs to be a well-considered and well-consulted undertaking. If it's going to happen."

The Tewin project team, in partnership with the city, is holding a public consultation meeting on Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Carlsbad Springs Community Centre.