Who Gets to Build Ottawa?
Series: The Capital
James Okonkwo builds mid-rise housing in Ottawa's inner suburbs, which means he spends as much time in committee rooms as on construction sites. In the first episode of The Capital, we walk a site with James and talk about how a development deal actually comes together, why projects die, what community consultation gets right and wrong, and whether Ottawa can build its way out of the housing crunch. From his first duplex flip to hundred-unit projects, James is unusually candid about the money and the politics.
- Anatomy of a development deal
- Why projects die before they start
- Community consultation, honestly assessed
- The housing crunch and what would actually help
- From duplex flips to mid-rise projects
Every empty lot in this city is an argument somebody lost.
James Okonkwo
President, Meridian Developments
James builds mid-rise housing in Ottawa's inner suburbs and has strong opinions about why the city grows the way it does. From his first duplex flip to projects with hundreds of units, he walks through the deals, the politics, and what Ottawa gets right and wrong about housing.