OTTAWA — Tamer Abaza is one of the most prolific developers in the city when it comes to converting homes into multi-unit student housing, yet many residents who fiercely oppose such projects know little about him.
One of several directors of Black Iris Developments, Abaza’s name is attached to several companies that own at least 14 properties in neighbourhoods near the city’s two major universities where on-campus digs are hard to come by.
He’s not the only one transforming homes near the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, but his work is obvious in neighbourhoods like Sandy Hill and the Glebe, where such conversions are temporarily banned until the city comes up with new regulations.
Longtime residents of these areas have been at their wits end with the rash of conversions, many of which neighbours say have wreaked havoc in their communities with incessant issues of loud parties, unsightly yards and reduced parking spaces. All the while, though, the developers have been mostly silent, at least publicly, until last week when Abaza finally decided to address these concerns, albeit through an interview conducted by email.
“A lot of (residents) understand that the areas we pick are zoned for what we do, but all change is difficult and there are sometimes growing pains,� he said. “We try (to) address any and all reasonable concerns there are.�
Abaza would not comment about the number of properties he owns in Ottawa or in any other city, nor would he indicate how many people have invested with him over the years. He did, however, explain his efforts to fill an “overwhelming� demand for housing with “quality� construction.
When asked about the number of conversions he and his partners have done in Ottawa, he again offered “no comment.�
When did he first buy a property and convert it in Ottawa?
“Many years ago,� according to the email he sent last week.
Abaza is listed as a director for several numbered companies that own converted properties in the city and he is listed as one of four directors for Black Iris, which owns several properties. He is also listed as the owner and president of Takyan Consulting and Development.
Abaza indicates conversions “often make the most sense from a practical, financial, zoning and community perspective,� a point councillors tend to agree with. The unfettered proliferation of the projects, though, has led to problems, particularly in Sandy Hill, where neighbours say they are at a tipping point and could lose the character of their neighbourhood if nothing is done.
Action Sandy Hill community association collected more than 1,000 signatures recently on a petition urging the U of O to build more on-campus housing. The school recognizes its inability to provide lodging for its rapidly increasing student population, which, for ASH members, is unacceptable.
“The turnout for the petition clearly shows how concerned residents of Sandy Hill are about student housing,� said Sally Southey, a neighbourhood resident. “ASH wants to save Sandy Hill so that it does not become a student ghetto.�
Still, property owners like Abaza insist that conversions are beneficial to the community.
“It provides much needed housing without completely transforming the community by building a massive tower or towers,� he wrote. “For example, our product in Sandy Hill is meant for students and young professionals seeking to live in high-end self-contained apartment units as opposed to rooming houses or rooms in older single-family homes or rundown multi-units.�
Despite the opposition to conversions, Abaza says “many people who have lived close to (his) buildings … have asked us to do the same with their property.�
When asked if he receives criticism from neighbours, he responded with “not really.� He boasted about the quality of the units he creates, saying “converting single-family homes plays and (has) played a very small part of our development plan.�