Rideau Registry Residences (Old Ottawa Registry Office)

Publication:17 August 2026

The Old Ottawa Registry Office was built in 1874 to serve as a vital public institution, housing property deeds, land surveys, mortgages, and other land instruments, while providing retrieval and transcription services to the public. Modelled off of the standardized registry office prototype, the building forms an integral part of Ottawa’s provincial and municipal judicial district. The property became a Designated Heritage property in 1978 under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The building became vacant in 2000, with only temporary use as a construction office during the Rideau Centre Renovation and Expansion project. The Rideau Registry Residences is an ongoing redevelopment that will integrate the heritage building within a new 21-storey tower, providing approximately 280 purpose-built rental residential units to Ottawa’s housing market. The project involved extensive restoration efforts of the original brick and relocating the structure 18 metres north to enhance its prominence at the Nicholas Street and Daly Avenue intersection. The space’s intended future use will serve as a café or retail for the general public, continuing the building’s legacy as a civic-oriented place that welcomes the broader community. The project began in 2022 and is projected to be completed in 2026.