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Plans are under way for a massive $200 million retail "power centre" and office complex, just minutes from downtown Ottawa near the VIA Rail train station.

The development -- more than 36 hectares -- is about two and a half times the size of Lansdowne Park and is believed to be the largest privately held development site within Ottawa, according to project promoters.

The developer is a newly formed private company, Ottawa Train Yards Inc., headed by Stephen Polowin, an Ottawa lawyer who is the son of the late Dave Polowin, a well-known commercial real estate broker who spent more than 30 years in the industry.

"It's a fantastic development being planned," said Mr. Polowin, who declined to identify the primary investors.

The development will be called The Ottawa Train Yards and incorporate some railway history into its design, said John McClelland, of Facilities Commercial Realty Inc., which is preparing to market the property.

Developers filed an application with the City of Ottawa outlining general plans for a multi-phase development that proposes to build a big-box retail, or power centre of 500,000 square feet -- roughly the size of South Keys Shopping Centre. In addition, it calls for 1.1 million square feet of office space, which could translate into perhaps six to eight office towers, depending on their size.

Current industrial tenants, including a number of freight and shipping companies would be moved either off-site or onto an industrial section at the east end of the property.

The first phase of the project -- a large home improvement and garden centre -- is already allowed under current zoning and could get under way before the end of the year, said Mr. McClelland. Developers are "close" to finalizing a deal for that phase of the project, he said.

But other construction likely won't get started before next spring and it could take two or three years before the huge retail site is built out and many years more before the office complex is done, assuming developers get required approvals from city and regional governments.

With the exception of the proposed home improvement centre, zoning changes and some amendments to the Region's Official Plan are needed to allow for office and retail development use on the property, which is designated for light industrial use.

Preliminary meetings with residents in the nearby community and with city planning officials have been encouraging, said Mr. McClelland.

Aside from the home improvement centre, the power centre could include large-scale retailers like Chapters, Winners, a super-sized grocery store, and possibly a large movie theatre along with a couple of restaurants and some smaller retailers. That phase of retail development probably wouldn't go ahead until sometime next year, assuming the zoning changes are approved. Depending on demand, it could be completed within two or three years, Mr. McClelland said.

While plans for the office development are less well-defined, Mr. McClelland said the Ottawa Train Yards would "absolutely" be competing for its share of high-growth technology companies, along with call centres and other fast-growing companies which are facing a space squeeze in the downtown core and west end.

That's likely to intensify the battle for technology clients, not only between east and west, but among east-end developers themselves. Shenkman Corp. last week announced plans for a huge 300-hectare business park aimed at technology companies, and several other east-end developers are looking at expanding office space. Vacancy rates in the east end have dropped to less than two per cent, according to the Building Owner and Managers Association.

Barry Nabatian, general manager of Market Research, said private developers will undoubtedly compete aggressively for new tenants, which could mean it will take as long as a decade for The Ottawa Train Yard to build out its office complex completely.

Still, Mr. Nabatian, who conducted market studies for the new development, says it has major advantages, including good road access, full services, access to public transit and a location that is within 15 minutes of 215,000 people.