Brief Project History
In 1997, the federal government turned the airport over to the Township of West Carleton, with the requirement that they maintain it as an airport until 2007. The airport became part of the expanded City of Ottawa in 2000 after amalgamation.
In the summer of 2002 West Capital Developments (WCD) responded to the City of Ottawa’s ‘Request for Expression of Interest’ regarding the Carp Airport property. The WCD proposal was one of only four submissions, and the only one that fully complied with the City’s requirements. Initial response to the proposal was favourable, and the proposal was unanimously approved by City Council in May 2003. In doing so, the City agreed to negotiate solely with WCD for acquisition of the Carp Airport lands. In May 2004, the City entered an irrevocable 'option to purchase agreement' enabling WCD to pursue its vision for the Carp airport. On March 9th, 2005 the City approved final updates to this agreement. WCD will take direct control of the airport on or before December 31st 2005, and upon completion of the approval process, WCD will take title to the land early 2006.
The Ottawa/Carp West Carleton Airport is evolving from a traditional airside-based facility to a multi-faceted aviation community. The framework plan proposed by West Capital Developments presents a land use plan to develop a mix of landside and airside uses that includes opportunities for families, businesses, and aviators alike.