Windmill’s Dockside Green in Victoria will transform a 15 acre brownfield into an urban harbourfront
green building for 2500 residents – a success because humans, ecosystems and economics all benefit.

Windmill Development Group (Windmill) is dedicated to transforming traditional development practices and demonstrating the viability and benefits of ecologically, socially and economically responsible development projects. Ottawa-based and established in 2003, this visionary company uses innovations that reduce and recycle the use of natural resources – land, water, air, energy – in the building industry. Windmill incorporates green design and waste management with smart building.

Windmill’s building projects include Dockside Green in Victoria BC, The Currents in Ottawa ON and White Water Village on the Ottawa River and The Acqua-Vento in Calgary AB –recipient of the first LEED Platinum certification for a multi residential building in North America. The range of Windmill services includes green building consulting, property management, development services, and micro-utility set-up and management.

Windmill's strategic area of focus – building commercial and residential developments that sustain ecosystems – is shaped by the company’s commitment to maximize green building potential and meeting market needs. North Americans spend 80 to 90% of their life in buildings. Buildings use a third of our total energy, two thirds of the electricity, are responsible for 16% of freshwater withdrawals and produce 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste is generated in the U.S. each year. Yet within one generation, nations can achieve a ten-fold increase in the efficiency with which they use energy, and natural resources – Windmill’s team operates with this in mind.

Why Ottawa

Ottawa ranks in the top 20 cities worldwide and residents have strong civic pride for the city’s outdoor spaces. Ottawans are just as likely to be proponents of green living as residents of any city, yet Ottawa’s character is defined by a workforce with the highest percentage of university graduates in the country, and the highest concentration of PhDs in North America, tied with Boston MA.

Windmill is building the green development movement. Windmill team members host training seminars and workshops and are active on various boards and committees in their local communities. Windmill’s aim is to have each of its projects be a positive reflection of its community’s needs, ethic, and nature. Ottawa’s residents are receptive to this type of co-participation. The ground floor of The Currents – Windmill’s environmentally friendly building that features 43 luxury downtown condominiums – was chosen as the new home of Ottawa’s historic Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC).

In 2006 Windmill signed a letter of intent with Ottawa’s Sierra Club of Canada and the Canadian Environmental Network for the creation of Canada’s first Earth Embassy Building – in the nation’s capital, Ottawa ON. This showcase green building will help educate the public on the benefits of green buildings and also house offices for leaders in Canada’s environmental movement. 

Business Advantage

A Windmill green building project is only successful when humans, ecosystems, and economics all benefit.  Windmill’s green development model increases ROI with:
• Faster development approvals
• Improved site densities and up-zoning enhancements
• Better tenant retention, higher rents
• fast sell-out rates at premium prices
• improved labor productivity gains - between 6-16%

An online survey by Cahners Residential Group showed 89% of home buyers polled would prefer to buy more environmentally friendly homes and are willing to pay more for green features.

Planned as 1.3 million square feet of residential, office, retail and industrial space, Windmill’s Dockside Green is the biggest development of city land in Victoria's history – full occupancy (2500 people) targeted for January 2011. All sewage will be treated on site and treated water will be used to flush toilets and for irrigation. The first phase of the new development, which is entirely sold out, sold 85% of the units on the first official sales day.

Windmill offers investment opportunities with three specific funds – development, brownfield and micro-utility. Investments are generally assembled on a project by project basis.

Westeinde Group, a leader in the construction industry for 25 years, is the driving force behind Windmill. Westeinde has completed over CDN $1B in projects for various commercial, government and private clients in addition to its principal development activities.

Future Growth Plans

Says CEO and co-owner, Jonathan Westeinde, development is all about “getting towards the goal of a zero impact building. That is not just about zero energy or zero water use in terms of a building’s operating efficiency, but the life-cycle ability to allow 100% reuse after the lifetime of the building.”

Windmill strives to be the driving force behind the creation of a landmark portfolio of "green" real estate that demonstrates competitive advantage over the traditional real estate model for the long-term. Windmill management’s plans are to leave a green legacy for future generations.

Contact Information

Windmill Development Group
(613) 820.5600 x158
www.windmilldevelopments.com