Ottawa has a serious housing shortage. Expansion of city infrastructure and creating a developer-friendly environment would be solid first steps towards encouraging more housing development. Housing development has been heavy in Lawrence, Eudora, Wellsville and Gardner, among other neighboring communities, while Ottawa has been stagnant. Affordable housing is nearly non-existent in Ottawa. It is difficult to attract new retailers, not to mention industry, without an adequate amount of affordable housing.
Retailers typically follow rooftops, as in housing.
Until Ottawa gets more rooftops it is unlikely it will attract more retailers. Besides infrastructure expansion, greater flexibility in zoning and subdivision regulation would also help encourage housing development. In addition to housing development, other proposed short-term improvements from the planning commission included adding jet fueling capabilities, additional hangars and refurbishing interior and exterior of facilities to the airport. Furthermore planning commission improvements included a storm drainage pump station at the levee, swimming pool improvements, ball parks in south Ottawa, a lake at Kanza Park, new tennis courts, public restrooms downtown, skateboard park and rehabilitation of Cedar Street between First and Fifteenth streets. Jim Grogan, Community Affairs Chairman for the Chamber of Commerce, suggested a couple of other improvements.