Federal government looking to jettison 9 Ottawa buildings

The federal government says it's interested in selling or transferring nine of its buildings in central Ottawa and another in Gatineau, Que., as it looks to cut costs under the hybrid work model that's emerged from the pandemic.

The list of properties includes a downtown complex taking up an entire city block and one of Tunney's Pasture's signature highrises at the end of its grassy driveway.

The current list is:

• L'Esplanade Laurier's East Tower at 140 O'Connor St., downtown.
• L'Esplanade Laurier's West Tower at 300 Laurier Ave. W., downtown.
• L'Esplanade Laurier's Commercial building at 171-181 Bank St., downtown.
• The Jackson Building at 122 Bank St., near L'Esplanade.
• The Rideau Falls Lab at 1 John St. in New Edinburgh.
• The Sir Charles Tupper Building at 2720 Riverside Dr. near Mooney's Bay.
• The 1500 Bronson Building at 1500 Bronson Ave., also near Mooney's Bay.
• The Graham Spry Building at 250 Lanark Ave. in Westboro.
• The Brooke Claxton Building at Tunney's Pasture (which has its own redevelopment project).
• The Asticou Centre at 241 blvd. Cité des Jeunes in Gatineau.

Part of a several-year process

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), which said it manages about a quarter of the federal government's properties, said part of its job is to optimize its office space.

That can mean managing leases and renovations, it said, but also selling or transferring properties.

"The shift to a hybrid work environment permits a more effective utilization and sharing of space that was simply not possible before the pandemic when desks were assigned to public servants on a one-for-one basis," it said on its page about optimizing its portfolio.

PSPC said "disposal" of a property takes several years and depends on factors such as its condition, use and financial performance. PSPC added it is still early in the process and none of the buildings have been purchased by outside agencies.

Informing federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous partners about the opportunity to use the properties for affordable housing, community spaces or businesses is part of that process.

Employees occupying those buildings will eventually be relocated, PSPC said.

"PSPC is working with other client departments and agencies to develop long-term accommodation plans to address their needs," it said.

The workplace is a discussion deeply woven into the pandemic recovery of Ottawa-Gatineau given the number of offices and federal government workers, touching topics including travel, business subsidies and development, and housing.

The government said while this list is exclusively Ottawa-Gatineau, buildings in other regions may be available for transfer or sale in the future.