Federal Govt to sell several NCR properties

[McG]

Why off-load a bunch of crown owned office buildings in the downtown core or along main transit lines while retaining rental buildings on the fringes of the NCR with poor transit connections (and in some cases adjacent to bulk fuels facilities)?

Here are the histories of 10 buildings the federal government plans to offload in the Ottawa region

The Rideau Falls Lab, Sir Charles Tupper Building, Graham Spry Building, L'Esplanade Laurier and Brooke Claxton Building are on the list.

ottawacitizen.com

 

[Brad Sallows]

We like to do things on the cheap. Holding onto useful, if sometimes inelegant, historical properties and monuments and grounds is something other countries do.

 

[Halifax Tar]

A spin off benefit of people WFH would mean we could possibly divest of lots office space and buildings.

Maybe transform them into affordable housing.

 

[CountDC]

is that government defined Affordable Housing? You know, the other term they like to use for it is market value.

 

[Remius]

Not all of those buildings will be suitable to convert. And conversion is sometimes more expensive than tearing down and rebuilding.

Calgary has a pretty model that Ottawa should look at emulating.

Deachman: Why Ottawa should look to Calgary when converting office space to housing

Facing 12 million square feet of empty office space — more than 30 per cent of its total — Calgary developed a plan to convert half of that space to residential within 10 years.

ottawacitizen.com

 

[Halifax Tar]

is that government defined Affordable Housing? You know, the other term they like to use for it is market value.

Fair market value is just another way of keeping rates for good and services high for private for profit organizations.

I say screw FMV and let the market adjust to lower priced competition.

The commie in me must be riled up today.

 

[McG]

A spin off benefit of people WFH would mean we could possibly divest of lots office space and buildings.

Except, we are extending leases because the government ordered more weekly in-person days a few months back. Some cancelled leases were uncancelled.

So why are we getting rid of crown owned buildings in reasonable commuting locations to continue renting in places difficult to reach?

 

[Remius]

Except, we are extending leases because the government ordered more weekly in-person days a few months back. Some cancelled leases were uncancelled.

So why are we getting rid of crown owned buildings in reasonable commuting locations to continue renting in places difficult to reach?

A lot of these buildings were earmarked for divestment for some time now.

 

[CountDC]

Those locations have high market value and the government doesn't care about our commuting.

 

[OldSolduer]

Except, we are extending leases because the government ordered more weekly in-person days a few months back. Some cancelled leases were uncancelled.

So why are we getting rid of crown owned buildings in reasonable commuting locations to continue renting in places difficult to reach?

Because the buildings owned that are being leased are friends with people in government.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Except, we are extending leases because the government ordered more weekly in-person days a few months back. Some cancelled leases were uncancelled.

A lot of that had to do with pressure from down town core business that were starving from people working from home and not spending 8 - 4 in the downtown core.

So why are we getting rid of crown owned buildings in reasonable commuting locations to continue renting in places difficult to reach?

Maybe these are true surpluses ?

 

[McG]

The idea that there might be surplus office space does not seem to mesh with the reality that we must extend leases because there is not enough office space.

 

[Furniture]

The work to upgrade 101 Col By has been delayed, and there are large parts of the building currently sitting empty. I suspect the extended leases have more to do with the work delays, than a long-term shortage of office space.

When I got to Ottawa in 2019, it was widely known that between moving people to Carling, and moving others into 101, DND was looking consolidate outlying offices into the two main centres.

 

[McG]

The two locations idea was always a myth. There will continue to be a substantial footprint in Gatineau and other things will be scattered about the cities.

 

[dapaterson]

The two locations idea was always a myth. There will continue to be a substantial footprint in Gatineau and other things will be scattered about the cities.

Gatineau will be 25% because it's mandated to be 25%.

 

[Remius]

Gatineau will be 25% because it's mandated to be 25%.

yep. I remember that after the fire at Louis St Laurent there was a stink being made to ensure displaced workers were relocated in Gatineau.

 

[FSTO]

I heard this morning that RCN DNR and one other directorate from LSL are moving to Carling. I brought up the Gat 25% and was told that the RCN isn't subject to that. Not verified at all mind you.

 

[dapaterson]

I heard this morning that RCN DNR and one other directorate from LSL are moving to Carling. I brought up the Gat 25% and was told that the RCN isn't subject to that. Not verified at all mind you.

Individual L1s are not, but DND/CAF writ large are.