Louis St. Laurent building | Renovation

[Soi-Fon]

Feds abandon fire-damaged Gatineau building after spending $41 million on repairs

Taxpayers spent $41 million trying to repair the fire-damaged Louis St. Laurent building in Gatineau but the federal government will now abandon the structure and leave as many as 1,800 Defence department employees scattered in other locations across the national capital region.

Public Services and Procurement Canada says it has stopped work on the building, which was damaged by a fire on April 21, 2016. “To date, PSPC has spent $41 million to stabilize the structure of the building and start the demolition and decontamination,” department spokeswoman Michèle LaRose noted in an email.

She said “necessary emergency work was done” and completed in March 2017. Other work was performed on “repair design.”

The department did not comment on why taxpayers’ money was spent repairing a building that is owned by a private company. PSPC also did not comment on whether some or all of the money will be recovered from insurance companies. Postmedia earlier reported that the government was in discussions with an insurance company and expected to be compensated at some point.

The fire started on the sixth floor of the Louis St. Laurent building, and part of the roof caved in as a result of the blaze. Contractors were hired to clear debris from the collapsed roof. A wall was built to seal off the damaged area. Metal posts were installed on various floors and in the parking garage to stabilize the structure, while two cranes were brought in to help with the removal of debris. A temporary roof was also installed.

"In the short term, they will continue to work where they are currently located"

Public Services and Procurement Canada says it is now working on a plan for long-term accommodation for the 1,800 Department of National Defence employees who used to work at the building. But there is no timeline on when that plan will be ready or when the employees will be sent to a new facility.

The employees are currently dispersed among six different locations in Gatineau and Ottawa.

“In the short term, they will continue to work where they are currently located,” said DND spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande. “We are working closely with Public Services and Procurement Canada to examine options for a long-term solution that will be both cost-effective, and convenient for employees. No decisions have yet been made.”

DND has sent most of the employees to three main locations: an office building at 975 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, in Gatineau, a building at 400 Cumberland St. in downtown Ottawa, and the National Printing Bureau at 45 Boulevard Sacré-Coeur, Gatineau.

Continuing at : https://www.recorder.ca/news/canada/feds...81b42374-6167-4904-b010-5995dabc2510/amp