24 Sussex Drive [Prime Minister's residence] | Vacant

[rocketphish]

24 Sussex is now asbestos and rodent-free — and nobody knows what to do with it
House requires almost $37 million in necessary repairs and renovations, capital commission says

Jennifer Chevalier · CBC News
Posted: Feb 03, 2024 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

The prime minister's official residence has been stripped of asbestos, mould, lead and rodents, according to the National Capital Commission.

But with the home still standing empty after eight years without a tenant, and with no clear plan for its future, there's no guarantee the mice won't move back.

"There's a reason that there are rats running through the place. If you left your place vacant … you'd have rats running through it too," said former heritage minister Sheila Copps in an interview with CBC Radio's The House.

The home at 24 Sussex Drive is in a sorry state, thanks to successive political leaders being unwilling to be seen spending money to refit the 19th century home. The work being done now is maintenance that "must be addressed regardless of any decision taken by the government on the future of the prime minister's residence," the NCC said in a media statement.

Crews at 24 Sussex Drive have removed all the asbestos, lead and mould from the crumbling house.

Valérie Dufour, a spokesperson for the NCC, said crews have also stripped out the old electrical wiring and plumbing, and heat pumps are being installed to keep it from freezing while a decision is made about its future.

The rodents are also gone. And although previous reports said they were rats, they were mostly mice.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/24-sussex-abatement-future-plan-1.7103058

[Djeffery]

God, we really are a small time country sometimes. We aren't talking about a Presidential Palace here. Our head of government should have a decent official residence that shouldn't be such a political hot potato to keep it in decent shape and technologically up to date.

[Rico Rommheim]

How about building a brand new purpose built house for the PM? Why obsess over a cramped, disliked, once private residence built by some random tycoon 150 years ago?

24 S isn't impressive at all, at best it's an average looking house in Westmount, the French embassy right next door makes it look like a guest house.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

God, we really are a small time country sometimes. We aren't talking about a Presidential Palace here. Our head of government should have a decent official residence that shouldn't be such a political hot potato to keep it in decent shape and technologically up to date.

Great symbolism though. If we can't solve housing for the PM, how are they going to solve it for everybody else?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

How about building a brand new purpose built house for the PM? Why obsess over a cramped, disliked, once private residence built by some random tycoon 150 years ago?

24 S isn't impressive at all, at best it's an average looking house in Westmount, the French embassy right next door makes it look like a guest house.

There is no consensus about what the building should be used for. Most of the functions that often go into an official residence for a head of government are on parliament hill and that is unlikely to change. Most world leaders actually live in an apartment in an office building.

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by acottawa

There is no consensus about what the building should be used for. Most of the functions that often go into an official residence for a head of government are on parliament hill and that is unlikely to change. Most world leaders actually live in an apartment in an office building.

That's a good idea. A Canadian PM and his/her family belongs in a nice 2000 sq ft condo on top of a 30 story spandrel-clad tower in downtown Ottawa anyways. It's more on-brand than a shabby looking old maid's house.

They should sell 24 Sussex and just rid themselves of it.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by acottawa

There is no consensus about what the building should be used for. Most of the functions that often go into an official residence for a head of government are on parliament hill and that is unlikely to change. Most world leaders actually live in an apartment in an office building.

This is an endless debate but most if not all of our peers have a decent residence where you can host another leader work with staff into the evening, host cabinet for a breakfast retreat. Is this too much to ask?

We are spending $5 Billion on parliament renovations. Surely most countries can't afford anywhere near that and some balance is necessary.

https://www.businessinsider.com/hatched-...s-2016-12#1-zhongnanhai-beijing-china-13

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

That's a good idea. A Canadian PM and his/her family belongs in a nice 2000 sq ft condo on top of a 30 story spandrel-clad tower in downtown Ottawa anyways. It's more on-brand than a shabby looking old maid's house.

They should sell 24 Sussex and just rid themselves of it.

What do you think the White House is? Biden’s residence is maybe 10% of the building. The rest is a public museum, meeting rooms, office space, etc. Same in the UK, France, Japan, Germany, Italy.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

This is an endless debate but most if not all of our peers have a decent residence where you can host another leader work with staff into the evening, host cabinet for a breakfast retreat. Is this too much to ask?

Many of our peers have a building that hosts the PM’s staff, hosts cabinet meetings, etc. where the PM has a relatively small apartment. That’s fine, but then somebody has to take a decision to move these functions out of downtown, or to move the PM’s residence downtown.

Hosting another leader doesn’t require a big building (Biden was recently hosted at Rideau Gate). Work with staff doesn’t require a big building. A cabinet retreat would require a big building, with 40 ministers, parking for 40 ministerial vehicles, staff, etc. but why wouldn’t they use the custom built cabinet room on the hill that has all of the necessary feature?

If there is political consensus that the PM should be hosting state dinners or masquerade balls at home then that’s fine, but I don’t think there is. We have a political culture where the opposition makes a big stink over a cabinet minister’s orange juice expenses, do you think the PM wants to be explaining the $200k ball they hosted?

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Many of our peers have a building that hosts the PM’s staff, hosts cabinet meetings, etc. where the PM has a relatively small apartment. That’s fine, but then somebody has to take a decision to move these functions out of downtown, or to move the PM’s residence downtown.

Hosting another leader doesn’t require a big building (Biden was recently hosted at Rideau Gate). Work with staff doesn’t require a big building. A cabinet retreat would require a big building, with 40 ministers, parking for 40 ministerial vehicles, staff, etc. but why wouldn’t they use the custom built cabinet room on the hill that has all of the necessary feature?

If there is political consensus that the PM should be hosting state dinners or masquerade balls at home then that’s fine, but I don’t think there is. We have a political culture where the opposition makes a big stink over a cabinet minister’s orange juice expenses, do you think the PM wants to be explaining the $200k ball they hosted?

There are lots of Presidential palaces. Australia has residences only. I guess what others do isn't super relevant in the end though is it.

If Pierre can get one meeting with Trump in his home with kids running around that one meeting is probably easily worth $100 million.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

There are lots of Presidential palaces. Australia has residences only. I guess what others do isn't super relevant in the end though is it.

If Pierre can get one meeting with Trump in his home with kids running around that one meeting is probably easily worth $100 million.

Hosting a dinner for 24 people (for example) or cocktails for 50 or 60 people does require substanial reception rooms and kitchen facilities and other amenities, in addition to family space. A residence that can handle "mid-size" events of that sort would not be out of line.

[lrt's friend]

We do have Rideau Hall for state dinners and Harrington Lake for cabinet retreats. We also have facilities downtown for regular cabinet meetings. Don't Royal visitors stay at Rideau Hall?

We are pretty Mickey Mouse country if we cannot maintain the Prime Minister's residence. Likewise, if we cannot keep a publicly owned heritage building in good condition. But it seem typical that every building is disposable in Canada, unlike Europe where they go out of their way to maintain old building stock.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by acottawa

What do you think the White House is? Biden’s residence is maybe 10% of the building. The rest is a public museum, meeting rooms, office space, etc. Same in the UK, France, Japan, Germany, Italy.

The President doesn't have a daily job in Congress. Thousands of people also work in the White House and the OEOB next door. State Dinners at the White House are a big deal. Pomp and ceremony are more important there. We don't need the same thing here. Brian didn't serenade Ronald with Irish Eyes are Smiling at 24 Sussex (or even in Ottawa). The PM isn't going to have an entire staff working at his residence when he also has a Parliamentary office. If the PM residence is going to be so far away from Parliament, then they don't really need to replicate things like meeting spaces and whatever that already exist at the office. Unless we want to do something similar like 10 Downing and have the PM residence be in the Parliamentary district. I don't know, how about in West Block when Centre Block re-opens? Just tossing out an idea. Heck, there's already a tunnel, even the President of the US can't get from his bedroom to his office without going outside lol

[Ottawacurious]

Not sure when Polievre said this but:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Bd0jWKcKAnw?si=ntJvKPhKQJ0-Xnfx

Building a new house for the PM will be the last priority on his list.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

Not sure when Polievre said this but:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Bd0jWKcKAnw?si=ntJvKPhKQJ0-Xnfx

Building a new house for the PM will be the last priority on his list.

Yes very popular and populist thing to say. He also probably happens to believe it.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

Not sure when Polievre said this but:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Bd0jWKcKAnw?si=ntJvKPhKQJ0-Xnfx

Building a new house for the PM will be the last priority on his list.

Perhaps we should allow Rideau Cottage to similarly rot. Pierre may want a bunker though.

[Truenorth00]

Renovate it and put the PM and the Leader of the Opposition on the same plot of land. Maybe we'll get better behaviour when they are neighbours.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Renovate it and put the PM and the Leader of the Opposition on the same plot of land. Maybe we'll get better behaviour when they are neighbours.

Renovate Stornoway into a duplex or put a tiny home out back. Be an example of intensification lol

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

Not sure when Polievre said this but:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Bd0jWKcKAnw?si=ntJvKPhKQJ0-Xnfx

Building a new house for the PM will be the last priority on his list.

Kind of his (and Harper's) fault that we're in this situation. Would have been FAR cheaper to renovate 15 years ago.

[rocketphish]

Turning Rideau Cottage into prime minister's permanent home comes with cost: docs

The Canadian Press
Fri, February 2, 2024 at 2:31 p.m. EST·3 min read

OTTAWA — Turning Rideau Cottage into the permanent residence of the prime minister would have to include creating staff offices and other "residential infrastructure," an internal government document says.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been living in the house on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence, since he came into office.

Making that situation more permanent is one of three options the government is considering as the historic home for Canada's prime ministers, 24 Sussex Drive, sits in disrepair after decades of neglect.

The saga over what to do next lands in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, as the Liberals struggle to soothe Canadians' anxieties about affordability and are chided by the Opposition Conservatives for their spending.

"Any decision for the future of 24 Sussex Drive will not be taken lightly. We have an obligation to preserve landmarks of national importance," a spokesman for Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, said in a statement.

A decision has been pending for years.

The three options under consideration include "establishing Rideau Cottage as the permanent residence," according to a heavily redacted briefing note prepared for Privy Council Office staff last May.

The document, labelled "secret," was released to The Canadian Press under access-to-information law.

"Under this option, the (National Capital Commission) would invest to address lacking residential infrastructure … kitchen, laundry, garage and staff offices."

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https://ca.news.yahoo.com/turning-rideau-cottage-prime-ministers-172147288.html