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  #1381  
Old Posted Aug 6, 2010, 2:11 AM
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Anyone know anything about this one?

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  #1382  
Old Posted Aug 6, 2010, 11:23 AM
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^

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=167557

Pretty sure that project is dead.. now that they are building 3 new buildings. Wonder why it wasn't revived, actually.
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  #1383  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2010, 3:47 PM
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Piece of the puzzle: Public Works picks up L'Esplanade Laurier

some govt news

Quote:
Massive downtown office building in need of significant repairs
A decade-long feud between the federal government and a Montreal developer has ended with Public Works purchasing L’Esplanade Laurier, one of downtown Ottawa’s largest and most decrepit office buildings.

Land registry records show the title to the two 22-storey towers was transferred from Rostrust Investments Inc. – part of the Rosdev Group – to the Crown on July 21 for $20 million.

Ontario Superior Court documents reveal the purchase was part of a $35.15-million settlement Public Works paid the Montreal developer to resolve their long-standing disputes.

L’Esplanade Laurier occupies the entire city block bounded by Laurier Avenue and Bank, Gloucester and O’Connor streets and contains almost one million rentable square feet of office space. It houses some of the federal government’s most important branches, including the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board Secretariat.

With the question of ownership settled, attention now turns to the massive construction contracts that will eventually be tendered to rehabilitate the 35-year-old towers.

But before work begins, some 4,000 to 5,000 bureaucrats will likely have to be relocated to existing office space or one of the five new federal buildings that Public Works plans to construct in the coming years.

“L’Esplanade Laurier is another piece of a really big puzzle,” says Greg Clark, managing director at brokerage firm CB Richard Ellis.

The building was completed and leased to the federal government by Olympia & York in 1975. Facing financial difficulties, O&Y sold L’Esplanade Laurier to Rosdev in 1995 for $54 million.

Several years later, marble cladding began falling off the building’s first and second floors. Public Works signed a deal with Rosdev to replace the cladding, but the Montreal firm refused to do the work because it said the contract did not specify when it had to do the repairs.

The building’s image took a further beating when water quality problems were discovered in 2002. Workers accidently dumped hundreds of litres of ethylene glycol, better known as antifreeze, into the fresh-water pipes. Further tests revealed traces of lead in the building’s drinking water.

But, putting its well-publicized problems aside, L’Esplanade Laurier nevertheless contains a significant amount of square footage in a prime downtown location that a Public Works spokesperson calls “strategic.”

“This transaction provides excellent value to the Crown,” says Nathalie Bétoté Akwa.

The $20-million purchase price is a fraction of the building’s $150-million market value, she says, citing an appraisal by the Altus Group.

Like any 35-year-old office, L’Esplanade Laurier requires “mid-life rehabilitation,” says Ms. Bétoté Akwa, adding Public Works intends to begin extensive planning this fall to determine the scope and costs of a renovation and modernization program for the building.

All procurement options are on the table, including an “extensive use of private-sector expertise,” she says.

The federal government is currently using a variety of public-private partnership models to construct and redevelop its office buildings.

Broccolini Construction is presently raising Export Development Canada’s new downtown headquarters after winning a build-to-lease contract with the Crown corporation, officially announced in May 2009.

More recently, the real-estate development and construction company won a pair of build-to-lease contracts in May to erect two new office towers for Public Works in Gatineau.

Derek Howe, Broccolini’s vice-president of real estate and development, says his firm will be listening when Public Works announces its plans for L’Esplanade Laurier.

“We look at any and all opportunities,” he says.

Minto is another company that is keeping its eye on the property. The firm attempted to buy L’Esplanade Laurier in June 2007 when it entered into a purchase agreement with Rosdev.

However, the deal never closed because Minto was unable to negotiate a long-term lease with the federal government, according to court documents.

Greg Rogers, the executive vice-president of Minto Commercial Properties, says his company will be watching when Public Works releases its plans.

“They are our biggest customer and we like working for them. We understand their requirements really well and we also understand L’Esplanade Laurier really well.”

Other interested developers could include those companies that expressed interest in buying the property from Rosdev over the past decade. According to court documents, they include Glenview Properties Inc., and Busac Real Estate.

The biggest factor affecting the cost of any redevelopment project is whether or not the building is empty while work is underway, says Mr. Howe.

Mr. Rogers says his earlier plans suggested a certain amount of the building could remain occupied while work is underway.

Public Works says “parts of the building” will be vacated during renovations, but offered no comment on when work might begin.

That’s because the timeline to redevelop L’Esplanade Laurier is likely tied to a planned construction project several blocks over on Elgin Street, between Slater and Albert streets.

The federal government is currently reviewing bids to demolish the seven-storey Lorne Building, formerly home to the National Gallery of Canada, and build a new 489,000-square-foot building on the site and adjacent surface parking lot.

Solicitation documents say the new building will house the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board Secretariat, both of which are currently in L’Esplanade Laurier.

Three pre-qualified firms, which Public Works refuses to identify, had until last month to respond to a request for proposals. Government officials hope to award a contract for 90 Elgin St. this fall so the building can be completed by the fall of 2014.

However, some skeptics question whether that timeline will be met. They say a deficit-fighting federal government, eager to control the growth of the civil service, could put off the project to control expenses. They also point to government delays in procuring two new office buildings in Gatineau.

Both Quebec construction projects were first scheduled to be completed by September 2011. However, that was pushed back after the federal government concluded none of the original bids met its requirements and restarted the entire procurement process.

After awarding the two contracts to Broccolini, the federal government unexpectedly signed another contract with Multivesco for a third office building.

The three buildings are scheduled to be completed between October 2012 and June 2013.

No tenants have been announced for any of the Gatineau builds, which total 1.3 million square feet. However, some have speculated that the Department of National Defence is headed to 455 Boul. de la Carriere, given that DND is already in the nearby Louis St-Laurent Building at 555 Boul. de la Carriere.

But all of the government’s new construction projects combined still pale in size to the Nortel campus on Carling Avenue. The 2.35-million-square-foot property was placed up for sale in April, but local real-estate watchers have long predicted the federal government will eventually lease or buy the property.

With 47 per cent of its leased portfolio up for renewal over the next five years and many aged Crown-owned assets – such as L’Esplanade Laurier – in need of extensive repairs, the federal government will be moving tens of thousands of bureaucrats to new office space in the coming years.

“The government has a lot going on right now,” says one industry observer.

“The ball could really start rolling in the next few months.”

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Non-re...nade-Laurier/1
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  #1384  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2010, 5:52 PM
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Is there a discussion thread for the 90 Elgin building?

Quote:
Demolish the seven-storey Lorne Building, formerly home to the National Gallery of Canada, and build a new 489,000-square-foot building on the site and adjacent surface parking lot.

Solicitation documents say the new building will house the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board Secretariat, both of which are currently in L’Esplanade Laurier.

Three pre-qualified firms, which Public Works refuses to identify, had until last month to respond to a request for proposals. Government officials hope to award a contract for 90 Elgin St. this fall so the building can be completed by the fall of 2014.
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  #1385  
Old Posted Aug 19, 2010, 1:53 PM
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Sunnyside Ave and Bank St

Does anyone know what is being built at the corner of Sunnyside Ave and Bank St? They have the foundation poured with no basement, looks like a good sized footprint. From the anchor bolts I believe it will be a structural steel build. Let’s hope it is commercial with a floor or two of office or residential.

Cheers,
Josh
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  #1386  
Old Posted Aug 19, 2010, 2:06 PM
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No Joke, but I thought I had heard there was a Shopper's going in at this location....seriously.
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  #1387  
Old Posted Aug 19, 2010, 2:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Cntrtwnr View Post
No Joke, but I thought I had heard there was a Shopper's going in at this location....seriously.
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  #1388  
Old Posted Aug 20, 2010, 1:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackjagger View Post
Does anyone know what is being built at the corner of Sunnyside Ave and Bank St? They have the foundation poured with no basement, looks like a good sized footprint. From the anchor bolts I believe it will be a structural steel build. Let’s hope it is commercial with a floor or two of office or residential.

Cheers,
Josh
Yes, it's a Shoppers on the ground floor and a medical office above.
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  #1389  
Old Posted Aug 20, 2010, 2:31 AM
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How many Shoppers does that make on Bank alone now? Must be almost 8-10 of them with this one...
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  #1390  
Old Posted Aug 20, 2010, 11:38 AM
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I count eleventy billion.
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  #1391  
Old Posted Aug 20, 2010, 3:14 PM
Cntrtwnr Cntrtwnr is offline
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But they need the "professional allowances" to survive !?!?...right, we've been getting screwed for yrs.

eleventy billion...ahhahahhah nice.
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  #1392  
Old Posted Aug 20, 2010, 4:21 PM
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Yeah, I sure hope as hell that the Ontario gov't manages to push through their planned drug reforms. I had been hoping that location might have been a mayfair expansion, that's an awesome theater.
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  #1393  
Old Posted Aug 22, 2010, 11:43 PM
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Has anyone heard anything about a condo planned for 490 Preston (not far from Carling)? I noticed it listed here: http://www.ottawasnewcondos.com/what-s-new - and wondered if it was the long-since-cancelled 500 Preston proposal, or something new. I believe its the same lot. It would be great to see some life on that corner.
Thanks!
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  #1394  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2010, 3:52 AM
Luker Luker is offline
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I would think there unrelated as, a) the address is different, and b) its a 44 unit building making it probally a 6 floor condo. While I believe 500 Preston, as the location was more suiting, was 16-20 stories?
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  #1395  
Old Posted Aug 28, 2010, 5:38 PM
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28 aug. 2010

Ikea construction site today (photo by me, wrong white balance settings.. oops)

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  #1396  
Old Posted Aug 28, 2010, 5:58 PM
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Gatineau downtown - 28 aug 2010

Some Gatineau updates -

72 Laval (left), Chez Henri (right) Cartier Wellington site in foreground... nothing happening there yet.



Close up on Chez Henri



22 Eddy





30 Victoria site (the bridge across Maisonneuve is also being rehabilitated)



72 Laval in background





(photos - moi)
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  #1397  
Old Posted Aug 28, 2010, 7:59 PM
reidjr reidjr is offline
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Are there any more projects getting under way soon in gatineau.
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  #1398  
Old Posted Aug 28, 2010, 10:07 PM
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Reply to above

There's also the new ER wing for the Gatineau sector hospital currently under construction - not sure how much has being done so far, but it might be similar to the newly built ER at the Hull hospital. The waiting area looks a lot better then the old ER and can be clearly seen from Gamelin. The ambulance entrance is directly by Gamelin.

Also they are doing the Rapibus tunnel under Greber Blvd and you could already see that there was a lot of ground work done between Highway 50 to east of Greber along Maloney. Lot of work also near Montcalm as well as well as above the Gatineau River on the former train bridge

The new hotel proposal near Maloney and La Cite (or somewhere around there) is not really progressing right now but it is not dead.

However, the still very-emptied area between De l'Hopital and Montee Paiement will look like that still for several years unfortunately.
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  #1399  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2010, 12:26 AM
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It's awesome to see all that development taking place over there! The downtown of Gatineau looks impressive with all of the highrise office towers by the river, but there's not been much behind them until now. Looking forward to seeing more!
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  #1400  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2010, 12:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cre47 View Post
Reply to above

There's also the new ER wing for the Gatineau sector hospital currently under construction - not sure how much has being done so far, but it might be similar to the newly built ER at the Hull hospital. The waiting area looks a lot better then the old ER and can be clearly seen from Gamelin. The ambulance entrance is directly by Gamelin.

Also they are doing the Rapibus tunnel under Greber Blvd and you could already see that there was a lot of ground work done between Highway 50 to east of Greber along Maloney. Lot of work also near Montcalm as well as well as above the Gatineau River on the former train bridge

The new hotel proposal near Maloney and La Cite (or somewhere around there) is not really progressing right now but it is not dead.

However, the still very-emptied area between De l'Hopital and Montee Paiement will look like that still for several years unfortunately.
Yep, the site of the Rapibus tunnel at Maloney & Greber is moving along quickly. I saw some massive supports installed this past weekend. The new bridge over Allumettières is already in place.

There is also the new federal building across from the Casino to be constructed. Didn't check to see if any progress was being made over there.

Yesterday I was in the Plateau district of Hull - the road is paved and open up to Prado Street, and gravel up to this point here: The link to the western segment should be completed soon, I'm guessing.
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