For immediate release
Gatineau, Québec, June 30, 2009 - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, and the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Government is moving ahead with two projects pivotal to its commitment to achieving a 75:25 ratio of office space between Ottawa and Gatineau, respectively.
"Today, we took the next step in carrying out a 34-year-old promise. Together, these towers will add approximately 75,000 square metres of office space to our Gatineau portfolio and accommodate roughly 4,100 employees," stated Minister Paradis.
Developers are invited to participate in competitive processes (Requests for Qualification) for the construction of two leased office towers in Gatineau: one in the Central Business District and one on Crown land located at 455 boulevard de la Carrière.
"This Government is making sure that at least 25% of Government office space in the National Capital Area is on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River," said Minister Cannon. "This is excellent news for not only the City of Gatineau but the entire region- and it couldn't come at a better time."
"One of the purposes of the two Requests for Information (RFI) posted on MERXTM, in February 2009, was to determine industry's interest in carrying out these projects and they have told us loud and clear they are able and they are ready," explained Minister Paradis.
The first two major steps Government made in achieving its 75:25 commitment were to lease 200 Sacré-Coeur and 105 Hôtel de Ville, adding close to 40,000 square metres of office space (approximately 2,100 employees) to its office portfolio in Gatineau. With this next step we are on track to achieve the 75:25 ratio by fall 2012.
Documents related to these two projects can be found on MERXTM, the Government's electronic tendering service (www.merx.com). Search under "Services," and then "Leasing or Rental of Facilities."
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For further information please contact:
Mary-Ann Dewey-Plante
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister Paradis
613-218-6961
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) manages its real estate portfolio to meet the long-term accommodation requirements of government departments, while offering best value for taxpayers. In addition to helping PWGSC achieve a 75:25 ratio of office space between Ottawa and Gatineau, the Requests for Qualification (RFQ) announced today will help us address key issues, such as the need to:
In February 2009, PWGSC posted two Requests for Information (RFI) on MERXTM to obtain information on the availability of developers interested in the Gatineau build-to-lease projects. The RFIs were meant to give PWGSC an indication of whether or not there was sufficient interest to ensure a competitive process. Although we are unable to disclose the number of responses we received to the two RFIs (doing so could compromise the competitive nature of the processes), we did receive a very positive response and are now advancing to the RFQ phase.
In the RFQs, PWGSC invites proponents to submit a technical proposal (Request for Qualification). We will undertake a technical evaluation of each Request for Qualification we receive and then invite qualified proponents to submit an "Irrevocable Offer to Lease."
Parties interested in either or both of the Gatineau build-to-lease projects must submit their technical proposals no later than 11:00 a.m., August 31, 2009. Timing for the subsequent steps will depend on the number of proposals we will receive. We hope to be in the position to sign contracts with the successful proponents by winter 2010, at the latest, with occupancy in 2012. The leases will be for 25 years.
PWGSC is committed to excellence in the design and development of its sites and buildings, and will ensure that all future development will be designed and constructed in an environmentally responsible manner that respects the look and feel of the surrounding areas. These towers will be constructed to meet government's latest standards for office space, such as the 2004 Canadian Standards Association (CSA) accessibility standards and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) Gold standard.
