Ottawa offers up second downtown London office building for housing

Ottawa aims to shrink its downtown London presence even more as it seeks housing proposals for a second office building, across the street from the first.

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The federal government put another 12 of its properties in the public land bank Tuesday, including the Richard Pierpoint building at Talbot Street and Queens Avenue

Ottawa has listed 83 properties on 430 hectares (1,060 acres) across the countryfrom post offices and office buildings to military land. The goal, based on a commitment in the federal housing planis to open up surplus land for home construction.

For now, Ottawa only wants feedback from the development community on a potential lease of the Pierpoint building at 451 Talbot St., and the previously announced Lipton building at 120 Queens.

The Pierpoint was built in 1976 and its custodian is listed as Public Services and Procurement Canada in federal records. The federal government owns the building and the lot it sits on.

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The building, with 19,642 square meters (more than 211,000 square feet) of floor space, is listed as in poor condition. Records show that over the years, it housed the revenue and border services agencies, RCMP and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

London North Center Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos says although it would take lots of work to make the vacant building suitable for housing, the government estimates it could house as many as 1,300 units.

“That’s a very significant number,” he said. “That’s why we’re putting a message out to the community so that they’re aware that this property is available, and would love to hear feedback on how they think it could be used.”

As with the neighboring Lipton building, Ottawa wants to lease the land, not sell it. The goal is to team with non-profit agencies to build affordable housing, but Ottawa is also open to feedback from the private sector.

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The feds are working to get more formal requests for proposals for the land bank properties in coming weeks, Fragiskatos said. Of the 83 properties, two are open for proposals, three have drawn expressions of interest, and seven are being evaluated; all the rest are awaiting feedback.

Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira, who represents downtown, said the core area building is well supported by neighboring housing, water and sewer networks, and even the bus rapid transit loop.

“That is more diversity in housing types for the city and that area is well connected, so it would serve that type of housing very well,” he said, adding he’s eager to see which agencies or companies step forward.

The Pierpoint and Lipton buildings are among 55 Crown-owned or leased London properties used by the federal government.

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