- What The federal government is building four courts and office space in Montreal’s Old Port
- Why Ottawa wants to create expanded access to the justice system that is also accessible and sustainable
- What next The initiative will create a modern hub that blends with Montreal’s architectural heritage
The federal government is spending $165m to build a complex that will accommodate four courts and office space in the Old Port of Montreal.
Public Services and Procurement Canada announced Friday that construction began this spring and is expected to be complete in 2027. The agency will own and manage the eight-storey building, which will span about 12,000 sq m.
“The modern architectural concept will blend harmoniously into Old Montréal’s architectural and historic landscape,” the agency said in a release.
The judicial complex will house the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada, and the courts administration service. It will be built with LEED gold and WELL Silver standards to meet the government’s sustainability goals.
The complex will be divided in two parts: a two-storey entrance hall, in addition to the ground floor and basement, on rue Notre-Dame; and an eight-storey tower, with a ground floor and basement, on the rue Saint-Jacques side.
The total price tag includes taxes, the purchase of a 2,000 sq m site in 2020 from the city for $8.5m – and contracts for architectural, engineering and construction management services.
Architecture49 Inc. and Perkins+Will Canada won the $13.6m contract for building design, preparation of plans and specifications, and supervision during construction. Pomerleau Inc. won the $143m construction management contract, which will last until January 2029.
Pomerleau also won a $157m contract to construct a federal building in Shawinigan, Que., for $284.3m. PSPC unveiled those plans in March. The government plans to demolish the existing site after the three-storey building is complete, expected in summer 2025.
Approximately 2,000 federal employees working for the CRA, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Shared Services Canada will work in the building, with a total usable space of about 11,000 sq m.
