Long Term Vision and Plan today: Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs—February 27, 2020
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Key messages
- With the successful transition of parliamentary operations completed, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has shifted its focus to the next phase of the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP): the rehabilitation of the Centre Block, and the transformation of the precinct into an integrated campus through the rehabilitation of the remaining 23 assets
- Work on the Centre Block and Visitor Welcome Centre phase 2 is now underway
- Important decisions requiring parliamentary input are upcoming to be able to complete designs, keep projects moving forward and establish baseline budgets and schedule
Long Term Vision Plan update
With the core objective of the 2007 LTVP now achieved, a new update is now required to incorporate evolving conditions and requirements, to take advantage of arising opportunities, and to ensure the LTVP reflects current government and parliamentary priorities. From 2016 to 2017, PSPC initiated phase 1 of the new LTVP update with the Parliamentary Partners and stakeholders. The result was a set of 5 strategic directions that will provide a framework to guide the update to the LTVP:
- Parliamentary accommodations:
- Shifting the focus of new development opportunities for permanent accommodations from lands north of Wellington to blocks 1, 2 and 3 while continuing the important rehabilitation work of existing assets north of Wellington Street.
- Infrastructure planning:
- Implementing integrated systems within the Campus and consolidating functions for greater efficiency, including material handling, waste management, food services, support services, surface and underground movement systems, storm water management.
- Security:
- Integrating a comprehensive security plan for the campus, including the identification of security zones. Holistic physical security design requirements will be developed (with respect for institutional independence) for seamless protection, detection and response as well as addressing changing threat levels.
- Innovation:
- Exploring proactive ways of integrating innovation in the way parliamentary functions and accommodations are provided and deployed in the precinct, including technological change and advances in how administrative space is used.
- Future growth:
- Considering strategies for future growth beyond the timeframe of the LTVP update, along with potential opportunities to protect Parliament and provide for future requirements that have yet to be defined.
The next phase of work (phase 2) will identify functional, flexible, integrated, and creative approaches to realize the full potential of the Precinct Campus and its important role in the nation's capital. The LTVP update will address certain areas of concern which present opportunities for enhancement, such as accessibility and sustainability of the Precinct Campus. The update will also explore opportunities to reduce parliament's ecological footprint, evaluating the use of clean energy sources, reviewing space standards, and identifying transport.
Centre Block and Visitor Welcome Centre phase 2
In this section
Project drivers and scope
The rehabilitation of the Centre Block will provide modern 21st century parliamentary accommodations while retaining core heritage elements. In addition to the modernization of the Centre Block, the program will also design and construct phase 2 of the Visitor Welcome Centre providing additional parliamentary support, an alternate visitor experience, and fully integrate the Centre, West, and East blocks into a parliamentary complex.
Program status
The program is on track and several key milestones have been accomplished:
- A series of enabling projects ranging from the construction of a temporary loading dock to the re-location of the Books of Remembrance are now complete
- A comprehensive assessment program to better understand the building condition and reduce program risk is also complete
- Demolition and abatement has begun on floors 4 to 6 of the Centre Block. In addition, excavation of underground infrastructure in the footprint of the phase 2 Visitor Welcome Centre (VWC) is underway
- The parliamentary functional program has advanced and schematic design process has started and targeted to deliver in June 2020
Leveraging lessons learned and industry best practice
Several strategies are being employed to improve program delivery and reduce risk. Key highlights include:
Integrated planning and delivery: The Centre Block Program has established a co-located and integrated project office. Key stakeholders including the design consultant, the construction manager, and the Parliamentary Partners work hand in hand with PSPC, sharing their knowledge and experience. This integrated team is also utilizing building information modelling (intelligent 3D modelling) instead of 2D paper drawings enabling more effective planning, design, and construction.
Comprehensive Assessment Program: The most comprehensive undertaken in the precinct to date—over 100 field surveys, 900 openings , 2000 inspections, 10,000 tests and samples, and 20,000 heritage assets recorded. The program’s findings are informing the design strategy and key highlights are as follows:
- Comprehensive understanding of heritage elements which will enable the project team to develop a robust restoration strategy
- The location and type of designated substances so we can develop and comprehensive designated substances abatement strategy. The designated substances profile is typical for a building of this age
- Unfortunately, there is very little space in the ceilings or behind the walls to run modern services. Although this is a significant technical challenge, the project is pursuing innovative approaches to implement this infrastructure.For example, with the support of both the House of Commons’ information technology (IT) Project Management Office and the project’s designer Centrus Energy working collaboratively, the team has shifted from traditional horizontal to vertical systems, creating space efficiencies
- Structural steel is in better condition than expected in many areas which will create efficiencies during the structural re-enforcement process
- VWC phase 2 site is clear for excavation. The location of underground infrastructure, associated site conditions, and archeology have been identified, isolated, and protected where required
Parliamentary engagement: The input of parliamentarians to obtain key decisions outlined in (See Tab 5 Key decisions) is critical to finalize schematic design that will endure through the project lifecycle. It will also enable the development of a substantive scope, cost and schedule.
Visitor Welcome Centre phase 2
The concept of a below grade phase 2 Visitor Welcome Centre has been around since as early as 1976 and has been supported by multiple governments, parliamentary committees, and has been engrained in the Long Term Vision and Plan. With a focus on security, the Visitor Welcome Centre Complex will also provide expanded business support to parliamentary operations, provide an enhanced visitor experience, and connect the triad of Centre Block, West Block, East Block to safety and securely, move people and goods across the integrated complex in a more effective manner.
Until key decision including the size and entry approach for the Visitor Welcome Centre Complex are made, schematic design cannot be finalized. Three options have been developed to support decision-making:
- Option 1 (smallest): approximately 5800 (net) in size provides a new screening point of entry, connects the triad, provides some new parliamentary support, but limits the library or parliament’s visitor experience to tour support only
- Option 2 (medium): approximately 13,500 in size. In additional to the capabilities mentioned in option 1, provides increased parliamentary functions including 3 new committee rooms for the Senate, and provides space for a curated alternate visitor experience in addition to public tours
- Option 3 (large)-: approximately 16,600 in size—continues to enhance parliamentary operations (3 large, full business and material handling, senate cafeteria, archives and health services) and provides and expanded alternate visitor experience
Finalizing parliamentary functional requirements and completing schematic designs will allow for establishment of a substantive scope, cost and schedule. So that they can be fully engaged in driving decisions on this project of national importance to create a modern, safe and secure Parliament for the 21st century that is open and engaging for Canadians.
Block 2 redevelopment project
The first step in transforming the precinct into an integrated campus is the redevelopment of the city block facing Parliament Hill bounded by Wellington, O’Connor, Sparks and Metcalfe streets (Block 2), which consists of 11 buildings, the majority of which have already or will shortly reach the end of their life-cycle. The boundaries of Block 2 includes the Indigenous peoples’ space at 100 Wellington and 119 Sparks (CIBC Building), and while decisions on how the work on the Parliamentary and Indigenous partners will unfold has yet to be made, PSPC will work in close partnership with Indigenous stakeholders on design and redevelopment. Future phases of the redevelopment will transform the remaining 2 blocks (blocks 1 and 3), including the restoration and modernization of the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council.
The Block 2 project will include the construction of 2 new buildings to support the immediate and long-term accommodations of Parliament, and the redevelopment of existing assets.
A map of Block 2 which is located between Wellington, O’Connor, Sparks and Metcalfe streets.
A map of Block 2 which is located between Wellington, O’Connor, Sparks and Metcalfe Streets, and includes the following buildings: Victoria, Valour, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Commerce, Fisher, Bate, Birks, Canada Four Corners, Marshall, 100 Wellington, and Union.PSPC plans to launch an architectural design competition to redevelop Block 2, from spring/summer 2020 to spring/summer 2021. Architectural design competitions are among the most effective ways to achieve excellence in building design and offer a way to evaluate multiple design proposals in a formal, professionally driven procedure. PSPC has engaged the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) to oversee the design competition process, including the nomination of an independent jury who will choose the competition prize winners. The jury will provide a recommendation to the department and the final decision will be made by the minister of PSPC. The winning design will not be a formal design but rather will serve as the approach and basis upon which a formal design will be built.
There are 5 main steps in the process:
- An advance notice that a competition was going to be launched was released on January 20, 2020 to advise the industry
- Publish the request for qualifications. Based on the submissions, a maximum of 12 respondents will be invited to the competition. At this time the jury members (the architectural and general jurors segments) will also be announced
- Launch the first stage of the competition. Each competitor will submit a design concept. Based on the jury’s assessment, up to 6 design concepts will proceed to the second stage
- The second and final stage of the competition will require each remaining competitor to submit an advanced design concept and based on the jury’s assessment a winner—or competition laureate—will be declared
- The final step is to negotiate a contract with the winner
The entire competitive process is scheduled to take approximately 16 months from the launch of the request for qualifications, with construction targeted to begin approximately 2 years after the architect is selected. The process is extensive to achieve design excellence, and will include engagement with parliamentarians and their administrations to ensure an efficient and world-class facility that supports the operations of Parliament
100 Wellington: Indigenous people’s space
PSPC is working with CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, and the National Indigenous Organizations (Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council), and the Algonquin Nation to transform the 100 Wellington Street and adjacent sites (119 Sparks Street and the infill area in between those buildings) into a national space for Indigenous peoples.
Ottawa’s 100 Wellington Street Building is a classified heritage building located directly across from Parliament Hill. The building was constructed in 1931 to 1932, and was occupied by the United States Embassy until 1998 but has since remained vacant.
Following a nationwide consultation in which over 7,000 participants were presented with options for the use of the building, it was announced that the building would be transformed into a national space for Indigenous peoples. PSPC, CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and National Indigenous Organizations, and Indigenous partners have been working together to advance the initiative.
The minister for CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs is the lead for the relationship with the National Indigenous Organizations, who are leading the development of the vision for the space. The minster for Public Services and Procurement is responsible for supporting CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and the National Indigenous Organizations through the planning, construction and delivery of the project.
At the request of National Indigenous Organizations, Public Services and Procurement Canada worked with CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs to develop a short-term use of the facility as an exposition, meeting and press space while the planning and development of its long-term permanent use is underway. Public Services and Procurement Canada delivered the short-term use as planned in June 2019. However, a lack of consensus between the National Indigenous Organizations and the Algonquin Nation on the long-term use of the facility has prevented it from opening.
The department will continue to work with CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and National Indigenous Organizations in establishing a clear vision for the long-term use of the space, which is intended to create an integral facility for Indigenous peoples in the centre of the Parliamentary Precinct and make good use of the building, which has been vacant for 2 decades.
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