Taxation Data Centre Complex: Renovating and modernizing
From: Public Services and Procurement Canada
Learn about the project to renovate and modernize the Taxation Data Centre Complex located at 875 Heron Road, in the Confederation Heights neighbourhood of Ottawa. It houses offices for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
On this page
Project overview
- Location
- 875 Heron Road, Ottawa, Ontario
Locate the Taxation Data Centre Complex on a map - Type of project
- Renovation and modernization
- Lead department
- Public Services and Procurement Canada
- Stakeholders
-
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Shared Services Canada
- National Capital Commission
- City of Ottawa
- Value
- Estimated to be more than $100 million
The budget will be finalized as the plans are completed. - Project status
- We are finalizing the design, the plans and the estimated costs, which were approved in 2019.
We expect to complete construction in fall 2027. - Next step
- Completing the project agreement, which will be used to tender the Public Private Partnership (P3) consortium to rehabilitate the Taxation Data Centre Complex
Project description
The project will modernize the Taxation Data Centre Complex otherwise known as 875 Heron Road. This will:
- improve the CRA’s operations
- consolidate the CRA’s operations in a central location
- improve the health and wellbeing of the employees who work there
- make the building more accessible and environmentally friendly
Goal and objectives
Our goal is to reduce the complex’s impact on the environment by producing less greenhouse gas and using less energy. We also aim to create a healthy workspace that supports the wellbeing of employees.
To measure our success, we have set the following objectives:
- achieve a zero carbon ready construction: design to reduce operating GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 100% compared to the 2005 to 2006 baseline. Full carbon neutrality may be achieved in the future when utility companies such as Hydro Ottawa and the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) implement GHG reduction strategies
- achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) Platinum certification
- achieve WELLTM Building Standard silver certification for features that impact human health and wellbeing
- perform the renovation and modernization using an innovative P3 procurement, which will encourage building innovation
We will also plant more native trees on the grounds to protect the surrounding ecosystem.
Project schedule
High-level schedule milestones of the project
The project schedule is split into 4 different phases:
- Identification phase
- Delivery phase
- Delivery close-out phase
- Operations and maintenance phase
Each phase includes major milestones for the project.
Identification phase
- Planning: from March 2018 to April 2019
Delivery phase
- Analysis: from September 2018 to March 2020
- Contract development: from April 2020 to fall 2023
- Client move to swing space: between fall 2022 and winter 2024
- Construction: between fall 2023 and summer 2027
Delivery close-out phase
- Close-out: winter 2028
- Client move (final): from winter 2027 to summer 2029
Operation and maintenance phase
- Operation and maintenance: fall 2027 to fall 2057
High-level pre-procurement and procurement roadmap for the project
The pre-procurement and procurement phases are major parts of this project. The different milestones and steps for each phase are listed below.
Pre-procurement
- Schematic design
- Finalizing the schematic design will allow us to finalize the P3 business case and to work with the National Capital Commission (NCC) to secure the necessary approvals
- Completion in late 2020
- P3 business case
- The key to bringing the project to the procurement phase and confirming the delivery model for the project
- Completion in March 2021
- NCC approvals
- Securing NCC approvals is a necessary step to start the procurement phase and initiate the tender and bidding processes for the rehabilitation of the Taxation Data Centre Complex
- Completion date for NCC approval is expected to be in the second quarter of the 2021 fiscal year
- Validate CRA functional program
- Expected to be validated in spring 2022
- Project agreement development
- The project agreement is the contract with the P3 Private Partner that outlines all the project requirements and is therefore the key document in the pre-procurement phase
- It is expected to be completed in spring 2022
- Procurement development
- Complete all the procurement documents and templates needed during the procurement phase for tenders and bids
- This is expected to be done in summer 2022
Procurement
The procurement phase is split into 4 separate parts:
- Part 1: posting of the letter of intent
- Part 2: request for proposal (RFP) open period, during which the proposals are received
- Part 3: RFP closed period, during which the proposals are evaluated
- Part 4: contract award
By the end of the procurement phase, an award will be made to the P3 consortium. The project will then move on to the construction phase. Construction on the Taxation Data Centre Complex (both low and high towers) can begin. The procurement phase is expected to be completed in fall 2023.
High-level construction roadmap for the project
The construction phase of the project is split up into different segments:
- The P3 contract will be awarded in late fall 2023
- The site mobilization, planning and independent engineering are all expected to start when the P3 contract has been awarded. These steps are to finish in spring 2024
- The Taxation Data Centre Complex will be vacated in spring 2024
- The destructive inspection phase will then start and last until summer 2024
- The development of the detailed design and the NCC approval process are both expected to start after the P3 contract award and to last until summer 2025
- The construction will begin in late 2023 and extend to fall 2027
- The occupancy permit will be awarded in fall 2027
- The occupants will be able to move into the modernized Complex after the occupancy permit is awarded in 2028
Photo gallery
Refer to photos and images to get a better understanding of the project.
Confederation Heights
Ottawa Taxation Data Centre in 2017
Exterior of the complex
Preparing the site
Project background
About the complex
The Taxation Data Centre Complex was built in 1970 to house the headquarters and data centre for the CRA. The agency has occupied the complex ever since.
The CRA needs space to accommodate employees. It also wishes to merge several functions at this location. The complex consists of:
- an 11-storey taxation data centre
- a 5-storey taxation headquarters
- a 2-storey cafeteria pavilion
The total area of the buildings is 44,386 square metres. The building currently houses offices for 1,843 CRA employees. The complex’s building systems are at the end of their useful service life and need to be replaced.
One of PSPC’s responsibilities is to provide workspaces for federal employees. We build, maintain and manage federal properties.
We are renovating and modernizing Taxation Data Centre Complex while keeping the heritage character of the building. The Taxation Data Centre Complex is designated a Recognized Heritage Building.
History and architecture
In the 1950s, Jacques Gréber created the Plan for the National Capital, intended to decentralize federal employment in the National Capital Region. Gréber envisioned a radial-type plan where there would be one central circular plaza. This plaza would act as a traffic distribution hub leading to 6 different sections of the city as well as monumental buildings placed to act as a “gateway” to Ottawa. The Gréber plan was never fully realized.
Since the 1960s, the site at Confederation Heights remains largely unchanged. It still has many of the characteristics that Gréber envisioned. Although Gréber's plan was innovative and appropriate for its time, Confederation Heights must be redeveloped to meet the current and future needs of the City of Ottawa as a whole. It will be redeveloped to create an iconic federal employment node suitable for the Nation’s Capital.
Latest updates about the project
We are currently:
- finalizing the design and estimating the costs
- finalizing the agreement templates
- planning where the employees who will be displaced by construction will temporarily work, and
- adapting our plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic
We have awarded the following contracts:
- technical advisor services to GRC Architects Inc. and Dialog Ontario Inc. (joint venture): May 1, 2020
- legal advisor services (procured by the Department of Justice)
- financial advisor services to Deloitte LLP: January 15, 2020