The National Capital Commission (NCC) is considering plans to significantly renovate a major federal government office complex in Gatineau.

The Place du Portage III office complex houses approximately 4,800 civil servants from Ottawa and Gatineau—most working with Public Services and Procurement Canada. It is divided among six office towers with an approximate total floor area of 2.6 million square feet.

Plans to renovate the 1978 complex were presented at the NCC’s board of directors meeting on April 23. If approved, the new building design will increase occupancy to 6,800, improve the design of the workplace to be smart, accessible and inclusive, earn the LEED Silver designation, and transform the aging facility into a signature gateway into Gatineau’s downtown core.

One of the challenges of the current facility design, NCC documents say, is that the complex “creates a barrier between the riverfront and the downtown core of Gatineau and appears to offer no services or amenities to the public.”

Increasing the permeability and access of the complex podium, and connecting the landscape to the riverfront would be a major improvement to the area, the NCC further suggests. The City of Gatineau, meanwhile, has suggested the design could include renovations to Laurier Street to the south, as well as new sidewalk entrances, and new public spaces.

The proposal that was evaluated by the NCC directors includes two phases.

Phase 1 includes replacing the building envelope and rehabilitating the base building. The proposal also calls for redesigning the public realm along the south face of the building. Phase 2 involves a complete redesign of the public realm on the north side of the building and the improvement of urban east-west connections through demolition of the Place d’Accueil Complex.

Project design is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Construction is expected to start in 2021.