Pomerleau awarded contract for Block 2 redevelopment in Ottawa

OTTAWA – Pomerleau Inc. has been awarded a $2.8-million construction management services contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) for the first phase of the Block 2 Redevelopment Project.

The construction manager is responsible for the overall construction delivery of the Block 2 project. The scope of the contract includes advisory services, as well as services for pre-construction, construction and post-construction.

The redevelopment will transform aging buildings into an innovative complex that creates a new fourth wall to parliament square. The project is part of the federal government’s efforts to restore and modernize Canada’s Parliamentary Precinct. 

Block 2 is the city block immediately south of Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa which faces the Centre Block and Peace Tower to the north. The block is bounded by Metcalfe, Wellington, O’Connor and Sparks streets.

PSPC issued a Request for Proposal for construction management in August 2023 and it closed in October 2023. 

The construction work includes decommissioning of old building systems, demolition and abatement of hazardous material, heritage protection and restoration, excavation, structural reinforcement and seismic upgrades of existing buildings, new building construction, including new building envelopes, new mechanical and electrical systems and landscape work.

The redesigned Block 2 will provide office space for the Senate and the House of Commons and will allow for the future consolidation of parliamentary accommodations, including space for the Library of Parliament. It will also include renovated retail space in the Sparks Street Mall.

Of the 11 buildings in Block 2, two buildings and an infill space in between have been dedicated for the development of an Indigenous Peoples’ Space. 

Following an international design competition, in May 2023, PSPC awarded the architectural and engineering services contract to the winning design team of Zeidler Architecture Inc. from Toronto, in association with David Chipperfield Architects of the U.K.