Thousands of federal buildings need urgent repair

In the real estate world, it's common knowledge that attempting to save money by delaying building maintenance is simply a false economy.

That's a concept, however, the federal government hasn't yet grasped.

According to a weekend story in the Toronto Star, nearly 5,000 federal real estate holdings are in serious disrepair.

These are sites that the Treasury Board defines as "poor" or "critical" where "operational and maintenance costs are high" and "risk of building and building systems failure is high."

The list of buildings with "poor" and "critical" designations include:

- RCMP headquarters in Ottawa

- Parliament's West Block

- More than 2,300 National Defence buildings, including housing for soldiers and their families on military bases in Ontario and beyond

- 370 buildings run by the Correctional Service of Canada, including prisons and treatment centres

- 600 structures maintained by Parks Canada

According to a recent article by CBC News, several other buildings in the national capital are actually sitting vacant due to 'non-occupiable' conditions.

100 Wellington Street, the former U.S. embassy, built in 1931, has been vacant since 1999.

The Sir John Carling Building — once home to 1,200 bureaucrats has been vacant since 2009 because of 'poor' building conditions.

933 Gladstone Avenue, also in Ottawa, used as a massive federal government warehouse dating back to the Second World War, has been mostly vacant because of "structural problems."

And the Wellington Building, which has sat vacant since 2010, is finally being renovated but won't be ready for occupancy until 2015.

Has the Harper government learned anything from past mistakes?

Apparently not.

Last July, the National Capital Commission, which operates the six official residences, said "extensive" work was required on 24 Sussex — repairs that would "require the occupant to vacate the premises" for more than a year.

To date, the NCC has been rebuffed by the prime minister.