Portage III

“The Federal Government of Canada began the construction of the Place du Portage complex in 1970 in an effort to promote a proportional representation of its workforce throughout the National Capital Area. Located in the City of Gatineau (sector Hull) downtown core, the complex is comprised of four Crown-owned office buildings providing approximately 232,000 square meters of retail/office rentable areas plus an additional 14,963 square meters of basement utility/storage spaces to various Federal Government Departments.

Portage III was constructed between 1973 and 1978 at a cost of $88 million dollars. Set in a line along the riverfront, giving the complex its distinctive skyline from the Ottawa side, the facility consists of six towers, a commercial area, two basement levels, a tri-level underground parking garage (known as the Laurier-Taché Garage) that may accommodate 1,670 vehicles and Place d’Acceuil.” [1]

Regrettably, the sprawling complex has not aged well over the years since its construction. In September 2018 it was announced that nearly half of the federal employees who work at in the crumbling downtown Place du Portage III office complex will be temporarily relocated to make way for major renovations. Currently, fibreglass netting has been installed to catch the crumbling chunks of concrete as they fall. Approximately 2,460 of 4,500 employees who work at Portage III will be moved between October and June 2019, according to an email from a Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) spokesperson. The department said they will be in temporary offices until 2025. [2].

Sources: [1] <a href="http://www.placeduportage.ca/histoire_en.php" rel="nofollow">www.placeduportage.ca/histoire_en.php</a>