The Globe and Mail, by Ian Bailey

After a decade without a federal government decision on what to do with 24 Sussex Drive, the head of the Crown corporation managing the former residence for Canada’s prime ministers says a determination could be imminent.

Tobi Nussbaum, chief executive officer of the National Capital Commission, said on Tuesday that he senses a new level of attention from the federal government on 24 Sussex, which has been managed by the NCC since 1988, but was built in the late 1860s. 

The NCC has long been waiting for some federal decision on what to do with the property. A 2021 report from the commission said the property was in “critical” condition and required $36.6-million in upgrades. Options include renovating the residence or having a new one built. 

“I’ve just sensed an interest in this file and that gives me reason to hope,” Mr. Nussbaum told a news conference that followed a public meeting of the NCC board of directors.

In 2015, Stephen Harper became the last of 11 prime ministers to live in the residence. Justin Trudeau declined to move his family in because of the state of the property, which sat empty after the 2015 election and was closed by the NCC in 2022. 

Mr. Trudeau instead moved his family to Rideau Cottage, a property on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the official residence of the governor-general. Prime Minister Mark Carney now lives in the cottage. 

The residence is one of six that the NCC manages as part of a portfolio that includes more than 11 per cent of all the land in the National Capital Region.

The NCC said it closed the residence for health and safety reasons and to protect it, given its status as a classified heritage asset.

Mr. Nussbaum said that Joël Lightbound, the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, recently went to see the deserted 24 Sussex Dr.

The NCC head also said he has had some “useful conversations” as of late on the matter of the residence. Beyond references to meetings about the file, he declined to be specific about what he has heard from the government, but added he has “reason for optimism.”

Mr. Lightbound’s department confirmed that the Minister toured 24 Sussex Dr. on June 2 to familiarize himself with issues for which he is now responsible.

Department spokesperson Nicole Allen said in a statement that it continues to explore and refine a range of options for the property.

She was not specific about what those options are, but said plans for dealing with the Prime Minister’s official residence remain a work in progress.