Impatience grows as spare federal buildings stuck in bureaucracy

The sluggish process for selling spare federal buildings is trying the patience of politicians and developers hoping to transform them into desperately needed housing in Ottawa.

In May, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) released a list of 10 properties in Ottawa-Gatineau it's looking to unload. Eight months later, none of them have hit the market.

«I don't think it's fast enough,» said Yasir Naqvi, the Liberal MP for Ottawa Centre. «I think it needs to be faster. We do have a real housing crisis in our city and we have a real need to revitalize our downtown core.»

PSPC said all 10 properties remain in the «due diligence» phase of the disposal process. That means completing studies and reports on environmental, heritage and legal requirements, as well as building appraisals.

Developers see major potential in the buildings: some candidates for office-to-housing conversions, while demolishing others could clear out prime parcels for mixed-use development.

«I don't know what the hold up is, but there's certainly an opportunity there and there'd be some willing participants, I'm sure,» said real estate broker Michael Church, managing director of Avison Young Ottawa.

«We're all kind of waiting,» he added. «Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later, because there's some problems that we can help solve.»

Neil Malhotra of Claridge Homes foresees a lot of developer interest, depending on the timing and conditions when the properties are finally made available.

«The sooner the better, obviously, for downtown Ottawa,» he said.

«It's a long process when you're in a housing crisis.»

PSPC 'working diligantly' to speed up

Graeme Hussey, director of housing development for Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation and president of