Paul Martin Building to undergo $6M in repairs

The Government of Canada will rehabilitate the exterior facade of the Paul Martin Building, it announced in a news release Friday morning.

The project will entail replacing mortar between facade blocks, repairing the spalled limestone facade and addressing the steel brackets that support the stone facade.

"I am proud to announce this investment, which recognizes the building's historical significance within the community," Essex Conservative MP Jeff Watson said in a statement.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) estimates that project will cost $6 million.

Originally PWGSC officials estimated repair costs of $19 million for the facade; however, during the process of examining options for rehabilitation, the government said it developed an equally effective methodology with a substantially reduced cost.

They discovered that carrying out rehabilitation to the same structural and anesthetic standard, while preserving heritage aspects, was possible by replacing spackled stone panels in place and resealing the stone joints with a flexible synthetic compound.

This method will reduce the total rehabilitation cost by 70 per cent, according to the government.

Following industry and stakeholder consultations, it has become clear that these repairs will be necessary to help facilitate the divestiture of the building.

"The Government has been clear that any potential future divestiture will not move federal employees out of the downtown core. The City of Windsor will continue to benefit from a strong federal downtown presence," the news release read, in part.

The tender for the project is expected to be posted in September 2015, with construction completed in summer 2016.

Upon completion of construction, the existing hoarding and protective mesh are anticipated to be removed.