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OTTAWA - Canada is promoting its former Manhattan house , which used to residence its consulate standard in New York.
The 12 room, five- bed room condo placed on Park Avenue become indexed Thursday at over $ thirteen million, that is predicted to exceed the acquisition of its new $ nine million Manhattan rental placed on Billionaires' Row.
Global Affairs Canada stated the brand new rental is smaller and extra suitable, pronouncing that the vintage unit, which become bought in 1961 and remaining renovated in 1982, wanted updates to the electrical, heating, air flow and plumbing.
It additionally did now no longer observe the 2021 Accessible Canada Act, which mandates barrier- unfastened environments, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada stated in a statement.
The branch says the brand new rental will keep Canadian taxpayers tens of thousands and thousands of bucks and decrease ongoing renovation prices and assets taxes whilst assisting destiny application needs.
But the Opposition Conservatives rate that best Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and "his wasteful Liberal authorities could accept as true with it become a higher deal to quadruple the price to taxpayers and purchase a brand new luxurious rental for $ nine million rather than making repairs."
Concerns approximately the Park Avenue condo become first raised in 2014.
Seven years later, Global Affairs Canada authorised renovations at a price of $1. eight million, however the undertaking become not on time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, latest files submitted to the House committee on authorities operations and estimates show.
Global Affairs Canada stated in a letter to the committee that months after the brand new consulate standard to New York become appointed, that they'd recognized new problems with the vintage house .
That covered accessibility problems, loss of separation among own circle of relatives and paintings space, and regulations on activities that the cooperative board had imposed on them.
The authorised protection undertaking could now no longer have resolved those "fundamental" problems , the letter stated , and protection prices had expanded to $2.6 million.
"Considering the excessive protection prices had to replace the electrical, heating, air flow and plumbing, Global Affairs Canada endorsed a relocation to a brand new , smaller, extra suitable, and extra competitively priced condo ," stated Brittany Fletcher, spokeswoman for branch on Thursday.
The Canadian authorities additionally owns a 2d condo on the Park Avenue constructing in Manhattan, which stays occupied through Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations.
In seek of a brand new professional house for the consul standard in New York, the branch labored with a nearby dealer and considered 21 extraordinary residences, ranging in fee among $ eight million and $21 million files show.
The authorities in the end settled on a brand new luxurious rental in Steinway Tower, a constructing called the world's thinnest skyscraper, and is simply steps from Central Park.
The professional house could be used for diplomatic sports which consist of networking receptions, professional briefings, and hospitality activities inclusive of discussions with commercial enterprise and political leaders.
It could be utilized by Tom Clark, a former journalist, who become appointed as Canada's consular standard to New York in February 2023.
Opposition Conservatives rate that it is wasteful to drop tens of thousands and thousands on a brand new luxurious rental for the top minister's "media buddy" whilst sticking Canadians with the invoice as " they're suffering to manage to pay for a primary roof over their heads or meals on their tables."
"For Justin Trudeau and his well- linked Liberal insiders, existence has by no means been so proper whilst he maintains to punish ordinary Canadians together along with his pricey policies," stated Michael Barrett, Opposition ethics critic.
Global Affairs Canada become compelled to confess it become at the back of the latest buy after a few New York actual property gossip pronounced that the rental deal become executed for King Charles himself.
The deed for the assets suggests it become indexed for extra than US$6.6 million and become offered remaining month to "His Majesty the King in proper of Canada."
That brought on a few nearby New York media to document a royal buy has been made, with Global Affairs Canada then transferring to accurate the record.
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