Crown corporation closing PM's official residence due to health and safety hazards

The Crown corporation responsible for overseeing 24 Sussex Drive — the prime minister's official residence — has decided to close the building due to health and safety hazards.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) said Thursday it will relocate property staff and begin planning to remove outdated items of equipment that pose safety concerns.

"With continuously aging and worsening materials and systems, more significant actions must be taken to mitigate matters of great concern such as potential fire hazards, water damage and air quality issues," the NCC said in a media statement.

"Relocating employees and closing the site is required to prevent these concerns from materializing."

The building's condition is listed as "critical" on the Treasury Board's website and it's estimated the residence needs $36.6 million worth of repairs.

A recent NCC report declared that the residence should be replaced as it is not fit to serve as the home of a major world leader.

That report concluded that "the overall state of the official residences continues to deteriorate due to years of chronic underfunding," NCC spokesperson Dominique Huras told CBC News at the time.

Because of the building's condition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has lived on the grounds of Rideau Hall with his family since he was elected in 2015.

The NCC said in Monday's statement that it would begin planning to remove certain safety hazards — including asbestos and outdated heating and electrical equipment — while the government decides what to do with the property.

"The work to be carried out as part of this project must be completed regardless of any future decision on the residence," the NCC statement said.

In January, Trudeau said the government would assess its options before deciding what to do with the residence.

When asked Thursday if the government had developed any further plans for the building's future, Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek's office said no decision has been made.

"We are working closely with the NCC to develop a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive," a spokesperson from Jaczek's office said in an email.