Shawn Hamilton prefers to see a looming change in leadership on Parliament Hill as a glass-half-full proposition for supporters of revitalizing Ottawa’s downtown. The veteran commercial real estate broker and outspoken civic booster has been one of the loudest voices calling for new ideas to bring life back to the city’s core, where foot traffic […]
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Shawn Hamilton prefers to see a looming change in leadership on Parliament Hill as a glass-half-full proposition for supporters of revitalizing Ottawa’s downtown.
The veteran commercial real estate broker and outspoken civic booster has been one of the loudest voices calling for new ideas to bring life back to the city’s core, where foot traffic has plummeted since the pandemic as office buildings hollowed out amid a widespread shift to remote work.
Leaders of the downtown revitalization campaign, including Hamilton, argue the federal government could play a key role in the process by selling off aging Crown-owned properties to private-sector developers that could convert them into housing and other uses.
In May 2023, the feds released a list of several buildings they intend to dispose of in the National Capital Region, including L’Esplanade Laurier and the nearby Jackson Building.
Since then, however, updates on the disposal process have been few and far between. Hamilton said this week he doesn’t think Justin Trudeau’s pending resignation and the prorogation of Parliament until the end of March will have much, if any, effect on the government’s effort to sell the buildings.
“I’m not sure if the ball was ever really rolling in terms of the feds doing anything downtown,” he told OBJ in an interview on Tuesday, one day after Trudeau announced he intended to resign once a new federal Liberal leader is chosen.
“We only hear about the divestment of their assets as sort of a political sound bite. In between those sound bites, we hear absolutely nothing about timeline, process, public consultation, discussion of any sort (about) the divestment of these assets. From my perspective, they might as well not even be on the market.”
Still, Hamilton, a principal at Proveras Commercial Realty, is trying to remain optimistic. He’s hoping Trudeau’s exit might set the stage for a more concerted effort from the feds to speed up the disposal process and work with local officials on other revitalization efforts.
“Maybe a change (in leadership) will bring with it a change in the view of the importance of divesting of these buildings,” he said. “Maybe a new government, or a change in leader, whichever it’s going to be, will breathe new life into a (process) that, to the outside world, appears stalled.”
Hamilton suggested a shakeup on the Hill might provide the opportunity to take another look at the office buildings on the current federal disposal list to ensure they’re the best candidates for other potential uses.
“They can put any building they want on a list that they feel is best for them to get rid of,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean the buildings they’re getting rid of are desirable for somebody to buy. What’s the point of putting buildings on a list to dispose of if those buildings will never be sold to anybody? Hopefully, a change will (bring in) some people who are open to that idea.”
