Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a position supporting a contract for work at 801 rue Brennan in the borough of Ville-Marie. The city’s position is to award the contract to Montarville Gestion et Construction inc. and authorize a total of $4,356,147.45, taxes included; the agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. City staff say the project’s goal is to adapt office space to hybrid work and changing service needs.
- The proposed contract covers office renovations on the ground floor and 7th floor for the Service des infrastructures et du réseau routier (infrastructure and road network service), and a public-access documentation and archives centre for the Service de l’urbanisme et de la mobilité (planning and mobility service).
- Work includes office and collaboration spaces, a multi-purpose room, upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems, lighting replacement, and repairs to finishes. Common areas are excluded.
- The work is planned in two phases, lasting about eight months and six months.
- The city’s position is to award the contract to the lowest compliant bidder. Six bids were received and all six were compliant.
- The resolution also calls for an evaluation of the contractor’s performance.
What it means for you#
- City employees: The project would reconfigure work areas for the two named city services, using a model of unassigned workspaces. The decision does not say that employees must use a particular workspace.
- Public: The plans include a documentation and archives centre described as accessible to the public. The materials do not set out its services or access arrangements.
- Residents and businesses: The decision does not directly change their rights, services, taxes, or fees.
Money#
The city council’s position authorizes a total project expense of $4,356,147.45, taxes included.
- The base contract is $2,441,214.74, taxes included ($2,229,154.44 net of tax rebates). The construction contingency is $366,182.21, taxes included ($334,373.17 net of tax rebates).
- Incidence costs (related project costs beyond construction) are $1,548,750.50, taxes included. This includes a $228,939.73 reserve for those costs.
- City staff report that $4,175,815.95 is planned in the 2026–2035 property-management program budget. They also say 8.59% of the expense, or $358,702.59, is allocated to the agglomeration.
What is unclear#
- The planned program budget is $180,331.50 less than the total authorized expense; the materials do not explain how that difference would be covered.
- The materials do not give calendar dates for the work or say when the public-access centre would open.
- The decision does not explain how the contingency or incidence reserve would be used or reported.
- The project includes unassigned workspaces, but the materials do not explain how staff would use them or how the change would affect day-to-day work.
Case for#
- A possible argument for the project is that it would update office space for the needs of the named city services while adding a public-access documentation and archives centre.
- The lowest compliant bid was $749,809.12, or 21.08%, below the latest professional estimate. Six compliant bids were received, and the winning bid was $94,138.22 below the second-lowest.
Case against#
- One concern is that the total authorized expense is higher than the amount identified in the program budget, and the materials do not explain the gap.
- The contingency and incidence budgets add substantial amounts beyond the base construction contract. Their use could affect the final cost, and the decision does not describe detailed controls or reporting for them.