24 Sussex Returns to the Spotlight as Carney Announces Restoration Plan

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday, June 26, 2026, the launch of an independent national design-and-build competition to restore and modernize 24 Sussex Drive, the historic official residence of Canada’s prime ministers in Ottawa. The project aims to return the property to use as a secure, accessible, sustainable and functional official residence and working venue, while preserving its defining heritage character.

The Prime Minister’s Office said 24 Sussex has served for more than 75 years as the official residence of Canada’s prime ministers, but the property is now unoccupied and in critical condition after decades of deferred maintenance.

The competition will be open to eligible Canadian firms. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will advise on the competition framework and convene an independent jury of Canadian experts in architecture, heritage conservation and design.

The jury will be chaired by Canadian architect Moshe Safdie and will recommend the winning design to Cabinet. The winning proposal is expected to be announced by Canada Day, July 1, 2027.

The selected team will be responsible for both design and construction, with the government saying the process is intended to ensure that the proposal is ambitious, achievable and supported by a credible construction plan.

To reduce the cost to government, the Rideau Hall Foundation will lead a national, non-partisan fundraising campaign aimed at raising all or most of the project’s cost. The campaign will allow Canadians and philanthropic organizations to contribute to the renewal of the national landmark.

The National Capital Commission says 24 Sussex Drive was closed in fall 2022 for health and safety reasons and to protect the classified heritage asset. A $4.3 million abatement and decommissioning project began in May 2023 and was completed in November 2024.

According to the NCC, the work included the removal, cataloguing and storage of heritage elements, asbestos abatement, and the removal of obsolete mechanical, heating and electrical systems. Some state areas were protected in place because of their heritage significance.

The NCC’s 2021 condition report found that the main residence and the caretaker’s house at 10 Sussex Drive were both in critical condition. The report estimated that the main residence needed about $36.6 million in deferred maintenance, not including additional costs required to meet new building codes and legislative requirements.

The proposed rehabilitation work includes extensive recapitalization, hazardous materials abatement, retention of selected heritage components, improvements to the building envelope, replacement of mechanical and electrical systems, and construction of universally accessible entrances and washrooms.

24 Sussex Drive was built in 1868, acquired by the Government of Canada in 1949, and refurbished as the official residence of the prime minister in 1950. Louis St. Laurent became the first prime minister to live there in 1951.

The building was designated a Classified Federal Heritage Building in 1986 because of its direct association with Canadian prime ministers, its status as a nationally known landmark, and its contribution to the character of the surrounding area