CSEC Long-Term Accommodation Project

operational

Opportunity Due to the highly classified and technical nature of its work, the Communications Security Establishment of Canada (CSEC) has specific facility requirements that were not being adequately met with their previous facility. On May 14, 2009 the Government of Canada announced plans to build a new, state-of-the-art facility for CSEC. The business case clearly showed that significant savings could be achieved through a long-term P3. Challenges Heightened security was a consideration from the outset and as such stringent security measures were in place. All contractors involved in the project were subject to security screening and a CSEC security expert was assigned to oversee the implementation of security-related requirements for the entire project. Innovations The project was only the second P3 undertaken by the federal government, and the procurement process was updated and enhanced, setting a high standard for deals to follow. Results The project was delivered on-budget and up to four years earlier than it would have been if traditional procurement was used. The 72,000 square-meter facility includes a top secret data centre, conference centre and classrooms; a highly collaborative and flexibly work environment; and proximity to public transit and bicycle parking facility. 135 per cent of the energy required in the shipping and receiving building and the Visitor Centre is provided by renewable energy sources located onsite— 80 per cent more than was required by the RFP. Other green features include low-flow fixtures, a reduction in potable water use of 40 per cent due to rainwater re-use; the use of regional materials and recycled content during construction; and green and reflective roofs. “We can’t predict exactly how our work will evolve in the coming years, so it’s important for us to have a facility that can adapt with us and allow us to be equally responsive in the future. Being able to reconfigure the furniture is only one aspect of the flexibility in this facility. The underlying technology infrastructure will support these reconfigurations, making it almost seamless, but it is also being built with the flexibility to accommodate new and emerging technologies as we move forward—a tremendous asset from our point of view. We would not have been able to achieve the innovations we are getting through a traditional procurement approach. All indications are that the P3 process will deliver a state-of-the-art facility that exceeds our expectations, yet remains within our budget.” - Bob Brûlé, Project Leader, LTAP, CSEC Learn more at: Case Studies

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