Anand says Senate's plans for Centre Block renovations are too costly

Public Services Minister Anita Anand is pushing back on the Senate's plans for the renovation of Centre Block.

In a letter obtained by CBC News, Anand — who is responsible for the renovation project — told the Senate leadership that their plans would increase the project's total cost by at least $100 million.

"To be clear," Anand wrote, "PSPC is not planning on including the aforementioned items as part of the initial cost estimate at this time."

Anand told senators she needs their feedback on which renovations should be funded by Friday because she wants to release a baseline project cost estimate before Parliament rises for the summer.

It's quite possible that an election could be called in late summer or early fall, which would further delay any decisions about the project.

The government owns the Centre Block and Anand is the minister responsible for securing cabinet approval for the project budget. But the Senate is responsible for its own operations — so the Senate and Anand's office have to negotiate any changes to the renovation plan.

Three project items appear to be at the heart of the dispute. The first concerns how people will enter the Senate itself.

When the Centre Block reopens to the public, visitors will enter through the new underground Visitors Welcome Centre. The Senate is asking for a separate entrance, just like the one it had before the Centre Block closed.

The Upper House hosts many diplomatic events and wants to maintain its own entrance. And while a separate entrance would cost more than $12 million on its own, senators aren't expected to budge on this demand.

They might be more flexible about the other two points of dispute. The Senate is asking for construction of three new committee rooms in the underground visitors centre. These rooms would double the number of Senate committee rooms in the Centre Block complex and would cost more than $47 million.

The third disputed proposal involves the renovated courtyards. Right now they're just empty spaces. Once they're enclosed by glass ceilings, they're expected to be one of the visual highlights of the renovation.

The Senate wants an extra six offices built into one of the courtyards, at an estimated extra cost of at least $22 million.

In her letter, Anand criticized the Senate's pitch for more office space. "One of the Chambers is seeking to increase space allocated to it, while the other is maintaining or decreasing its allocation," she wrote.

She suggested that the Senate use the East Block or the future "Block 2" development across the street from Parliament Hill for any office space required.

A spokesperson for Senate Speaker George Furey declined to comment for this story.

The Senate's powerful standing committee on internal economy has been guiding the Red Chamber's renovation.

A spokesperson for committee chair Sen. Sabi Marwah told CBC News that the question of what to do with the disputed renovation plans has been referred to the Senate's long-term vision and planning subcommittee, which is supposed to issue a recommendation to the internal economy committee.