Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday a renovation contest to see which architecture firm can do the best job at restoring 24 Sussex Drive, the residence of Canada‘s top leader.
The historic property has been vacant and unkempt since 2015. Stephen Harper was the last prime minister to live at the home.
Carney, like Justin Trudeau before his resignation last year, resides at the nearby Rideau Cottage while 24 Sussex Drive lies empty due to severe disrepair. Rodent infestation and mold are among the many problems besetting the 19th-century estate.
The prime minister said he hoped to repair the residence for future prime ministers, though he has no intention of living there himself.
As such, Carney launched a national design-and-build competition to restore the property. The project will be funded through a national fundraising effort.
The competition itself will be headed by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, which will establish an independent jury of experts to review the submitted designs. The jury will be chaired by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, known for designing the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa in the 1980s.
The architecture firm that is chosen by the jury will lead the design and reconstruction of 24 Sussex Drive, and the winner will be announced on July 1, 2027. That date falls on Canada Day, a national holiday celebrating the country’s independence nearly 160 years ago.
“24 Sussex Drive will be built by Canadians for Canadians,” Carney said. “At a time when much of the world is buffeted by crisis, Canada’s history, our institutions, and our traditions matter more than ever.”
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“We will not let it crumble,” he added. “We will set it right.”
The prime minister did not provide the budget for the renovation, but he revealed that the donor list for contributing to the fundraising campaign will be made public.