Delegation of Québec:$ 30 Million to Paris for new offices and an entertainment hall

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The area of the Quai d’orsay in Paris, where the Quebec delegation would like to install.

Nicolas Lachance

Tuesday, 5 September 2017, 00:00

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Tuesday, 5 September 2017, 00:00

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Dissatisfied with his elegant desk, a heritage of Paris, the Quebec government is ready to extend $ 30 million to buy another building, move its delegation and bring a room shows.

The delegation of Québec in Paris located at 66, rue Pergolèse, will be moving into a new building better adapted ” to the needs “, says the department of international Relations and of the Francophonie (MRIF).

It is near the Quai d’orsay that the delegation would throw its sights. A budget of $ 30 million has been awarded for the purchase of a building for the employees of the delegate of Québec in Paris, Line Beauchamp.

And this, without counting the fact that Quebec already has a rich still paid $ 12 million five years ago to satisfy his diplomacy. A place that she wanted to keep.

The delegate Line Beauchamp has confirmed to the Newspaper his desire to have the office closer to the centre of the City of Light. “We would like it because it would allow us to be at the heart of the action “, she mentioned in an interview.

“There are no secrets. We are seeking something quite specific. “

Experts in real estate in Paris argue that the value of the square foot in this central district desired is 30 % higher than that at the place where the property is located in Quebec.

“Delirium “

To justify the expense of $ 30 million, the MRIF has indicated that the current building requires substantial renovation ” and that it is not satisfied with his or her dimension.

However, no amount of scale would not have been injected in order to maintain the current building standards since its purchase in 1964. Result : the renovation work to bring the residence to the taste of the delegation would amount to $25 million.

“Delirium “, according to a source close to the folder. The amount of renovations and selling are very exaggerated, believes our source. “There are certainly problems with the air conditioning and some stuff, but $ 25 million… this is an exaggeration “, a-t-are also shown in the Log.

“It is still a very beautiful place “, said another person.

Even if he finds the place somewhat functional, the ex-delegate of Quebec in Paris, Michel Robitaille, has also pointed out to the Journal that it was ” not an untenable situation “.

“Strategy “

According to our information, the estimated price of the sale of the 66, rue Pergolèse could reach $ 17 million. The amount that Ms. Smith does not want to confirm. “This is a strategic issue,” she said.

The recent data of the MRIF reveal that the market evaluation of the building is $ 24.4 million, which would mean that Quebec is ready to throw in the ballast, because of the renovation work required.

It is the firm Cushman Wakefield, which has the mandate to find a buyer and the new office. The ministry has also refused to disclose the amount that will be paid to the agency of prestige for his work.

This way of managing capital projects of the MRIF lack of ” transparency “, according to the president of the syndicat des professionnels du government du Quebec (SPGQ), Richard Perron, who has long worked in the MRIF.

“The three-quarters of the money in the relationship international is going to capital, then there are questions to be asked. Especially as the tender looks dark, it doesn’t sweat the transparency “, he said.

– With the collaboration of Robert Plouffe, Bureau of investigation

Quebec to Paris

• Staff : 41 posts

Beauchamp : general delegate (from August 2016)

• Salary : 154 329 $

Residence of the delegate :

• 58, avenue Foch, Paris
• Cost of acquisition and renovation in 2011 :$12.1 Million
• Market value :$8.5 Million

Office (for sale) :

• 66, rue Pergolèse, Paris
• Building on 5 levels.
• Acquisition cost 1964 :$0.9 Million
• Market value :$24.4 Million
• Estimated sales :$17 Million

Multi-purpose hall – Quebec wants to be ” an incubator “

Photo Joel Lemay

The delegate, Line Beauchamp.

Even if most of the receptions of the delegation are in the luxurious residence of the delegate Line Beauchamp, Quebec definitely wants to offer a new theater, ” a form of incubator “.

“It is the first time that a representation would have such provisions in place “, confirmed the department of international Relations.

Line Beauchamp says that it is important to emphasize with great fanfare 50 years of the delegation to Paris.

“I think that it was necessary to mark it with some changes, in particular with spaces more appropriate and to have at our disposal a multifunctional space. (…) A form of incubator which will allow us to be nimble.”

Remains that Paris already has hundreds of multipurpose rooms available for rent. “Paris is expensive “, she mentioned, ensuring that you have a room at the disposal of the delegation allowed to perform events at a low cost.

Already facilities

Recall that in 2011, the department has invested more than $ 12 million in the purchase and renovation of the residence of the delegate of 58, avenue Foch. According to the ministry, the building is valued at$ 8 Million. It is at this place that Mrs. Beauchamp has its apartments, located a few meters from the current delegation.

The residence welcomes dignitaries and events in its large reception room. More than 200 public events were held at the residence during the tenure of his predecessor, Michel Robitaille.

– With the collaboration of Robert Plouffe, Bureau of investigation

Quebec will pay very expensive

The expert in real estate in Paris and co-founder of the web site meilleursagents.com Pascal Boulenger, considers that the buildings located near the Quai d’orsay are worth about 30 % more than the building where the office is located current and that ” the province of Quebec will be forced to add money “. The buildings of the central areas are older and will likely be renovated or improved in order that Québec can accommodate a multi-purpose room and offices.

To the consolidated fund

The fruits of the sale of the office of the delegation of Quebec in Paris will not be used to finance the purchase of the new building of $30 million.

The money from the sale will be deposited in the consolidated Fund of the government, has confessed to the minister Christine St-Pierre during the study credits. For the opposition parti québécois, it is a bad news for the MRIF, especially as the government had announced a reinvestment of $ 40 million. Gold, $ 30 million will go to Paris, which would mean that there would be only $ 10 million for all other delegations and the current affairs.