Canada offers old NYC residence for $13 million, more than the cost of a new luxury apartment
Canada is selling its former residence in Manhattan, which formerly housed the Consulate General in New York.
The list price of the 12-room, five-bedroom apartment on Park Avenue was over $13 million on Thursday, putting the sale price at a higher price than the new $9 million Manhattan condo on Billionaires’ Row.
According to Global Affairs Canada, the new apartment is smaller and more suitable. The old apartment, which was purchased in 1961 and last renovated in 1982, needs to be modernized in terms of electrical, heating, ventilation and plumbing.
It also does not comply with the Accessible Canada Act of 2021, which requires accessible environments, a spokesperson said in a statement.
The ministry says the new condominium will save Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars, reduce ongoing maintenance costs and property taxes, while meeting future program needs.
However, the Conservative opposition stated that only Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and “his wasteful Liberal government would believe that it would be a better deal to quadruple the cost to taxpayers and buy a new luxury apartment for nine million dollars rather than make repairs.”
Concerns about the Park Avenue apartment were first raised in 2014.
Seven years later, Global Affairs Canada approved $1.8 million worth of renovations, but the project was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to recent documents presented to the House of Representatives Committee on Government Operations and Budgets.
Conservative MPs Michael Barrett and Larry Brock are demanding that the parliamentary committee receive more information about what prompted the Canadian government to buy a $9 million condo in Manhattan. Liberal MP Ron McKinnon said it was a “liquidable” asset.
Global Affairs Canada said in a letter to the committee that months after the appointment of the new consulate general in New York, it had identified new problems with the old residence.
These included problems with accessibility, the lack of separation between family and work spaces, and event restrictions imposed by the cooperative’s board of directors.
The approved renovation project did not address these “fundamental” problems, the letter said, and renovation costs would have increased to $2.6 million.
“Given the high renovation costs required to upgrade the electrical, heating, ventilation and plumbing systems, Global Affairs Canada has recommended a move to a new, smaller, more suitable and less expensive apartment,” Brittany Fletcher, a spokeswoman for the department, said Thursday.
The government investigated 21 different residences: Documents
The Canadian government also owns a second apartment in the Park Avenue building in Manhattan, which continues to be occupied by Bob Rae, the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations.
In search of a new official residence for the consul general in New York, the ministry worked with a local broker and viewed 21 different residences ranging in price from $8 million to $21 million, documents show.
The government ultimately opted for a new luxury apartment complex in the Steinway Tower, which is considered the narrowest skyscraper in the world and is just steps from Central Park.
The official residence is used for diplomatic activities, which include networking receptions, official briefings and hospitality events such as discussions with leading figures from business and politics.
It is used by Tom Clark, a former journalist who was appointed Canadian Consul General in New York in February 2023.
The Conservatives accused the prime minister of wasting millions on a new luxury apartment for the prime minister’s “media buddy” and then passing the bill on to Canadians “who can barely afford a basic roof over their heads or food on the table.”
“Life has never been better for Justin Trudeau and his well-connected Liberal insiders as long as he continues to punish ordinary Canadians with his expensive policies,” said Michael Barrett, opposition ethics critic.
Global Affairs Canada was forced to admit it was behind the latest purchase after rumors in the New York real estate industry reported that the condo deal was made for King Charles himself.
The property’s deeds show that the property was listed for more than $6.6 million and sold to “His Majesty the King of Canada” last month.
This prompted some local New York media to report that a royal purchase had been made, prompting Global Affairs Canada to set the record straight.
