Nav Centre sold to Devcore Group

Nav Canada has agreed to sell the Nav Centre to a private corporation.

Nav Canada manager of media relations Brian Boudreau confirmed in an email on Wednesday that as a result of the sale, Nav Canada will no longer be the owner of the Nav Centre, “and will no longer be responsible for property management aspects of the Nav Centre,” subject to the sale closing in late June.

Boudreau said the purchaser, Devcore Group, is “well established in the property management sector and which has an existing presence in Cornwall.”

The Standard-freeholder had received an internal memo indicating the sale agreement was in place; in the document Nav Canada said it regularly receives interest in the Nav Centre property, and recently made the decision to entertain an offer from an external third party, Devcore Group, subject to closing on June 30.

“Nav Canada-employed facility staff will have the option to continue their employment on the same terms and conditions with the Devcore Group, and we will be entering in a lease agreement that will allow us to maintain a footprint at the centre and continue to enable the important work that is currently undertaken by Nav Canada Technology and ATS Learning employees every day,” read a portion of the internal memo.

The Gatineau, Que.-based Devcore Group says on its website it has “made many communities shine,” with its new homes, condos, semi-detached, townhomes and duplexes. It lists community developments including in Embrun, Limoges, Gatineau and Val d'or; Devcore Group saying it's the No. 1 choice “for apartment rentals and for condos for sale,” developing “smart and innovative communities for a sustainable future.”

Locally, Devcore purchased the Brookdale Arms complex several years ago, rebranding the buildings as PUR 1 and 2. Since its Brookdale purchase, an employee told the Standard-freeholder in December the company had just purchased another 467 rental units in the city.

In the document, Nav Canada said that as it looks at the evolution of the Nav Centre, “we have seen this venue evolve from what was primarily a centralized training facility, to a multifaceted, public-facing business providing quality conference and food services, emergency room and board services – and much more – while also catering to a small contingent of valued long-term tenants.

“While the versatility of the facility speaks for itself, this evolution aligns less with our core mandate

compared to when we initially purchased the ANS from the Federal Government.

“This decision has been made after careful weighing of the benefits to our business, the significant costs of operating and maintaining an aging facility, and, more broadly, how the Nav Centre fits within our future direction. The funds generated from the sale of the Nav Centre will support Nav Canada's recovery.”

The Nav Centre bills itself as the largest conference facility in eastern Ontario. It contains 560 guest rooms, 70 meeting rooms, a fitness centre with 25-metre pool and fullsize gymnasium, and several onsite restaurants.

At this point it's unknown what Devcore's plans for the property are; it appears the existing contract with Sodexo to manage the hotel and conference centre-related facilities remains in place. As does the air-traffic controller training that continues to take place within the facility for both Nav Canada and the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Controls Operations (CFSACO) . The public-facing side of the centre closed at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and has yet to reopen.

Devcore did not respond to attempts to obtain comment made on Wednesday prior to publication.