Ottawa revealed Friday the appearance of its future federal courthouse in Old Montreal, after heritage defenders raised concerns.
The building will rise to nine floors on the rue Saint-Jacques side. Its façade on Notre-Dame Street is significantly lower.
“Thanks to modern, secure and accessible facilities, this new judicial complex will improve access to justice for Canadians and preserve judicial independence,” said the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Jean -Yves Duclos, via press release. “Meeting high environmental standards, this project demonstrates the importance that our government places on our workers. »
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
The facade of the building overlooking Notre-Dame Street
In a technical sheet, Ottawa ensures that “the building fits into the existing architectural landscape”.
The court complex, in the works since at least 2018, will house offices and courtrooms for federal courts. It will cost nearly 160 million and will replace a large vacant lot that has been used as a parking lot since the 1960s.
May’s beginning, The Press had reported the concerns of certain heritage defenders about the fact that this construction site had started without the public being informed of the project that would be erected there. “Faced with such opacity, we can only worry,” commented Dinu Bumbaru, of Héritage Montréal.
Last week, the head of urban planning on the executive committee of the City of Montreal said he had “still questions” about this project. However, the federal government has no legal obligation to respect municipal regulations or to submit to the ordinary process of approving construction projects.