There are 800 vacant buildings in Montreal. Many could be reused, and a number even have strong heritage value. Here are the stories of some of these abandoned places and the dreams to bring them back to life.
Unoccupied for over 10 years, the Cartier cinema-theatre in Saint-Henri, in the Sud-Ouest borough, could welcome the public again. Two organizations recently expressed interest in the building, but the bidding war and the difficulty for non-profit organizations (NPOs) to obtain financing are slowing down the projects. Spotlight on a building rich in history.
At 3990 Notre-Dame Street West is a vestige of the era of Montreal palaces. When the establishment opened in 1929, It was run by Rose Ouellette, aka La Poune. The 1,051 seats were filled night after night with fans of popular theatre, vaudeville and burlesque. For eight years, La Poune made the Théâtre Cartier the cradle of her success. Almost 100 years after its construction, the building is now vacant. Over the last decade, the building has changed owners twice without any plans to revitalize the building, other than a few renovations in 2019, being undertaken.
“It is often more advantageous for an owner to leave his building empty, vacant, than the other way around. Because there is no vacancy tax in Montreal,” notes Francis T. Durocher, president and CEO of Entremise, a social economy enterprise specializing in the temporary occupation of vacant buildings. Unlike other cities, Montreal does not tax owners who have left their buildings unoccupied. In Toronto, for example, the tax on vacant dwellings is applied to properties that are left unoccupied for more than six months of the year.
However, various authorities want the Cartier cinema-theatre, classified as a “significant architectural witness”, to regain its former glory. Antoine Poulin, director of the office of the mayor of the borough, stated that he wanted “this building to be able to be occupied again. And why not become a place of cultural diffusion again?”
Two potential buyers rejected
Currently on the market for $2.5 million before taxes, the building has recently attracted the interest of two organizations which have successively raised their hands, in vain so far.
This is the case of Cinéma public, an organization whose goal is to promote cinema in all its forms to Montrealers, particularly through the opening of theatres. “What is particularly interesting about the theatre is its historical aspect,” explains Aude Renaud-Lorrain, general director of Cinéma public. In June 2023, the NPO made a promise to purchase, which was accepted by the building’s current owner. The organization then commissioned an environmental study of the building, which revealed the presence of asbestos. The renovation costs exploded beyond the organization’s means.
“We were unable to mobilize all the necessary sources of funding to finalize the purchase,” says Laurence Blais, interim general director of Cinéma Public, while Mme Renaud-Lorrain is on maternity leave. “It’s the egg before the chicken or the chicken before the egg. You have to confirm the financing to be able to acquire, but at the same time, the subsidies depend on the fact of acquiring.” The $1.4 million subsidy offered by the City of Montreal was not sufficient, the purchase offer expired. Another organization would have jumped at the opportunity, but no transaction has materialized to date. Contacted by The dutythe latter did not wish to discuss his plans and what he would like to do with the space.
For now, a red “For Rent/For Sale” sign from the Cushman & Wakefield banner still adorns the building’s facade. None of the real estate company’s brokers contacted responded to the interview requests from Duty.
Aside from readers looking for one of the novel’s key buildings Second-hand happiness by Gabrielle Roy, few people turn around to admire the old theater. “There’s nothing going on in there,” says the owner of the W. Gradinger clothing store, which is across the street from the building.
Disappointed, the Public Cinema is not giving up hope. The NPO has been looking for a venue to set up shop in since 2021. In the era of home cinemas and on-demand streaming platforms, reinvesting several million dollars in a screening room is not necessarily a risky bet for Mme Renaud-Lorrain, on the contrary. “The model we advocate is still different from the commercial room. It’s a model that is very anchored in the community,” she says. These “neighborhood rooms” are well received in Montreal.
“It would have taken us more time to raise the necessary funds, to get the loans… We were really close to the goal,” says M.me Renaud-Lorrain.
While there is currently no regulation governing the number of years a building can remain vacant, in 2023, the City of Montreal has introduced rules to follow for the maintenance of vacant buildings. Owners of vacant or poorly maintained buildings are now required to register their buildings, maintain them at a minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and ensure that seven targeted components of the building are kept in good condition. Owners of heritage buildings must also declare the condition of their buildings. A fine of up to $250,000 could be imposed on owners who contravene the regulation.