The Notman House could soon be sold to the Trottier family who wish to transform the heritage building on Sherbrooke Street into a “House of Philanthropy”, we have learned The duty.
Last March, the building was put up for sale for $5.5 million by the mortgagees of the OSMO Foundation, owner of the building. Facing financial difficulties, the non-profit organization was unable to keep the building which housed young companies from the technology sector.
According to information obtained by The duty, the Trottier family expressed interest in the building and submitted a conditional purchase offer to the Business Development Bank of Canada and Investissement Québec, mortgage creditors of the OSMO Foundation. A due diligence review is reportedly underway.
The Trottier family is known for its philanthropic commitments for around twenty years, notably through the Trottier Foundation, created by Lorne M. Trottier, who made his fortune with Matrox, a company specializing in computer graphics, video editing and image processing. The foundation is, however, not involved in the Notman House acquisition project.
If the transaction is confirmed, the Trottier family intends to transform Maison Notman into a “House of Philanthropy”, described as a place open to the community aimed at pooling expertise and resources in matters of philanthropy. Details of the project, which is inspired by initiatives that emerged in Toronto, should be revealed in the fall.
With this acquisition, the Trottier family wishes to preserve the building from real estate speculation and highlight its heritage heritage. A transaction could close in the coming weeks.
A listed building
Maison Notman had served for a decade as a hub of the Montreal technology scene. The old bourgeois residence, magnificently preserved and restored, constituted the crucible of a technological incubator. More than 300 young companies have passed through the walls of this building. Rooms were also rented for various events, as well as for filming.
The OSMO Foundation, established in 2009, was the owner of the building, but in recent months, the NPO has been facing financial problems and has not been able to come to an agreement with its creditors. mortgages.
The historic building enjoys high heritage value. Located at the corner of Sherbrooke Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard, it is one of the rare surviving witnesses of the luxurious neoclassical style residences that once lined this artery sheltered by large trees. This stone building, which benefits from numerous glass openings, was built in 1844-1845.
The Notman House owes its name to the immense photographic enterprise of William Notman. This baron of the photography industry occupied the premises from 1876. Several spaces in the current building decorated with photographs bear witness to the major place occupied by Notman in the history of this medium.
In addition to William Notman, the bourgeois residence hosted William Collis Meredith, a lawyer and soldier involved in the repression of the Patriots of 1837-1838. Its walls were also those of Thomas Blackwell, the wealthy boss of the Grand Trunk Railway. Alexander Molson, a rich magnate linked to the beer industry, banking and maritime trade, was also one of the occupants.
The building would later serve as a home for nuns, before becoming a residence for the elderly until its purchase in 1991. Restorations were then undertaken.
As the Notman House has been classified as a heritage building since 1979, a new owner cannot, in principle, transform the premises as he wishes.