The Plante administration wants to “toughen the rules of the game” towards owners of vacant or poorly maintained buildings by adopting a new municipal by-law.
In particular, the City will require that vacant buildings be registered, that the installation of barricades be limited in time and that empty buildings be heated to at least 10 degrees Celsius.
The new regulations will also significantly increase the fines that can be imposed on delinquent owners.
“It’s a big step forward that we are taking today for our city and for our community,” said Robert Beaudry, the elected official in charge of urban planning at City Hall.
“It is estimated that around 800 buildings are left vacant, of which around 150 are heritage buildings,” added Ericka Alneus, the elected official in charge of culture. “We want to make sure they can be preserved. »
The new “By-law on the occupation and maintenance of buildings” must still be the subject of consultations and presentations before various bodies before coming into force.