"Last seedy landmarks destined to vanish"

[mack]

I am not sure if there has been any new developments to prompt such an article to be written but this is from yesterday's Gazette.

"Last seedy landmarks destined to vanish".

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Last+seedy+landmarks+destined+vanish/1359786/story.html

Very depressing.

 

[shaumaman]

I am not sure if there has been any new developments to prompt such an article to be written but this is from yesterday's Gazette.

"Last seedy landmarks destined to vanish".

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Last+seedy+landmarks+destined+vanish/1359786/story.html

Very depressing.

Yesterday's Gazette?
March 06, 2009?

 

[Techman]

Guess he thought it was from April 6th. Honest mistake.

I have a feeling that most of these 'articles' are originating from the city planner's office. Maybe they are trying to get public support for their project by making the entire area look worse than it actually it.

Didn't the city just set up some kind of website for citizens to voice their opinions on the city and what changes are needed? Maybe we could flood the site with requests to leave Cleo's the fuck alone.

 

[shaumaman]

Amen, Techman
Beats chaining ourselves to the bulldozers

 

[eastender]

Over Fifty Years

For over fifty years the "Red Light District" - Ste Catherine/St.Laurent has survived various clean-up attempts.

The Dozois Plan in the 1950's - produced the apartment complex between
St. Dominique and Sanguinet, north of Ste.Catherine to Ontario.

The Place des Arts, Complexe Desjardins projects, The Ville Marie Expressway,
The Metro all were supposed to bring in an upscale or gentrified atmosphere.

Nothing has changed.

 

[mack]

Yesterday's Gazette?
March 06, 2009?

Woops. I stumbled onto the article reading a current letter that had been written in as a response to it, and thought it was from the previous day. Glad to know there have not been any new developments in this terrible city plan then!

 

[YouVantOption]

Woops. I stumbled onto the article reading a current letter that had been written in as a response to it, and thought it was from the previous day. Glad to know there have not been any new developments in this terrible city plan then!

Why is it a terrible plan? Its not like this town has a shortage of seedy districts, and with more seed sprouting everyday, I'm sure these dumps will find a new home.

 

[mack]

Why is it a terrible plan? Its not like this town has a shortage of seedy districts, and with more seed sprouting everyday, I'm sure these dumps will find a new home.

You're kidding, right? Why is it a terrible plan? How about because downtown Montreal already has an endless stream of empty stores due to businesses that went bankrupt? The city is going to kick out a bunch of businesses that are having success to make room for classier ones, but in all likelihood most of the area will become empty buildings like much of the the rest of downtown Montreal. Add to this the fact that the smaller independent businesses being kicked out will never have the money to relocate and start fresh and you've got quite the un-necessary disaster of a plan, don't you think?

There's also a little matter of history. Several of the places under threat are near-landmarks of the area.

 

[YouVantOption]

You're kidding, right? Why is it a terrible plan? How about because downtown Montreal already has an endless stream of empty stores due to businesses that went bankrupt?

In which areas? Right. Run-down ones (Atwater-Fort, for example.)

The city is going to kick out a bunch of businesses that are having success to make room for classier ones, but in all likelihood most of the area will become empty buildings like much of the the rest of downtown Montreal.

There are definitely pockets of empty buildings, but there are also vast swathes of successful businesses.

Add to this the fact that the smaller independent businesses being kicked out will never have the money to relocate and start fresh and you've got quite the un-necessary disaster of a plan, don't you think?

There's also a little matter of history. Several of the places under threat are near-landmarks of the area.

I'm not too sentimental about a bunch of sleazy run-down businesses. I think upscaling in this area will dovetail nicely with the new arts area up the street, and Club Soda.

 

[CaptRenault]

Main redevelopment project too tall, group says
By Aaron Derfel, The Gazette
April 13, 2009

The developer of a proposed $200-million redevelopment in the city’s red-light district is anticipating opposition to its plan to put up a 15-storey commercial complex on St. Laurent Blvd...

...Angus has already purchased a number of buildings on the west side of St. Laurent to make way for the redevelopment, but the owner of the property that houses the Café Cléopatre is still holding out.

Dimitri Zoumboulakis insisted Monday that his father “is not ready to sell."

“We’re not going anywhere,” he said. “In general, my opinion is that (the building) should be conserved as is. It has its own beauty and should be left as is...”

 

[Techman]

The developer of a proposed $200-million redevelopment in the city’s red-light district is anticipating opposition to its plan to put up a 15-storey commercial complex on St. Laurent Blvd.

In other words...a 15 story office building with the ground floor occupied by non-descript shops that no one will shop at other than the obligatory coffee shop for the office occupants. Yup, just what Montreal needs, another ugly glass and metal office tower.

 

[drinkher]

so saad

so who would be getting the new development contract ?
the italians as always
so now the governmental reps are going to have a meeting with prospect contractors
"so we want this project to go through but owner won't sell too badd"
all of a sudden innocent family members get threatend and or dead {so cliche}
and then exactly like tech said another ugly glass and metal office tower
built on blood and cocaine money bienvenue a montreal
mabe i'm a sceptic but i have as much hope for cleo's as i do ObMA bringing world peace

i so hope i'm wrong

 

[YouVantOption]

Montreal auditor asks police to check city's property sales

so who would be getting the new development contract ?
the italians as always
so now the governmental reps are going to have a meeting with prospect contractors
"so we want this project to go through but owner won't sell too badd"
all of a sudden innocent family members get threatend and or dead {so cliche}
and then exactly like tech said another ugly glass and metal office tower
built on blood and cocaine money bienvenue a montreal
mabe i'm a sceptic but i have as much hope for cleo's as i do ObMA bringing world peace

i so hope i'm wrong

So, how'd you KNOW??

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/s...eal-shdm-housingcorporation-auditor-0428.html


Montreal auditor asks police to check city's property sales
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 11:45 AM ET
CBC News

Montreal's auditor general is recommending police be brought in to probe questionable transactions carried out by the city's housing and development corporation.

In his report tabled Monday night at city council, Montreal auditor general Michel Doyon documented about 20 property sales at prices far below market values, resulting in the city losing millions of dollars.

The transactions, involving several private promoters, were marked by irregularities and lacked necessary authorization from Montreal's city council or executive council, Doyon said.

He recommended Montreal police review the transactions.

The sales include property in high-profile projects such as Montreal's entertainment district (Quartier des spectacles).

One property sale in the St-Laurent borough involved Tony Accurso, a Montreal entrepreneur who is currently under federal investigation for tax fraud. Accurso is also linked to Montreal's water meter contract, now under auditor investigation after it was suspended this spring following corruption allegations.

 

[master_bates]

One property sale in the St-Laurent borough involved Tony Accurso, a Montreal entrepreneur who is currently under federal investigation for tax fraud. Accurso is also linked to Montreal's water meter contract, now under auditor investigation after it was suspended this spring following corruption allegations.

Corner of marcel laurin and henri bourassa

Lot was sold for 1$

 

[Kronos]

No matter the project,

I find it a shame. I ate my first Montreal hotdog at this pool room years ago. The best in town at the time.

 

[shijak]

Personally, I find this whole exercise a damn shame. For whose "benefit" is the city of Montreal going so out of their way to try to 'revamp' (I say with the utmost sarcasm) this area? For the multitudes of former montrealers that have run away from the island to the safety and blandness of Laval and Brossard with their hopelessly generic strip malls and cloned housing developments?

I'll speak for myself, I like it that there are at least SOME areas of town that are a bit seedy, a bit dangerous, a lot thought-provoquing!! I used to travel irregularly to New York city when it used to be a fun city to visit, with its primo red light district, wall-to-wall pimps and peep shows, three-card monty swindlers, neighborhood loonies and apocalyptic prophets. But ol' Rudy had to go and get all in a huff and pledge to clean it all up, did so and effectively ruined the funnest freak show ever...I haven't been back to New York since.

And now we have the geniuses at city Hall wanting yet again to suck the life out of an area that didn't need any changing to begin with. But that's right they had such success with the multimedia neighborhood in Old Montreal , or the whatdayacallit on Crescent and Rene Levesque (so memorable I can't remember what they called it).

So there are old buildings with low-class Hot Dog emporiums, drag queen haunts, sweaty dance clubs and kitschy sex shops. Your problem with that isssss? Isn't it a whole lot better to be out there right out in the open? So the poor, easily-offended suburban 'weekend warriors" get their undies twisted in a knot as they accidently stumble onto St-Laurent\Ste-Catherine during their once a year outing into the scary city to catch all of these FREE jazz shows, but god forbid they should ever return in the fall to catch a real gig at an out-of-the-way small club (oh yeah, they'd have to pay to see one of those...can't have THAT!!)

Sorry for the anger folks, but you know what? I like this neighborhood, with all its blemishes and warts. If the city does unfortunately succeed in its incredibly stupid plans, count me out as I'll probably never again find a reason to return to this oh-so-interesting place...