Oh no, "cleaning up" St Laurent & Ste Catherine?

[Kwickie]

This looks bad. Does this mean Cleo's is closing?

Curbing the sin in Montreal's red-light district
A plan to scrub the peep and porn from the lower Main threatens the city's identity, some say
INGRID PERITZ

From Monday's Globe and Mail

MONTREAL — It has the names of two saints in it, but the intersection of Ste. Catherine Street and St. Laurent Boulevard is about the most unholy spot in the city of Montreal. Hustlers, strippers, runaways, ladies-of-the-night -- they've been parading at the crossroads of Montreal's two most famous streets for more than a century.

The streets form a gateway to Montreal's legendary lower Main, a seedy, neon-lit strip known for activities that range from mainstream to outright illegal.

Now, city officials have the strip earmarked for a makeover. The city has just cleared a legal hurdle to expropriate a building at the intersection that houses a peep show and other "adult" businesses. It wants to demolish the property and replace it with a $20-million cultural centre sheathed in glass and lights, a move the city hopes will take some of the XXX out of Montreal's traditional red-light district and help launch a reborn entertainment district in its place.

Original artical from the Globe & Mail here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070409.wxredlight09/BNStory/National/home

 

[Big Daddy Cool]

It has to come and it's a mtter of time. Just look at the surrounding areas. To the south we have Old Montreal and China Town that are two major tourest hotspots. To the North we have the Plateu with it's trendy resturants, clubs, sports bars (Champs ) and places like Price Arthur Street. To the west we have an expanding theater district that starts with Place Des Arts and to the east we have St Denis street with it's trendy resturants, theaters and the UQAM. We have all these good places with a trash spot in the middle. What they are trying to do is push the trash to the otherside of Berri Street and I hope they do this by demolushing the projects on De Maisoneuve so we can get ride of the rif raft that poison the area. It's great to see the city striving to improve itself.

 

[Ben Dover]

The geniuses that run this city should figure out a way to repair the potholes so that when that St. Laurent / St. Catherines intersection is all gentrified, at least people will have a way to drive their nice cars over there. I just hope they don't build another "distinctly" hideous monstrosity like the the palais de congres du ville de montreal... I always get a gag reflex everytime I pass by that rainbow coloured pile of vomit.

BD

 

[mack]

This looks bad. Does this mean Cleo's is closing?

More likely that huge "sex machine" building across from Belle Province and Subway's. I think Cleopatra is deep enough down the street that it is safe.

 

[oobe]

"palais de congres du ville de Montreal" [...] I always get a gag reflex everytime I pass by that rainbow coloured pile of vomit.

Amen, architecture in Montreal mostly sucks!

 

[DavidWeb]

Mostly sucks ?
Thanks man ! I just woke up !