Montreal City Hall Reopens After Delays, Increases Renovation Costs

MONTREAL — Montrealers returned to the seat of municipal government for the first time in five years Saturday when the historic City Hall building reopened to the public following lengthy and expensive renovations.

Long lines of visitors snaked around the renovated heritage building, waiting for a chance to see the $211 million upgrade that began in 2019 – almost double the projected cost the year before work began.

City councilor Ericka Alneus said she expects thousands of visitors to explore the renovated building on Saturday, adding that the renovations mean many of Montreal’s elected officials — including herself — will now be able to work outside City Hall for the first time since the last round of municipal elections.

“I’m delighted to see that people have decided to come and visit their home,” she said. “This is the citizens’ house.”

Along with the stonework and bronze, hundreds of wooden and stained glass windows have been restored, and the building now has an outdoor terrace and a permanent museum exhibition. The renovation project marked the most significant facelift since a fire damaged the building over a century ago.

On Friday, Menaud Lapointe, the architect responsible for the renovation, said a wide range of artisans had been consulted to breathe new life into the space.

The renovations have turned up unexpected discoveries, he said — some original materials, such as marble, have been uncovered under old carpets, while windows have been found behind walls. Some less welcome findings, such as asbestos and lead, further delayed the project.

After cutting the ribbon during Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the upgraded building, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told reporters that new features, such as newly raised ceilings and newly installed windows, have transformed City Hall into a more welcoming space .

“What struck me the first day and what strikes me every morning is the light,” she said. “It’s much more open.”

The mayor also said renovations were needed to both decarbonize the building and make the space more accessible and welcoming to Montreal, even if it came with additional costs.

“It’s a completely different experience of City Hall,” she added, saying the idea is for people to engage with the space in ways they haven’t been able to before, whether that means stopping by to learn about the history their city or have a cuppa. of coffee and discussions at the new cafe.

“For me, it’s money that was well spent and it was worth it because it was the biggest heritage renovation project in Quebec after the National Assembly,” Plante said, pointing to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising construction costs as reasons and labor shortages. delays in completing renovation works.

The mayor of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville district, Émilie Thuillier, also believes that the investment will pay off in the long term.

“Obviously when you take a little longer to complete a project it costs a little more, but in the end we have something of quality and that’s important,” she said.

“The building is good for another hundred years, so I think 200 million for 100 years is significant.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 8, 2024.

Joe Bongiorno, Canadian Press