Montreal wants to turn Van Horne warehouse into artist studios and hotel rooms

Plans to revitalize the Van Horne warehouse in Montreal’s Mile-End neighbourhood are once again being discussed.

Recent public consultations showed residents want to see a transformation - but perhaps not a hotel on the site.

Nestled alongside rail lines in between Parc Avenue and Saint-Laurent Boulevard, the warehouse has been part of the neighbourhood since 1924.

In December, Montreal’s public consultation office (OCPM) published the results from their second public consultation in three years.

The plan to create blended spaces for artists studios and local shops were well-received. Yet, the addition of a 120-room hotel -- less so.

Dinu Bumbaru of Heritage Montreal says the city should act quickly.

“Beyond the good idea of having artists workshop being installed in that place in the future, what is the guarantee that this would actually happen and not serve as the nice teaser to lure people into a development that would be much more boring or less interesting from a public interest point of view?” he says.

He adds that a renewal of this building could boost the entire area.

“This project is going to reconnect with the neighborhood, the way the cultural component and the heritage component are going to benefit from guarantee, not just the vague intents,” says Bumbaru.

Montrealers interviewed by CTV News said they would rather see affordable housing at the site.

Bumbaru says the new mayor could help make it happen.

“[She could] provide some innovative solution like these community land trust options that are now available through the civil code. And I think this is this is a great opportunity for the new administration to bring solutions,” he says.

He adds that the Van Horne warehouse should be awarded heritage status to ensure it’s protected.

Some residents agree the building shouldn’t be left empty any longer.

Covered in graffiti with boarded windows, the warehouse is in waiting while the residents hope for a plan that will benefit the whole neighbourhood.