The creation of the Quartier international de Montréal was one of the cornerstones of the city center’s rebirth. Two of his “fathers” are pleased that he is reaching adulthood, but regret that his upkeep by the city is not up to par.
Posted at 12:00 p.m. Updated at 12:00 p.m.
Prestigious real estate projects have multiplied there since 2003, while individually designed street furniture and carefully selected materials are decaying. Montreal realizes it faces a maintenance “challenge.”
Located between Old Montreal and downtown, this part of the metropolis was completely redeveloped in the 1990s and 2000s after decades of devastation. The idea was to mend the scars left by the construction of the Ville-Marie tunnel – there was a ditch at that point – and the major expropriations that had left it.
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The street furniture in the Quartier International is visibly deteriorating.
When the Palais des Congrès was built over the Autobahn in 1983, delegates pointing their noses out were presented with a very sad vision of Montreal: “Parking lots everywhere,” recalled Clément Demers while showing La Press.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Clément Demers is one of the fathers of the Quartier International.
It didn’t look like an environment. It was the picture of Montreal!
Clement Demers
Mr. Demers, a professor of architecture at the University of Montreal, led the international company Quartier and was responsible for coordinating the revitalization of the site. In addition to contributions from various levels of government, companies and landowners in the region have also agreed to contribute financially to the project, which is a rarity.
Goal: create “a world-class district”, a flagship of the metropolis. Architects Daoust Lestage and industrial designer Michel Dallaire sat at the drawing board.
“Note that the paving goes up to the walls everywhere, while elsewhere in Montreal it ends at the city property boundary,” he explains, pointing to Rue Saint-Alexandre. “And there’s nothing down on the sidewalk. All street furniture is here [sur le bord de la rue]. This makes the sidewalks much wider, much more pleasant. Signage is minimal. It’s all about the street lamps. »
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Roseline Granet’s sculpture Le grand Jean-Paul, depicting Quebec artist Jean Paul Riopelle, is located in the Quartier International.
Rather than marring the landscape like elsewhere in the city, the engineering equipment is largely hidden: underground for those feeding the sculpted fountain at La Joute, at Riopelle, or in street furniture for others.
“Regrettable”
But at just 20 years old, the Quartier International is already showing the first signs of the times.
“The benches are broken, the lampposts are covered with glue, the Unistone is broken all over the sidewalks because of the equipment used by the city,” said Richard Hylands, president of the Montréal District Residents’ Association. The developer has been involved with the project since the beginning.
We have not installed a trash can that remains functional. The furniture is currently in poor condition. It’s unfortunate for the price.
Richard Hylands, President of the Residents’ Association of the International Quarter of Montréal
And Mr. Hylands knows what it cost: part of the neighborhood was built thanks to extra contributions its members were willing to pay over a 20-year period. These payments end exactly in these months.
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In the Quartier international de Montréal, the pavement is damaged in many places.
“We had signed the maintenance protocol with the city, which formed the basis of the promoters’ contribution, but the city never complied with the specific maintenance that was to be carried out,” he added.
Clément Demers is much less virulent, but also states that there is “room for improvement” in the interview. He adds that he is “sad” when he sees different additions in the neighborhood – bollards for bike lanes, chargers for electric cars – for which no visual harmonization work appears to have been done.
A challenge ”
Robert Beaudry, in charge of urban planning at Montreal City Hall, says he is proud that Montreal can have a sector like the Quartier International.
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The City of Montreal is aware that it faces a “challenge” related to the maintenance of street furniture.
“We managed to unite a fairly strong core at the international economic level with headquarters and international organizations in the industry. Beautiful squares have emerged, it’s a very interesting and constantly evolving neighborhood,” he explained in a telephone interview.
PHOTO ARCHIVE PRESS
Robert Beaudry, Chief of Urban Planning at Montreal City Hall
It’s a mixed residential/business neighborhood very similar to Montreal.
Robert Beaudry, Chief of Urban Planning at Montreal City Hall
As for the upkeep of the site, Robert Beaudry acknowledges that the city faces a “challenge”.
The bespoke street furniture for the neighborhood looks great, but “it comes with big, big, big challenges to replace and maintain,” he said. “Sometimes there are components that are difficult to find on the market. Sometimes there are things that deteriorate faster than expected. It’s difficult, it’s complex. »