Altitude condominiums + O'Hara's pub

The new Altitude condo complex is going up where yet another parking used to be. They also had to destroy the pizza restaurant and O'Hara's pub next to it for the latest in the many condominium projects going on in Montreal. Parking lots are an endangered species. The sales office for the Altitude condos is situated just a few steps away at the former Classy building (see the next post below).

The two top photos were taken with 35mm camera + fujifilm. The other photos are all digital. I love the first photo. It really came out good. 

After & Before: the building that housed the pizza restaurant and O'Hara's pub was demolished to make way for the Altitude condo building project.

 

 images: google streeview

Classy Billboard + Parking lot

The Classy shop & billboard, the famous Montreal landmark which featured a handsome man in a tuxedo and was a familiar presence for some 90 years, is history on rue Square-Phillips and it's now the temporary sales office for the Altitude condo project that's going up nearby. The adjoining parking lot will destroyed for a new office project. Here's an interesting article on the famous company.

images: google streetview

Rare view - Ste-Catherine & Bleury

The one good thing about the demolition of the buildings on Ste-Catherine and Bleury (see post below)  is this rare view. Very cool. I've never noticed the buildings in the background or never seen the impressive and unique Eglise du Gesù in the wide open like this. This view will disappear when they finally decide to build something there so enjoy it while it last.

Condemned buildings - St-Henri

Four condemned building in St-Henri. The notice above was made in Nov 2009 and I took this photo in late November 2010. The notice was posted on the red brick triplex in the photo below but the small corner house is also part of that notice and it too will be destroyed.

The house with the blue doors/railings had no notice but my source told me it was also set to be demolished. It looked abandoned when I took the photos. And the business in the two last photos is obviously dilapidated beyond repair and will be brought down. The brick structure at the back was being held by wooden beams to keep it from falling into the neighbors backyard. According to my source all 4 buildings are owned and managed by the same person, who simply let the buildings fall apart.

Google streetview

google streetview

google streetview

 

The triplex with the blue doors/railings is in blue; the two buildings at the corner are in yellow and the crumbling business is in red. Image: google maps.

Lofts on St-Remi - St-Henri

This old building, situated almost in the middle of nowhere, which used to be for a tobacco company and converted into lofts, will soon be destroyed. The people living there were given notice to vacate (via montrealitesurbaines.com) the place as it will be demolished for the massive Turcot interchange project.

I took these photos back in late November 2010 when my "source" told about its future. My source told me the owner of the building kept the renters in the dark about the fate of their homes. When I took these photos, it was a very, very cold and windy day so I didn't hang around for too long and didn't take photos of its entrance. I might get new photos soon.

My source told me that the building will be demolished not because of the highway itself but because the train tracks nearby will have to be deviated and moved up to make way for of the Turcot Interchange project and the building was simply in the way. I don't know if this is accurate but the building will be demolished eventually in a year or so.

image: google maps

Southam Building - Bleury St

The abandoned Southam building on Bleury, near the Hôtel Marriott Courtyard construction site. Beautiful facade. Love the little devilish looking cherub.

Because of the construction site, there was no way for me to take a full shot of the building but you can see it here (you might have to refresh the page to get it working).

Photos were taken with a 35mm camera + fujifilm

Hôtel Marriott Courtyard construction - Bleury St

Construction of the Hôtel Marriott Courtyard on Bleury St and René-Lévesque is well on its way. IMO, it's an odd place to put a big 40 storey hotel. A parking lot used to be there so no one will miss it except maybe the people living in the small houses next to it.

When I took the photos, the workers yelled at me to stop. Very odd thing for a site that's wide open.

While examining the site, I wondered how the digger got there in the first place and how it was going to get down from there.

The old parking lot

Ste-Catherine + Bleury St

The corner of Ste-Catherine and Bleury is still empty after the buildings there, which included 

Le Spectrum, were demolished a long time ago.

Wilder building - Bleury St

This bulky building on Bleury between De Maisonneuve and Ste-Catherine looks completely abandoned now. The front entrances are all shuttered. I don't know if the top floors are occupied. There used to be an army surplus store there. Like so many other places, I once applied for a job there for a design company.

The new Louis Bohème condo complex near it follows the same look/design for its window and exterior.

Louis Bohème condos - Bleury St

The new Louis Bohème condo complex on Bleury and de Maisonneuve West. It's a behemoth. Not a very delicate structure. I don't dislike it but it's incredibly uninspired and uninspiring. It follows the same style of the Wilder building close to it (see above).

Top & bottom photos: digital camera; center photo: 35mm with fuji film

The Lonely Balcony

Fun photo taken at the Broadway Apartment (condo) building on Rene Levesque. IMO, it's a stand-out building that doesn't really fit with the rest of the buildings. I would love to see the interior. It's massive.

Abandoned buildings + parking lots near the BELL Center

A couple of abandoned buildings and still-active parking lots near the BELL Center will soon disappear for a huge expansion of the complex. The main abandoned building, in the middle of nowhere and difficult to access with the VM expressway exit just next to it, is quite a solid structure. I once applied for a job as security guard there. It used to be a shelter for homeless men. I didn't get the job but I did get to see the inside of the building. It's been derelict for so many years now that I can't even remember the last time it was open for business. The building on its left will also be demolished. The parking lots in between those buildings will also go.

The big parking lot (as seen in the last photo), where the Queen's Hotel used to be, will also be used for the next massive project.

 

The red sections are where the abandoned buildings and parking lots of this post are located. There are some additional buildings next to them, where the Hotel du Nouveau Forum is situated, and I don't know their fate but some of them also look abandoned. The area in purple is where the CN Bonaventure building used to be. It's still an empty space up to this day. In yellow is the Overdale area, where the Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine house is situated and has been recently sold, after 25 years in limbo, to developers.

Readers' input: mid-century modern house in Westmount

Earlier this year two readers of Vanishing Montreal gave me tips about two houses set to be demolished. One in Westmount and the other, the Montreal Trend House in Beaconsfield. Oddly enough, both houses are mid-century modern designs.

 

This mid-century modern house in Westmount, on Surrey Gardens between Gordon Crescent and Summit Crescent, is set to be demolished or is already demolished. The screen shot is from Google Maps streetview.

 If I ever get to Westmount soon, I'll try to see what's the status of the house.

Readers' input: Montreal Trend House

I got an email back in February saying the Montreal Trend House in Beaconsfield is set to be demolished. Sorry about the delay but there's so much real estate action/changes going on these days that it's hard to keep up. Beaconsfield is sorta out of my way, so if anyone has any photos to share before, during or after its demolition please just email them to me.

There's a great website dedicated to the MTH and its pending demolition. Pretty interesting info there. It's a shame it has to be demolished.

Even the CBC covered the story.

The photos below are from Google Maps