After months-long closures and amid social-distancing restrictions, the City of Montreal is looking to boost its downtown core as it deals with the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus health crisis.
Mayor Valérie Plante announced a $400,000 investment Tuesday to create a new urban space and fund cultural activities in the area as the pandemic continues.
The hope is to attract more people downtown, which Plante says has seen a downturn stemming from empty office towers, a lack of students and an absence of tourists, who usually flood the city for summer festivals and events.
“Businesses are asking for support and this is what we’re giving them,” she said.
The plan includes opening up public squares bound by the St. Lawrence River and Atwater, Papineau and Sherbrooke streets. The city’s goal to give pedestrians and businesses more space and prevent crowding during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seven public terraces will also be installed on July 31 to attract more people downtown during the warm summer season.
The cultural activities include pop-up shows of cabaret, live music, circus arts and theatre throughout the summer. There will be about 200 surprise performances in the area, according to the city.
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Plante said she knows the pandemic has been hard for business owners. She added that Montrealers have been frequenting businesses and main arteries in their own boroughs and neighbourhoods, but it’s time to get residents downtown.
“Nothing stops Montreal,” said Plante.
Michel Leblanc, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, said a survey of the business community showed that 76 per cent of respondents are very concerned about the economy of the downtown area. He said that based on anecdotal information, the chamber estimates than five per cent of workers have come back to work in the heart of the city.
“The customers are not there, the workers are not there,” he said.
Yves Lalumière, president of Tourisme Montréal, said the city’s plan will help attract locals but the other part of the missing puzzle is drawing Quebecers from other regions to visit.
“We’re on a good set to reboot for Montrealers,” he said.
The investment is the latest step by the City of Montreal to revive local businesses and neighbourhoods weakened by the pandemic. In June, Plante unveiled a recovery plan consisting of 20 measures to be implemented over the next six months to give struggling merchants a helping hand as lockdown restrictions continue to be lifted.
Montreal has been a hot spot for the virus in the province and quickly became the epicentre in Canada. There are more than 28,000 cases on the island to date.
— With files from Global News’ Tim Sargeant
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