The long-awaited restoration project on the Westmount Conservatory has begun.
Crews have started the early preliminary work on the building, which has been closed for six years due to safety reasons.
The project will be a complete restoration, including the exterior and interior of the building as well as the adjoining greenhouses.
“Being able to announce the start of the restoration is something we’ve been waiting for,” Westmount mayor Christina Smith said.
READMORE: Westmount Conservatory remains closed indefinitely
After numerous studies, council determined that a complete restoration was the “only option to consider.”
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The nearly 100-year-old building has been in a state of disrepair and visibly showing its age.
The project is expected to take an estimated eight months to complete at a cost of $6,279,417.
“We know that this oasis has been much missed by the residents and the Frog Pond even more by our smaller citizens, but we couldn’t do things by halves,” Smith said.
Much of the original aspects and character of the building will be kept, the city said including the wood framing around the glass windows.
The restoration project will also make the beloved space completely accessible.
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The Westmount Conservatory and its adjacent greenhouse were closed in September 2015 following the fall of a glass panel.
The deterioration of the cypress wood, which held the glass panels together, was partly to blame.
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