The crumbling facade of a heritage building in downtown Montreal has closed a section of Ste-Catherine Street to traffic.
Since Friday afternoon, a security perimeter in front of the century-old Jaeger building has been erected by the City of Montreal as a precaution.
Barriers and caution tape line the strip, blocking access to cars and buses between McGill College Avenue and Robert-Bourassa Boulevard.
The city says the building’s structural integrity has been brought into question and poses a potential risk of collapse.
Officials from the Ville-Marie borough said they have commissioned an independent report to identify the actions that must be taken to allow the reopening of Sainte-Catherine Street.
“The safety of the population and buildings is a priority,” a city statement reads.
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“This private building is closely monitored by the inspectors of the Ville-Marie borough, who asked the owner to provide an engineer’s report.”
The building has been sitting vacant for a number of years, according to Heritage Montreal.
The Downtown Business Development Corporation says such problems are a recurring issue for the iconic street.
In 2021 the infamous Super Sexe building went up in flames after sitting vacant for years.
“After having paralyzed the area following a fire, the same neglected building is forcing the closure of Ste-Catherine because it is unstable…. How did we get here?” the general manager of Montreal’s downtown business association, Glenn Castanheira, said.
Built in 1914, the Jaeger building is known for its neo-gothic facade architecture and was formerly home to the Jaeger company, which specialized in the sale of woollen clothing.
Heritage Montreal says the building is still looking for a new use that will allow it “to integrate with the new Ste- Catherine Street.”
The property value, according to the city, is over $5 million.
The city said the street will remain closed for at least the next week.
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