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.
Read more: Building that housed Montreal’s Super Sexe strip club destroyed in suspected arson, police say
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.
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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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