Montreal is exploring the possibility of buying Manoir Lafontaine, with about 90 apartments put up for sale in the past few days for $28 million. Over the past year, the location has become a symbol of the housing crisis for many elected officials and community groups.
Posted at 2:30 p.m.
“We are in touch with people and have helped set up a file with TAL [Tribunal administratif du logement], we continue, this time we see how to buy it. Me, I think it’s very concrete,” revealed Benoit Dorais, head of housing of the management board, on the sidelines of the municipal council on Monday, noting that he met with tenants in the last few days.
He was responding to a question from opposition councilor Alba Stella Zunica Ramos, who asked him if he was considering buying the complex “to protect Plateau-Mont-Royal’s affordable housing.” “What is Citi’s guarantee? “, and a question of choice.
Colliers Real Estate has put the building up for sale in the last few days. Duty. In In the sale notice, the company also indicates that the “unbeatable location” and the potential to “undertake extensive renovation” should allow the next buyer to “maximize the rental value.”
In the spring of 2021, the current owner of the space, 3485 Papineau Investments, owned by Brandon Schiller and Jeremy Kornbluth, served eviction notices to the building’s tenants, telling them to leave by June 30. For a period of at least seven months.
These ideas have been widely condemned as a large-scale attempt at renaissance. Tenants have also united and become a symbol of resistance against rising rent prices in Montreal. On the other hand, the owners claim that the building is in poor condition and in need of major and significant renovation.
“just guessing”
Last May, the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL) agreed with the tenants, rejecting the Manoir Lafontaine owners’ request to evict the tenants. “A landlord’s right does not allow him to do whatever he wants with his building,” then-administrative judge Philippe Morissette underlined in his decision.
The building is now up for sale. But for Benoît Dorais, knowing the owners originally bought the building for 15 million, the sale price was unacceptable. “There, they’re reselling it for, let’s say, 28 million without any restoration. Isn’t that outrageous?” he exclaimed.
“In each of our boroughs, we need to do what we’ve done in our administration locally, which is to change the regulations to ensure that renewal is a thing of the past or more complex,” Mr. Doris said. Questions from the Opposition.
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