Montreal city hall reopens after $211M restoration, 5 years of work

Montreal city hall reopened to the public Saturday, after five years of a heritage restoration project — at a cost of $211 million. Long lines of visitors snaked around the revamped heritage building.

The work was to bring the building up to code and current standards. But plans eventually changed to completely overhaul the interior and improve the exterior of the almost 150-year-old building.

It was built between 1872 and 1878, then modified from 1923 to 1926 following a 1922 fire.

When the project was first announced in 2016, the initial budget was set at $66 million. In 2018, that had already grown to $115 million.

City officials had explained that the COVID-19 pandemic, construction circumstances and supply chain issues were the cause for the delays and ballooned budget.

“All the people who work, the art work that has been, or the craftsmanship, we talk about around 3,000 people who worked on this building within the drink five years” said Ericka Alneus, Executive committee member & city councillor, Projet Montréal.​​​​​​​ She added: “So much people give their heart to make sure that history that has been giving to us will be passed on to other generations.”

The city had previously said that the transformation would make the building more people-friendly, welcoming and accessible to the public. That there would be an exhibition space and a café. Rooms that were previously closed, would now be open to the public.

“City hall is the flagship building of municipal administration,” said Montreal mayor Valérie Plante, in a news release on Friday. “But it is first and foremost the home of the citizens of Montreal.”

“There’s a museum that is part of City Hall but also, people will be able to walk more freely within the spaces. They can come on the first floor and the second one to come and visit,” said Alneus.

“Over the past five years, city hall has transformed into a space of citizen appropriation and a place of historic preservation.”

“I am proud to inaugurate today this symbol of municipal democracy,” she added. “Which is more open, dynamic and welcoming than ever and I invite the population to come and discover the town hall and make it their own.”

Back in May, the first wave of employees moved back into the building on Notre-Dame Est street. They had been working in the neighbouring Lucien-Saulnier building for the past five years.

Other teams are reportedly set to move in this month.

“Montreal city hall is the seat of Montreal democracy,” said the president of the municipal council, Martine Musau Muele, in the news release. “We wanted the population to have access to exchanges and take part in them.”

“This is why it was important for us to restore access to the balcony of the council room,” she added.

“All new spaces open to the public also meet the highest standards in terms of universal accessibility,” said Muele. “Which is consistent with our commitments to inclusion and equity.”

“Over the last five years, our town hall has undergone a colossal transformation,” she added. “I am convinced that all these improvements will strengthen the link between the population and this space for democratic participation.”

Environmental efficiency was at the heart of their decisions, setting an example for other buildings in the city.

“We refurbished the envelope of the building so all the windows was keep on. But we improved the air tightness so they are most efficient as new windows. Also we decarbonize the building, removing gas energy system, putting new electrical system in the building and more efficient system that reduces by three times the consumption of energy” said Menaud Lapointe, architect for the Beaupré Michaud et Associés, Architects firm.

The project also included the restoration of 105 solid wood doors and 169 wooden windows made up of 900 frames.

80 new windows were also installed — with the stained glass windows restored which includes more than 5,000 pieces of glass.

The public is invited to celebrate the reopening during an open house on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Family activities are planned and citizens will be able to visit several places in city hall.