Latin Quarter merchants hurting after critical intersection closed for construction

Merchants in Montreal’s Latin Quarter are struggling as ongoing construction drives away customers.

Business owners in Montreal’s Latin Quarter are facing another round of construction, and some merchants say the work is driving customers away and hurting their livelihoods.

Saint-Bock Brasserie owner Martin Guimond says construction is never-ending in the area and that it’s hurting his bottom line.

“Globally, it’s like 75 per cent of sales - so it’s pretty bad,” said the owner of the brewpub on Saint-Denis Street.

Starting Tuesday, the Ontario/Saint-Denis intersection, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, was shut down.

The work is part of a major sewer rehabilitation project that began last summer.

Guimond said merchants were only informed of the closure last week.

“It’s not enough,” he said.

The merchants’ association in the area said the city also promised that it wouldn’t close the critical crossing.

“We’ve had so many guarantees and so many promises, so the frustration gets to a certain point where some of our members are desperate,” said SDC du Quartier Latin executive director Julien Vaillancourt Laliberte.

He feels merchants deserve better from the city.

“No coordination, no communications and again, no compensation. We need the compensation for our merchants,” said Vaillancourt Laliberte.

He and others are also calling on the city to go after owners of vacant buildings in the area.

“My first solution is fines for vacant businesses on major commercial arteries,” said Turbo Haus bar co-owner Sergio da Silva. “You’re on St-Denis, you shouldn’t be allowed to leave a building vacant for years and years and years.”

City officials said they had no choice but to do the work, saying it was unplanned but necessary. They said teams found structural issues requiring urgent work.

“We will follow up with the teams to modify this procedure and provide greater predictability in the future,” said Montreal city councillor Robert Beaudry.

Guimond said he has no choice but to take drastic measures to keep his bar open.

“I had to fire 24 employees today,” he said.

The intersection will be closed until the end of January.