After major work that lasted longer than expected and an increase in the bill, the new developments at Montreal city hall were finally inaugurated Friday morning.
Initially planned for 2022, the reopening of the building took place after almost five years of work. This is the largest heritage renovation project in Quebec after the National Assembly.
Citizens will now be able to enjoy a museum space with a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional room for public consultations, as well as an outdoor terrace.
Security arches have also been installed to access the establishment and bags will now be searched by security officers.
City of Montreal employees and elected officials began returning to city hall offices over the past week.
The first meeting of the municipal council in the newly renovated town hall will be held on June 17.
Money “well spent”
The project ultimately cost $211 million, while the initial budget was $140 million. Despite the ballooning bill, the mayor of Montreal assured that it was money “that was well used.”
“It is obvious that, for us, as managers of public funds, it is always a concern to keep the costs as close as possible to what had been planned, to what had been estimated,” recognized Valérie Plante in point press release in the morning.
“That being said, we know the context in which the renovations to city hall took place, whether it was COVID, but also the increase in construction costs and the very, very specialized trades that were part of renovations,” she argued.
Open houses will be held on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. so that Montrealers can discover the renovated city hall.
