MONTREAL — Montreal’s city hall reopened its doors to the public on Saturday, after five years of renovations that took longer than expected and exceeded budget.
Long lines of visitors snaked around the heritage building, waiting for their chance to view the $211 million renovation that began in 2019.
In addition to its masonry and bronzes, hundreds of wooden and stained glass windows have been restored, and the building now has an outdoor terrace and a permanent museum exhibition.
The cost of this rejuvenation treatment is almost twice as high as what was initially envisaged. The project is the largest since a fire damaged the building more than a century ago.
City councilor Ericka Alneus expects thousands of visitors to explore the new building, adding that the renovations mean many of Montreal’s elected officials — including herself — will now be able to work at city hall for the first time times since the last municipal elections.
“I am happy to see that people have decided to come and visit their house. It’s the citizens’ house,” she said.
Menaud Lapointe, the architect responsible for the renovations, noted Friday that a wide range of craftsmen were consulted to bring the space back to life.
The renovations also led to some unexpected finds: some original materials, such as marble, were found under old carpets, while windows were hidden behind walls. Other less encouraging discoveries, such as asbestos and lead, delayed the project.
After cutting the ribbon at the official inauguration ceremony Friday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told reporters that new features, such as raised ceilings and freshly installed windows, had transformed the hotel from city into a more welcoming space.
“What struck me the first day and what strikes me every morning is the light. It’s so much more open. It’s a completely different experience from city hall.”
According to her, the renovations were necessary to decarbonize the building and make the space more accessible and welcoming for Montrealers, even if it entailed additional costs.
“For me, it’s money well spent. It was worth it, because it was the biggest heritage renovation project in Quebec after the National Assembly.”
Ms. Plante indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic, increased construction costs and labor shortages explained the delays in completing the work.
The mayor of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville district, Émilie Thuillier, also believes that this investment will pay off in the long term.
“When we take a little longer to finish a project, it clearly costs a little more, but in the end, we have something of quality and that’s what’s important,” she said. The building is good for another 100 years, so I think 200 million for 100 years is worth it.”
