Plateau-Mont-Royal borough council to force demolition of St-Dominique St. building
Borough takes action after neighbours complain about falling debris, squatters and fire risk
The Plateau–Mont-Royal borough council is taking legal steps to force the owner of the building at 3476 St-Dominique Street to demolish it.
The move comes after a CBC investigative report on the state of the building that was published Wednesday.
- Part 1: On de l'Esplanade Ave., heritage greystones rot away
- Part 2: Extreme neglect: On St-Dominique St., neighbours angered by Montreal's inaction
The city put barricades around the building a few years ago due to concerns about falling debris
Project Montreal councillor Alex Norris wrote in an email to CBC that the council has authorized the city's legal department to take "whatever legal proceedings are required, up to and including an injunction" to get the building torn down.
Norris told CBC that the Plateau–Mont-Royal borough council will "do whatever is necessary to demolish it in a way that respects the safety of the other buildings in the area."
Empty for at least a decade, it's covered in graffiti tags and is a frequent hangout for squatters.
Paul Stoica and his wife moved into their condominium on St-Dominique in 2014.
Stoica has seen the police visit a few times from his window, and at one point, there was a small fire.
The borough had actually given the the building's owner, Denis Guerrera, the green light to demolish the building back in the fall of 2014, calling it an "imminent safety risk." But Guerrera never followed through with the demolition.
"We were under the impression it would be torn down fairly quickly," said Stoica.
"At this point, we've just lost hope."
Guerrera never returned calls from CBC News.
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With files from Leah Hendry