Downtown Montreal Businesses Plead for Relief from Ste-Catherine Street Construction
Years of ongoing city construction on Ste-Catherine Street have severely impacted sales for a block of downtown Montreal businesses, with one pizzeria owner leading a fight for municipal relief. Jean-Daniel Nadeau, co-owner of Brigade Pizzeria on Stanley Street, has taken to social media to highlight how the construction and poor street maintenance are crippling his business.
Construction Impact on Revenue
In 2023, the city began the second phase of a major redevelopment project along 1.6 kilometers of Ste-Catherine Street West, between Peel Street and Atwater Avenue. This involved fencing off sections of the street for months at a time. Nadeau reports that since then, his revenue has plummeted by 60 percent, resulting in losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. He attributes this decline to the inaccessibility and unpleasant environment caused by the construction, which worsened when the intersection near his pizzeria closed last month.
"We cannot just remove all the parking, not clear the sidewalk of snow, leave trash out there, put up barricades for years and years, and expect people to survive through this," Nadeau told The Gazette in a recent interview. The latest phase of construction, which started on February 9 and will continue until late March, has closed Ste-Catherine Street from Peel to de la Montagne Street, as well as Pierce Street and Guy Street further west.
Zoning Loophole Excludes Some Businesses
Normally, the city offers a relief fund of up to $40,000 for businesses affected by construction. However, Nadeau and city councillor Leslie Roberts explained that due to the zoning of Stanley Street, with a dividing line down the middle of the road, only businesses on the opposite side of the block from Brigade Pizzeria are eligible for this benefit. "I agreed with him. It doesn’t make any sense. Someone actually cut the street in two, even though both sides are affected equally," Roberts said.
Roberts has requested city services to review the process to change the zone as soon as possible, noting that it requires an act of council and should take about two weeks to process. This zoning issue highlights a significant disparity, leaving some businesses without crucial financial support during a challenging period.
Additional Challenges from Metro Closure
The closure of the Stanley Street entrance to the Peel metro station for construction has further reduced foot traffic in the area, exacerbating the struggles of local businesses. Lea Cope, manager of Marché Floh, a vintage shop next to Brigade Pizzeria, noted that tourists and locals are less likely to visit the area due to the inaccessible metro entrance. "Now it’s already the dead moment for every store, from January to March," she said, adding that the construction is "not helping."
Yaniv Moyal, owner of Editorial Boutique on the same block, also reported revenue losses and has been forced to cut shifts due to the construction and metro entrance closure. STM spokesperson Renaud Martel-Théorêt stated that the maintenance is not managed by the STM, and the reopening date for the Stanley Street entrance remains uncertain.
Business Survival at Stake
In response to the financial strain, Nadeau has reduced Brigade Pizzeria’s operating hours, now closing at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. and closing between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. He emphasized the need for support for small businesses, warning that only chain restaurants like Starbucks, Subway, and McDonald’s might survive downtown without intervention. "We need help. We need people to care for the businesses, because we need them downtown, especially mom and pop stores," he said.
Nadeau clarified that he is not against the municipal government and understands the necessity of the construction but fears for his business’s survival. "I’m all for it, but I don’t want to die for it," he concluded, underscoring the urgent need for equitable relief measures to support all affected businesses during this prolonged construction period.
