St. Denis St., usually one of Montreal’s most busy and trendy areas, is suffering tough economic times, and some business owners are blaming roadwork in the area for their woes.
“It’s actually pretty quiet because of the construction,” said La Case de Cousin Paul manager Myriam Harvey. “There are a lot of stores closed around us, so it’s sad.”
St. Denis St. Merchant Association spokesperson Caroline Tessier said the roadwork makes parking difficult and drives shoppers away.
“The commerce problem on St. Denis is the major construction, which obstructs lots of parking spots and makes it inaccessible for cars,” she said.
Vacancy rates in the area have gone up from 6.5 per cent to 10.6 per cent over the past four years. Construction on one five-block area is scheduled to continue until November.
Projet Montreal proposed a tax break for businesses in the area during that time, an idea that was blocked by city council. Annual taxes for businesses in the area can be up to $36,000.
“The argument they gave us is that the law doesn’t allow them to do that,” said Tessier. “But the situation here might change things.”
A recent photo staged by the owners of restaurant Le Hachoir went viral on social media. The picture depicts a bus boy serving one of the restaurant’s waiters on the restaurant’s new “terrasse:” a fenced off area of torn-up sidewalk.
One passerby was “horrified” by the construction in the area.
“As a Montrealer and as a resident of the Plateau, I’m horrified for the merchants,” they said. “This is absolutely unfair. There should be a crew out here working 24-hours-a-day.”
There is hope that once the work is done, businesses will reap the benefits.
“We are going to have a brand new boardwalk, sidewalk, it’s going to be a brand new street,” said long-time employee of Piazzetta Bobby Bocage. “It’s a good sacrifice to make.”
The construction isn’t the only cause of the street’s problems. Le Marcheur manager Stephanie Paquet said the problem’s began before roadwork was a concern.
“People always complain about how many stores are closing because of that, but stores have been closing for two years on St. Denis,” she said. “I don’t think it has to do with that.”
