CSL building tenants worry that proposed renovations could force them from their homes
Proposed renovations to a Cote-St-Luc building have some tenants fearing they could be pushed out of their homes.
According to city officials, a request for a zoning change was filed over a year ago, with the landlord specifically looking to increase the number of units in the building by adding an additional floor.
Alex Gorchkov, who has lived in the building for more than 20 years, said that he likes living there due to the affordable rent but fears he may be forced out.
“If they get the permit, some people like myself might lose their homes for good,” he said.
“For the residents who live here now, it's not going to add anything for us, it's not going to give us anything,” said Lindsay Rollin, who has lived in the building with his wife, Audrey, for over 40 years. “All it will do is make our lives miserable. We'll have to put up with the noise, the construction. It's going to be awful.”
"The landlord strongly values the situation of current tenants and is happy to work with them, on an independent basis, to accommodate," read a statement from Holand Real Estate Group, which manages the building.
"We feel that this property can achieve much greater quality of life for the residents involved," it read.
Cote-St-Luc city council member Dida Berku said that while the project hasn't been approved yet, the building is “in dire need of renovation.”
“So what we need to do is to balance how we can accommodate both sides.”
Berku said that if construction proceeds, people can move to other, vacant units on a temporary basis.
“I am very sensitive to tenants' rights. From day one, I was very clear with the council that we had to find a way to protect the tenants,” she said.
However, she added that increasing the number of units available for rent in the city is “very good for the residents of Cote-St-Luc.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.