Montreal tenant holds out while developer eyes demolition
The City of Montreal has granted a demolition permit to a developer that wants to tear down and build a new residential tower, but the existing building still has someone living in it who refuses to leave.
The largely abandoned building sits at the corner of Sainte-Catherine East and Saint-Hubert, right in front of Place Emilie-Gamelin.
Carla White has called her small studio apartment home for more than 10 years.
"When I found this place, I mean it's a Godsend. I swear it's a Godsend. I remember standing there, I said I could make this work," White said.
She's the only tenant left in the building; all her neighbours are gone. They reached deals with developer Mondev, who plans to demolish the building.
Mondev wants to build a new tower with more than 170 units.
"We have a great replacement project," said Michael Owen, a senior partner at Mondev. "The first phase will be 176 apartments. The neighbourhood is badly in need of redevelopment."
White has held out. She negotiated with Mondev but rejected their offers.
"First it was $7,500, then it went to $12,000, then it went to $20,000," White said.
The developer also offered White an apartment at her current rent of $400 a month. She turned it down because she said it didn't look safe.
Mondev said White's demands were completely unreasonable.
"At one time, it was enormous sums of money in the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars," Owen said. "At other times, it was an apartment, a penthouse apartment with a specific western view and a large terrace."
Both White and her lawyer, Manuel Johnson, dispute these claims. Johnson says $20,000 doesn't go far these days, saying it "might give her stability for a few months, maybe a year," but then will be back to square one.
"She risks finding herself homeless on the street."
The City of Montreal granted Mondev a demolition permit.
"Mondev demonstrated that several relocation options were offered to the tenant and consequently the permit was issued," a spokesperson for the mayor said.
"The city understands clearly that we have attempted in good faith, attempted to solve the problem that Ms. White faces," Owen said.
White was served with an eviction notice and must vacate her apartment by June 30.
"She's going to be out on the street on July 1 with $1,200 in the pocket. That's going to be enough for her maybe to put some of her stuff in storage while she stays in a homeless shelter," Johnson said.
Johnson says they will try to cancel the permit.
Mondev says it wants to begin demolition by September.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.