MONTREAL--The Montreal Canadiens' logo will soon be topping the city's second tallest residential building, shining 48-stories above downtown after a groundbreaking next summer on the $175-million condo project.
The Habs are teaming up with a well-known construction firm to build the Tour des Canadiens, which will rise from a plaza that faces the Bell Centre. The plans include seven floors of parking, a two-storey sports bar and 534 condominium units.
Geoff Molson, the president of the hockey club, said the company was concerned about the impact a high-rise would have on fans coming to games.
"Our initial concern was that the project would have to blend in perfectly with the vocation of the Bell Centre and to protect the symbol of our fans' attachment and support," said Molson.
One very visible symbol of that support from fans is going to disappear.
The high-rise is going to be built on what is currently known as the Place des Canadiens, a square dominated by statues of Canadiens greats. The square is also paved with engraved bricks, each purchased for a minimum of $175 by fans wanting their name to be associated with their favourite hockey team.
Now those bricks, only installed in 2008, will be taken away and stored for the duration of construction. At this point it's not known where the bricks will end up.
At 48 floors, the Tour des Canadiens will be one of the tallest buildings in the city, exceeded only by the 51-storey 1000 de la Gauchetiere. The former IBM-Marathon tower at 1250 Rene Levesque has 47 floors.
Only a few buildings in Montreal are allowed to be more than 120 metres high and no building is allowed to be higher than the peak of Mount Royal.
Cadillac Fairview is slated to begin construction on the $175 million project next summer.
