Dow Brewery updated - Griffintown

Last summer, they were working on the Dow Brewery building. I returned there in May and it still didn't look quite finished though more completed than last summer. That reno is really taking its sweet time.The comments made for a video uploaded at Youtube sorta sheds some light on why it's so slow.

Old Atwill Morin Building + Storage - Griffintown

The Atwill-Morin building on Young and Smith in Griffintown, was being demolished just a few ago when I took so picture. Months ago, my source told me that the building will soon be demolished so I took photos this past winter for some "Before-After" sets, which you can compare with these photos. Tons of construction going on in Griffintown and this is one of the many in the general area. You can also view how it looked like with Google streetview.

A small entrepôt on Young street that's also part of the demolition

(image: google streetview)

The many projects going on in the area: the Atwill Morin site, the two projects on Ottawa St. posted here, and the Lowney Condo construction, posted here.

Beaver Hall & Viger - Altoria Condo Complex

A new massive condo/office complex, the Altoria, will rise where these building are (or were), on Beaver Hall and Viger. I'm ambivalent about this one. I'm probably the only one who actually liked this corner. First, I love old red brick buildings and they are an endangered species in downtown Montreal. It's not a beautiful building per se but it shows the type that was built back in the day and there's something just solid about that you have to admire. Second, I love the look of the adjoining building, which will also be demolished, the way it rests on the inclination. It has a retro sleek design to it that you don't find much in Montreal and it will be history. The value of the land in the area doomed them to oblivion. Third, the open space feel of the area will be greatly diminished too. The building is set to be 33 storeys high and will change the general  outlook of Square Victoria, making it more closed in than it need be. But of all the new projects rising in Montreal, I have to admit that this is the one that I find with the greatest value. The view from inside the condos, or even the offices, will simply be amazing.

I used to work in the area for 3 years and during that time I walked down Beaver Hall every day and ate at Victory Hot Dogs every other day, for a quick lunch.

A mix of 35mm and digital photos.

This is where Victory Hot Dog used to be. They claimed they made the best hot dogs in town.

(image: google streetview)

Carwash/Eco Condo - Verdun

A former carwash was torn down to make way for a small condo complex in Verdun, at the busy intersection of Lasalle Blvd, Strathmore and Rushbrooke. I took these photos in May and it looked like the project had been on hold then as it looked exactly the same as it did when I saw it back in February. I haven't visited it since then. You can see the carwash in the screengrabs from Google streetview (link). There's another condo project next to it and you can see in the third photo the solar panels on the rooftop. The panels are held by a massive beam structure that surrounds the building (this can only be viewed from the back). Pretty cool. No one will miss the (ugly) carwash but I don't know who would want to live at that busy intersection.

The former carwash. Images: Google streetview

New Projects on Ottawa St - Griffintown

Two new projects are going up on Ottawa St, between De La Montagne and Peel St. The first project, on the corner of Murray and Ottawa, is almost completed where a parking lot used to be. The second project is on the corner of De La Montagne and Ottawa, where a business used to be (the white building seen in the second to last picture). There used to be a small empty lot/parking lot there too where the leafy overgrowth used to be. This is where I photographed the Teddy of Griffintown two summers ago. Straddled in between those two projects are two cute houses and in between those two houses is a large yard where horses/ponies used to live. The two photos with the animals were taken 2 years ago as well. When I was there last week, I didn't see any horses or ponies (fifth photo).

image: google streetview

The sale office for the condos is situated in this building. A beautiful red brick building, renovated to its former glory a few years ago and is a great example of keeping the old instead of destroying it.

Where are the horses and ponies?

I took these two photos two summers ago.

New Project on De la Montagne, where a business used to be. The parking lot behind it will be part of the new project.

The white building is gone, making way for new project on De La Montagne and Ottawa.

Old Building vs New on Rue Montfort

Startling contrast of Old Montreal vs New Emerging Montreal. This old building is on rue Montfort (google) and it's surrounded by the massive Lowney condo projects. Kudos to those who decided to preserve it as is. The old building is connected with an all-glass building which, in turn, is connected to a gorgeous Art Deco building on Notre-Dame Ouest (google). Thumbs up!

Lowney Condos

Contruction for another phase of the neverending Lowney Condo project is slowly going up. The last three photos were taken back in February 2011 and the first 5 photos were snapped yesterday. As you can see, they demolished part of the building in the background, with half of it left hanging. I have photos of the main Lowney buildings before they were transformed into condos and I'll upload them one day.