Shawinigan Water & Power building - Interior - HOMA

The Shawinigan Water & Power Company building in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve was transformed into two phases: one phase is the main red brick building on d'Orleans ave, which they kept and restored as a Coopérative d'habitation, which is cool. The second phase is on de Rouen and Jeanne d'Arc where the standard boring Samcon condos have been built on the old grounds of the power plant. In the following post, I show how the exterior of the massive transformation looks like. In this post I show the stunning interior. The sense of space of the interior is breathtaking. I don't know how much privacy there is when living there but the whole concept is fantastic. I wonder if the huge entrances, at the front and the back (pictured above) stay wide open during winter.

From the back entrance

Shawinigan Water & Power building - Exterior - HOMA

Impressive restoration/renovation/reconstruction/transformation of the huge Shawinigan Water & Power Company building in between avenue d'Orleans and Jeanne d'Arc in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Of all the places I've been and visited this is the best I've seen. In fact, the entire HOMA area is one impressive restoration after another.

(image above: google streetview)

Above and below: after & before as seen from d'Orleans avenue

(image above: google streetview)

Above and below: after & before as seen from Jeanne d'Arc avenue

(image above: google streetview)

Still more construction going on for the future

Street (Charlemagne?) in between projects on Jeanne d'Arc and d'Orlean

Above and below: after & before as seen from rue De Rouen; back of the condos on Jeanne d'Arc

(image above: google streetview)

The beautiful Samcon look. This is on Jeanne d'Arc avenue

Cordonnerie/Shoe Repair shop Before & After - HOMA

(image above: google streetview)

On Avenue De La Salle in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, near Adam street. I'm surprised shoe repair shops still existed in Montreal.

Ste-Catherine st - HOMA

Photos of recent repairs on Ste-Catherine street in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area.

Condo project on Mountain Sights avenue - Côte-des-Neiges

An ultra massive condo project on Mountain Sights and Jean-Talon is being built slowly but surely. There used to be some sort of big sprawling stripmall/businesses there but the entire building is gone, with just a small part of it still there. This condo complex is just next to the SPCA. I've recently been in the area twice and there's constant backing and waling from dogs coming from the SPCA building and it's hard to imagine people who will be living there will tolerate the sad noise. Something will have to give in and I don't think the new condos are going anywhere. There are 3 Phases right now, will a potential of 4 additional Phases in the future (link). Yippee!

(image above: google streetview)

 You can see the other big condo project nearby, called Rêve. More on this in the following post.

As seen from Jean-Talon street.

(image above: google streetview)

Part of the old building can still be seen. It matches with the image from Google streetview below.

 (images above and below: google maps)

The old red brick building in between the two condo projects is in a tight spot.

Condo project on Jean-Talon - Côte-des-Neiges

A new massive condo project is taking shape on Jean-Talon near Mountain Sights avenue. There used to  be some sort of used-car business there so not much has been lost. The condo building is called Rêve (Dream). Hmm...on Jean-Tallon? Ok.

What was there before (image: google streetview)

Demolition of the Montreal Trend House - Beaconsfield

Here's video of the demolition of the Montreal Trend House. Thanks to a reader's input, I made a post about this back in April. Here.  This particular video was uploaded on Youtube in June (there's another shorter clip uploaded on May 31) but it doesn't say the exact date the video was taken.

Building at the intersection of De la Montagne/Notre-Dame O - Griffintown

I wonder what's going to happen to this abandoned building on the corner of De La Montagne and Notre-Dame Ouest, which is on the Griffintown side of Notre-Dame O which delineates Griffintown and Ville-Marie. Let's look at the other 3 corners:  there's a new anonymous-looking building there and another new anonymous-looking building and yet another new bland building. Hmm...I see a pattern. You can get a 360 degree view of the intersection with Google Streetview with this link. I don't know about the adjoining small businesses next to it (last photo) but the fate of this one seems pretty much sealed.

Somehow this reminds me of a Hollywood-made science-fiction movie from the 1950s called MONOLITH MONSTERS and its tagline: Mammoth skyscrapers of stone thundering across the earth!

(this image: google streetview)

Building on rue Prince and de la Commune - Old Montreal

This building on the corner of rue Prince and de la Commune at the crossroads between the Cite du Multimedia and Old Montreal will be demolished for a new construction project. The building is already empty and has been for a while now. The parking lot will be used for the new project. According to my source, the old greystone building on the far right will also be demolished but I highly doubt that. I'll only believe it when I'll see it. But it's certain that the "newer" building is as good as gone.

Motel Raphaël on fire

If you see and smell smoke in your area right now (Wednesday, August 10 6:30ish pm)  it's because the abandoned Motel Raphaël is on fire. I've already posted about this Montreal "landmark" last year. Here's the link. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner.

Articles with photos of the fire here, here and here.

Massive condo project on rue Allard - LaSalle

A massive new condo project is taking shape on rue Allard in LaSalle where the old Greif Bros distribution center used to be. Of all the construction sites I've come across in the past couple of years, this is surely the biggest one I've seen yet. It's HUGE. It's almost impossible to grasp all of it in one photo. All the action seems to be going on in LaSalle while Ville-Émard, just next to it, is quiet.

(image : google streetview)

This is how the old Greif Bros distribution center used to look like on rue Allard.

(image: google maps)

In red is where the old Greif Bros distribution center used to be. Now it's a truly massive condo project. If they ever decide to build condos or houses in the empty lot next to it, it's going to dwarf that one. Photos of the empty lot can be seen in the following post.