The building is set to be decommissioned in about 26 months, as the new MUHC superhospital should open in January 2015. And it's still unknown how this precious gem will be reused.
The obvious thing would be to sell it off as posh condos. It's hard to imagine that putting seven buildings onto the market simultaneously would have an impact on the local housing market but the building's proximity to McGill and the downtown area certainly suggest that it could fetch some interest.
When the issue was first discussed in 1998, some suggested that parts of the building be demolished, another proposal recommended turning it into 337 condos - 53 in the Ross Pavilion, 52 in the Allan Memorial Institute building, 62 in the Women's Pavilion, 71 in the Snell centre block and its west wing, 61 in the former nurses' residence and 38 in a proposed new wing on University St.
Some have suggested that the place be used for institutional purposes. Surely the usual suspects will be out soon picketing (making use of their ample free time) that 20 percent should be devoted to welfare housing and so forth.
I favour preserving the building and making the most money out of it as possible for the city, but it'd be nice to still be able to go up there to the pool and hang around, so may as well put some sort of library in it as well or something.
Addendum: Ville Marie borough rep told me today that the site is currently being evaluated by a working group which is assessing the heritage value of the site, which gets special scrutiny because it sits on Mount Royal. The MUHC seem to be geared up to change its vocation but have not yet submitted anything official to the city. Any change in vocation would be subject to public hearings.
17 comments:
Actually the new hospital won't be ready until summer 2015 at the earliest.
The term "superhospital" is stupid. It's a hospital.
I believe the the property deed held by the decendants of the RVH founders is still binding and states that the building must remain a care facility.
The condo developers will make a mockery out of it.
What I'd like to know is exactly WHO will be able to afford such a condo--ANY condo, in fact?
It's not as if we are in such an economic boom that people have so much money to burn? Surely these places will sit empty for years unless they crank down the price?
Don't tell me that there are hundreds of lawyers, doctors, company CEOs, etc., earning such big bucks that they are clamoring to move into these things, because I simply don't believe it.
Or maybe--dare I suggest it--that there are more than enough shady people out there who CAN afford it: drug dealers, pimps, telephone boiler-room owners, and so on?
Call me cynical, but something just doesn't ring true here.
You're right. They are leaving this decision late.
There should be at least some sort of strategy to map out a long-term plan.
I could see it used in a mix of diplomatic missions, condos; whatever they do it's time to get started because it'll start falling apart as soon as it's abandoned.
hey you managed to post something without a gratuitous picture of hot chix! Are you feeling ok?
Yeah I'll try to get one up there for you later redfern, I know that's what you come to see.
I worked onsite for Seville Parking and I have fond memories of epic contest of will with patrons who thought they should be able to park by the entrance. If the deed stipulates care facility perhaps a brothel with "owner's boxes" will do the trick.
Congratulations. you didn't miss another chance to take a crack at social housing!
Maybe part of it could be turned into a museum.Museum of immigration, per example. Where all the communities that built Montreal would be represented.
Turn it into an Anglo Fortress celebrating your Anglo heritage which is a historic fact. It may be needed.
the parking lots surrounding the Royal Vic on the uphill mont royal park side should be turned back into green space and added to Mont Royal park. What a beautiful gift that would be for the citizens of Montreal. They had to sell this land in order to create Mont Royal park in the first place, so, it is time to fix that particular wrong and add this land back to public park green space. Bonus is that this is on the downtown side of Mont Royal where there is very little actual green space for downtown residents.
And then...
In this redesign of the parking lots into park land, we need to create a bike path across this land which will create a bike path that is the shortest route from mile-end/anybody coming from the north side of Mont Royal along Cote-ste-catherine bike path north and bring them right to the middle of downtown. This path would fill in one of the biggest "missing links" in creating an effective bike path network. Imagine a bike path from Mont Royal avenue to Peel street. This is seriously awesome.
And if I can dream a bit more, this part of the park will include adult exercise equipment. Mont Royal is an awesome outdoor gym, it is time we added adult exercise equipment to this park. Ile Ste-Helene got some fancy high-design gym gear a couple of years ago, but Mont Royal has 100 times the number of exercise users and nothing nada zilch.
The most scenic spot should have something special. This spot is located where now is the the parking lot on east side of the Allan Memorial (i.e. beside the Vic on west side). This parking lot has the single best view in all of Montreal. Turned into a terrace/plaza it would be an amazing urban destination.
This post kind of makes me regret reading your blog, but I'll try to add to this discussion anyway: In the deed for the land on which the hospital was built, it was apparently specifically stated that it was to be for a hospital, according to Elspeth Angus, a descendant of Lord Mount Stephen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv-fVyiHaxo. And given the corruption in this city, I'm not sure the city would make a windfall by selling it (although I'm sure it would fatten the wallets of a select few).
What would be great is if the city took some initiative for once.
The deed stipulates the land be used for healthcare or education, not for residential purposes. McGill surrounds the site - they should be given priority and should be supplied with funds to convert some of the space into classrooms. The heritage architecture would be in keeping with McGill's general aesthetic style.
But there's also a fully functioning hospital here. Perhaps it would be wise to keep at least a part of it open? What does the tranquil setting high-up the mountain provide in healthcare terms? What of the site's historic purpose? Should these not be considered as well?
I always liked the idea of keeping part of the Vic open as a maternity hospital or for long-term physical rehabilitation. Perhaps a 24hr free clinic?
The point is, it's such a large site so well-connected to the existing urban landscape we should probably be thinking about making it a large multi-use complex instead of re-dedicating to one specific purpose, especially one as volatile as the residential housing market.
This is a golden opportunity to rationalise the site. Is that big parking lot behind the Allen still necessary or can we enlarge Mount Royal Park? Can we not now knock down the additions to Ravenscrag and return it to the way it once was, in a manner similar to what was done at the Shaughnessy House? Are some of the more modern additions necessary at all, or can they be pulled down and replaced with something more useful, even if it is only more green space.
And how would we plan and design this space if we knew that, perhaps in ten or twenty years, a Métro station would be built near Parc & Pine, thus permitting an extension of the Underground City to utilize the existing tunnel network connecting the diverse buildings here.
We can do much more than condos.
Great comments and thanks for all who chimed in.
Here's what I think: The deed is important, I agree, but it's not set in stone, it can be easily voided and I think some mix of housing and other public use would be the way to go.
I don't really care what they allow to occupy the Royal Vic there but it had better make money for the city.
I find it a bit galling when people shrilly insist on solutions that will cost taxpayers rather than alleviate some of the burden. We have to get money form somewhere.
As for getting rid of parts of the Royal Vic to enlarge Mount Royal, nah, I don't get the point of that, it's already plenty big, we need more green space near where people live, not some designated place where you have to go.
@Kristian
If the decision was made to completely transform the site for residential purposes, it would no doubt sell quickly and fetch a massive price tag. That would be quite the choice address.
It would also, doubtless, invariably bring in considerable tax revenue for the city.
I'd argue every effort should be made to preserve the truly exemplary and historic architecture of the site. But there are a number of utilitarian annexes and additions we may be just as well to do without.
But if we're going to populate the area, the city should take a primary role in the development and design. At least some of the space should be developed so as to provide crucial services for the immediate local population.
An aside - whatever happened to that guy who wanted to build a medical tourism hospital (about six or seven years ago)?
The A, E, and L pavillions make up the original hospital.
The H pavillion followed a few years later and today is a national historic site.
The R and F pavillions are in the same style built in the 1920's.
The utilitarian blandness started in the 1950's with the S and M pavillions. Then the C pavillion opened in 1993.
Give it back to the Mount Stephen family, so they can develop the condos and rake-in the cash at no cost to the taxpayers.
Voilà, problem solved!
The Mount Stephen Club, eh?
Just you wait: some "developer" will announce that he wants to grab that piece of ground for another high-priced condo project that most people won't be able to afford anyway. Or perhaps the YMCA across the street will want it for further expansion.
Ah, yes...I can see it now: a division of bulldozers and wrecking-ball cranes eager to smash down that landmark, historic building which recently closed its doors, and they'll probably sneak in just before dawn during the summer holidays when presumably fewer people will be able to protest, which by then will of course be too late because too much of it will have been demolished before a court injunction is imposed, and then the ruins will sit idle for years until the city says, "Oops, we can't let that dangerous ruin remain as it is. Besides, it's an eyesore...etc., etc.
Sound familiar?
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