Comments on: Then and Now #5: St. Urbain Triptych http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/04/27/then-and-now-5-st-urbain-triptych/ Exploring urban life through word and photography Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:47:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Christopher DeWolf http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/04/27/then-and-now-5-st-urbain-triptych/comment-page-1/#comment-44335 Christopher DeWolf Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:38:14 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/04/27/then-and-now-5-st-urbain-triptych/#comment-44335 No kidding. One of the worst examples is the Overdale block, near Crescent and René-Lévesque, which was completely razed in the mid-1980s to make way for luxury apartments that never materialized. An entire street and dozens (hundreds?) of apartments were demolished for nothing. Now all that's left is a gas station and the old Louis H. Lafontaine mansion which is abandoned and threatened with demolition. No kidding. One of the worst examples is the Overdale block, near Crescent and René-Lévesque, which was completely razed in the mid-1980s to make way for luxury apartments that never materialized. An entire street and dozens (hundreds?) of apartments were demolished for nothing. Now all that’s left is a gas station and the old Louis H. Lafontaine mansion which is abandoned and threatened with demolition.

]]> By: Justin Bur http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/04/27/then-and-now-5-st-urbain-triptych/comment-page-1/#comment-44222 Justin Bur Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:00:47 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/04/27/then-and-now-5-st-urbain-triptych/#comment-44222 UQAM had been sitting on this site probably since the university's creation in 1969. Much of it wasn't even used for parking; it just lay fallow, protected by one of those vaguely ornamental Expo fences. It took a very long time before UQAM finally had the resources to go ahead with construction. (Now the university has overextended itself and has had to curtail future development projects.) It's upsetting when developers assemble and clear large sites decades before beginning construction. Other examples are the space between Simpson's (Simons) and Ben's downtown, or the Overdale block. Imagine, the new UQAM residences might have been able to incorporate some greystone elements if they hadn't been swept away forty years ago. UQAM had been sitting on this site probably since the university’s creation in 1969. Much of it wasn’t even used for parking; it just lay fallow, protected by one of those vaguely ornamental Expo fences. It took a very long time before UQAM finally had the resources to go ahead with construction. (Now the university has overextended itself and has had to curtail future development projects.)

It’s upsetting when developers assemble and clear large sites decades before beginning construction. Other examples are the space between Simpson’s (Simons) and Ben’s downtown, or the Overdale block. Imagine, the new UQAM residences might have been able to incorporate some greystone elements if they hadn’t been swept away forty years ago.

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