St-Hubert Plaza refurbishment to begin in August

Wider sidewalks, more trees and a new overhead awning those are just some of thechanges Saint-Hubert Plaza will undergo when the aging outdoor mall is rebuilt, starting in August.

Construction on the $55-million refurbishment project, unveiled by MayorValriePlanteon Wednesday, is expected to be completed in 2020.

"We will be working with the business ownersto make sure that we still keep [the street] alive,"Plantesaid at a news conference.

The most noticeable change to the plaza willbe the dismantling of the 33-year-old glass structure thathangs overthe sidewalks, which will bereplaced with a "lighter and clearer" awning.

Trees will be planted on both sides of St-Hubert Street, thesidewalks will be repaved and widened to accommodate more patios and benches, and two new public spaces will be built.

The street's sewer and watersystems will also be updated.

Plante said construction will be carried out in phases, "so we don't have to close the entire street."

"We want to make sure that our businesses are doing well," she said.

"We've seen it's even hard for them to survive, when there's a construction site that takes a very, very long time."

'Good news'

The plan is beingmet with cautious optimism by merchants on the plaza, which runs from Jean-Talon Street to BellechasseStreet.

"It's all good news for us,"saidMikeParente, headof the St-Hubert Plaza MerchantsAssociation.

ParentetoldCBCthat reducing the slope of the awnings will expose more of the storefronts, allowing businesses to rebuild theirsecond and third floors.

He said he was happy the city made changes to the plan after it was first announced last year.

"What reassures me is that up until now, with all the past experiences that the city has had, they've learned from mistakes, and they've improved on what they've done," he said.

Slump in business expected

George Lekas, who ownsLe Roi du Smoked Meat, a restaurant just north of Saint-Zotique Street, said he expected his business to drop slightly during the construction period.

But he conceded the workneeds to happen.

"We're just hoping for the best, that it's not too bad, but we obviously expect a little more quiet times in the future because of it," he said.

Lekas said he may have to reduce his employees' hours to make up for lost income, but he was confident his business would survive.

"I heard in the 70s this used to be like the downtown of Montreal," he said.

"So hopefully we'll get it to a certain level, almost to that level again. It will benefit everybody."

The mayorsaid the city willintroduce a plan to provide businesses thatsuffer financially as a result ofthe construction with tax relief.

The eligibility criteria for that relief will be unveiled later this year, Plantesaid.