With new awnings and wider sidewalks, Plaza St-Hubert reopens to traffic

After more than two years of extensive construction, Plaza St-Hubert, one of Montreal's largest commercial arteries, is open again.

The street reopened to vehicle traffic between de Bellechasse and Jean-Talon streets on Saturday, right in time for the holiday season.

The $55-million project started in the summer of 2018. The street's underground infrastructure needed to be upgraded, so the city took the opportunity to revamp the street entirely.

Wider cobblestone sidewalks were built and the iconic green awning was replaced with a more modern, but equally distinctive version made of steel and glass.

"We respected the budget to the letter, despite the fact that the site was closed for five weeks because of the pandemic," said François Limoges, a local city councillor.

"We did it on time and on budget and we are particularly proud of it."

The reopening marks the end of a long ordeal for local merchants. For the past 30 months, mechanical shovels and jackhammers have been part of their daily lives.

The work took a long time, said Catherine Lecompte, owner of Arloca, but she believes it was worth it.

"I find it beautiful, what they did. It was tough, it took a long time, but we're really happy with the result, so we're putting that behind us."

The closure pushed some storeowners to the brink, and three stores went out of business since it began, said Mike Parente of the local merchants' association.

According to the city, three subsidy programs doled out more than $27 million to merchants who needed it.

Plaza St-Hubert, which was founded in 1951, has a bright future according to visual artist Pony, who set up shop there a year and a half ago, when construction was in full swing.

"It's a really strange mix of shops, just strange enough to make you feel right at home," he said.