Downtown Montreal's Square Phillips Is Open, Ending Some Of The Endless Construction

Montreal's downtown has been undergoing a facelift for what feels like forever. But the major construction project on Sainte-Catherine West that began last fall to make a long portion of the street more pedestrian-friendly has hit a notable milestone: the reopening of Phillips Square. The central courtyard bordered by Sainte-Catherine West, Union, Cathcart, and du Square-Phillips is back in all of its paved glory.

"Little by little, our downtown is being transformed into one of the most beautiful in North America (and even in the world!)," General Manager of Montreal Centre-Ville Glenn Castanheira tweeted in celebration of the reopening.

"The magnificent Phillips Square is finally open… [although] the fountain and the redevelopment of du Square-Phillips Street are still missing!"

People sit on the new wooden benches built into the concrete tree planters in Phillips Square, across from La Baie.CastanheiraG | Twitter

Phillips Square has been refreshed with new landscaping, sleek wooden benches, and repaved walkways.

Info-Travaux reports that while the area has reopened ahead of schedule, minor corrective work could be carried out within 30 days of the reopening at the end of June.

The revamp marks progress on 'Phase One' of the downtown construction project aimed at turning Sainte-Catherine West into a single traffic lane with widened sidewalks and more trees. The goal is to cool down the area and make it more pedestrian-friendly in the summer.

Work is still ongoing between De Bleury and Mansfield, along with Place du Frère André. Completion of those portions is required before 'Phase Two,' which focuses on Sainte-Catherine West between Mansfield and Atwater Avenue can begin in 2023.

After that, 'Phase Three' involves transforming the once two-lane McGill College thoroughfare into a pedestrian walkway. Work on that is expected to begin in 2024.