Dealing with construction is a grim reality for business owners in Montreal.
Groan and moan all you like, but at the end of the day, there’s not much an independent business owner can do when the streets by their storefront are torn up and foot-traffic all but dies.
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A group of restaurants on Bishop, however, are taking a stand against a major construction project that is killing their business.
Their opponent: the STM, who is replacing an old ventilation station, tearing up the streets right in front of the Bishop street-businesses.
Unfortunately, their efforts are in vain.
The STM’s construction project is a major cause for concern for these businesses. According to a CBC report, the 5 commercial operations on Bishop say they’ve experienced a 60% drop in business.
Losing over half of your profits is incredibly scary for any business owner.
Making matters worse is the length of the construction project. The STM estimates the new ventilation station will be finished in 2020.
Consistently losing major amounts money over the course of 42 months is basically a death notice to any business.
That’s why the group of five restaurants banded together to file a lawsuit against the City of Montreal, asking for about $30,000 each month the construction continues to offset the loss in profits.
The restaurants are Mesa 14, Craft Grilled Cheese, Gourmet Burger, Kafein, and Ferrari.
Unfortunately, the Quebec Superior Court denied their claim, and the businesses are left to fend for themselves.
It’s hard to place blame here, because the STM and the City of Montreal are building necessary infrastructure.
Still, the fact that such a lengthy construction project is moving forward without concern for nearby businesses is a little negligent.
So be sure to head to Bishop street between Maisonneuve and Ste-Catherine, because the restaurants that are there need your business to stay afloat. Otherwise, they may not last much longer.