Requests for urgent repairs to Westmount lofts go unheard

In desperate need of repairs? 3035 St-Antoine
Photo by Danielle Sayer
 

The condition of a well-known loft building on the border of Westmount, St-Henri and Ville-Marie has its equally well-known owner and the City of Westmount in a deadlock.

Surrounded by wire fencing, the building at 3035 St-Antoine, corner of Atwater, sports a conspicuous piece of exterior decor: a large sign declaring it a “Historical museum of Westmount harassment,” put there a while ago, residents say, by owner Sam Fattal. Another sign on the graffiti-covered building facade pleads for help in de-merging its site from Westmount’s jurisdiction.

The building in question is the source of a long-running dispute between Fattal and the City of Westmount. The city says the structure is in bad condition and in need of urgent repairs, but, as the signs that festoon the building suggest, Fattal begs to differ.

Duncan Campbell, director general of Westmount, says the city has been trying to force Fattal to renovate the building for years. Wire fencing was installed around its perimeter to ensure that its crumbling facade doesn’t fall on people’s heads.

“Mr. Fattal has not been any easy property owner to deal with, and we have spent many hours and taxpayers’ dollars in court to get him to make repairs,” says Campbell. He accuses Fattal of using calculated legal maneuvers to tie the city up in court rather than doing the work to repair the building. Fattal, however, did not return phone calls from Cult MTL.

The owner of multiple loft buildings around Montreal, he has received no shortage of negative press. In February, a Radio-Canada exposé included stomach-churning footage of the interior of a Rosemont loft he owns, and in April, a story in La Presse alleged similarly poor living conditions at 3035 St-Antoine.

But while residents of 3035 admit that Fattal is not an ideal landlord, they are proud of their homes and take issue with local media’s coverage of the building. Many have been living there for years and are proud of their customized pads.

At a recent party in the building’s back alley, the residents expressed their upset about Fattal’s fight with Westmount. Although unwilling to go on record, they were unanimous in their support for the building, blaming complaints on a lone resident who was interviewed by La Presse.

The City of Westmount, however, won’t abandon its efforts for Fattal to repair the building.

“Our concern is the health and safety of those who live in this building. It is not a vendetta nor the harassment of an elderly person, as we are depicted to be doing,” says Campbell.

“We are far from satisfied that the property reflects the standards of the City of Westmount, and we will continue to do our due diligence as we are obliged to do to see that the property is corrected.” ■

Stay tuned to Cult MTL for updates on the Fattal-Westmount deadlock.