JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

It’s out with the old and in with the new for a lot in the heart of St. Lazare’s village, as the town’s council last week voted in favour of tearing down a house on Ste. Angelique Road that dates back to the 1870s and allowing a modern replica to be built in its place.

The two-storey house, which has been vacant for the last four years, is located on the north side of the street, directly across from the St. Lazare city hall. Once it is removed, it will be replaced with a new building that will almost look identical, municipal officials said. The building will have a mixed residential and commercial zoning.

The plan, according to councillor Richard Chartrand, a member of the town’s urban planning advisory committee, provides what he called a “copy-paste” approach, where the heritage look of the original building will be maintained.

Chartrand admits the current building has seen better days, having experienced water damage and showing cracks in several areas.

“It was judged that it was in a rough enough shape that renovating the building wasn’t an option,” said town spokesperson Christelle Paré, adding that in 2022 the provincial Ministry of Culture and Communications ruled it did not meet the criteria to be considered a heritage building.

Paré said a medical aesthetic clinic will be housed in the new building once construction is completed. The demolition permit for the existing building has been issued, but it is not yet know when work will begin to tear it down, she added.

Cutline:

St. Lazare council last week voted to allow this old house, which dates back to the 1870s, to be torn down and placed with a similar looking building.