Gestion Appartements Trinity

By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

The borough of CDN-NDG is considering a plan to transform the Trinity Memorial Anglican Church property into a cultural and community venue.

The plan would see the space redeveloped into a performance, exhibition and reception hall, along with medical clinics, and a vision to add residential properties at a later stage.

Last week, the borough presented a study for public consultation which would authorize a project outside the current local zoning parameters for the property at 5220 Sherbrooke West.

The church was sold in 2017 to Gestion Appartements Trinity inc., which is owned by investment companies, and despite repeated vandalism, squatters and a fire, the vacant building retains all liturgical furniture and the organ. A proposal has been on the books for some three years for the neo-Gothic church which was influenced by the Art Deco movement.

The property, whose last municipal evaluation was $2.6 million, has changed hands a few times since the church closed some seven years ago, with the current owners eyeing something similar to their 2015 transformation of Little Burgundy’s Saint-Joseph church into Le Salon Richmond.

The 100-year-old Trinity was Montreal’s third Anglican congregation and considered a milestone in Montreal’s urban development along with the westward movement of English-speaking Montrealers.

The project vision would see the spaces once humming with sounds of prayer, song, contemplation and homily soon ring with the clinks of wine tasters, and the cacophony of birthday parties, weddings and more.

The natural acoustics and grandeur of the church make it ideal for concerts and musical performances, and “the vast spaces and impressive architecture of this church make it an ideal setting for visual art exhibitions” according to borough documents, adding, “Temporary or permanent galleries could present works by local or international artists, thus offering an immersive and inspiring experience to visitors.”

The building would thus host a variety of cultural events, including conferences, art screenings, film festivals, immersive virtual reality experiences, craft fairs, theatre and dance performances. (The owners want to add medical clinic and recreational games to the list of uses that could be authorized during future expansions.)

There is however, much work to be done on the 35,660-sq.-ft. property, including removal of debris from walls and ceilings containing asbestos; making it fully accessible; repairing concrete floors; and installation of new electrical circuits, wiring and high-energy efficiency heating and cooling. Any permit granted would also require the painted wooden ceiling, chandeliers, wall appliqués, stencilled patterns and imitation masonry and stained-glass windows be preserved and repaired as necessary.

The results of the consultation process were presented at borough council this week, with a registry and referendum approval process set for this month and council will vote on adopting a final resolution in November. n