Grand Plaza hotel shuts downs, 150 out of work

[MTLskyline]

Grand Plaza hotel shuts downs, 150 out of work

 

By Allison Lampert, Montreal Gazette

October 6, 2010 5:13 PM

 

 

MONTREAL - The Grand Plaza Hôtel Centre-ville, on Sherbrooke and Berri Sts., closed its doors Tuesday, leaving 150 unionized and non-unionized hotel staff out of work.

 

Grand Plaza manager Mounir Greiss confirmed that the hotel is no longer operating, but couldn't elaborate immediately on the reasons for the closing.

 

A union representative for the workers, affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, said staff only learned of the decision during a general meeting Wednesday.

 

Union officials were informed Monday night that the hotel was closing because a deal to sell the building to a residential developer was nixed by the city of Montreal.

 

"They are very disappointed," CSN representative Serge Charbonneau said of the workers. "Some had been there for 30 years."

 

Hotel workers were told in May that the hotel would eventually shut its doors, but the closing dates were delayed a half dozen times, Charbonneau said. But the understanding was that the Grand Plaza would continue operating as a hotel until 2013, when a plan to convert part, or all of the site, into condos would begin.

 

"It wasn't a surprise," Charbonneau said of the closing. "But we had the understanding that the sale would go through."

 

Charbonneau said he was told by owners that the city wouldn't authorize the zoning change required to build the condos.

 

The hotel, known as the Grand Plaza Montréal Centre-ville, is registered to Fehim Sofraci, a Toronto businessman, along with Hunsons "8" Holdings Ltd., and a Dubai-based partner. The hotel has changed owners and names several times since 2006, switching from the Hôtel Crowne Plaza Métro Centre to the Double-Tree Plaza Hotel Centre-ville.

 

According to records, the new owners acquired the hotel in 2009.

 

Charbonneau, whose members have a signed collective agreement until 2012, are hoping the hotel will be bought and kept open. A new owner would have to hire the unionized workers because of a provision in their contract, he explained.

 

"We hope that a new buyer shows up," Charbonneau said. "We can't imagine that a building like that would sit empty."

 

alampert@montrealgazette.com

http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Grand+Plaza+hotel+shuts+doors/3633909/story.html

 

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[LindbergMTL]

Une UQAM en santé financière aurait peut-être été intéressée à le convertir, comme McGill fait ce genre de chose si bien.

[steve_36]

Une UQAM en santé financière aurait peut-être été intéressée à le convertir, comme McGill fait ce genre de chose si bien.

 

C'est exactement ce que je pensais, et ce depuis longtemps. Cet hotel n'était pas très beau et pas très invitant...en tout cas de l'extérieur. Je crois que c'est peut-etre une bonne nouvelle dans le sens ou l'UQAM, éventuellement, pourrait etre intéressé à le reprendre mais aussi parce que l'offre de chambre d'hotel diminuera alors d'autres du meme calibre seront surement interessé à combler le vide.

[yarabundi]

Je savais que la rue Sherbrooke correspondait à la route 138 mais je viens d'apprendre que la rue Saint-Denis est la 335 !! J'vais me coucher moins niaiseux ce soir.

[Cyrus]

Il y a un ou deux ecussons "335" sur Saint-Denis dans le secteur Roy / Cherrier si je me rappel bien... cela dit, il y a aussi une ecusson "Autoroute 20 OUEST" sur de Maisonneuve juste apres Saint-Mathieu

[MtlMan]

Hôtel au look moche. Pas une perte pour Montréal, sauf pour les employés, malheureusement. Je leur souhaite bonne chance.

[monctezuma]

Je savais que la rue Sherbrooke correspondait à la route 138 mais je viens d'apprendre que la rue Saint-Denis est la 335 !! J'vais me coucher moins niaiseux ce soir.

 

Il y a un ou deux ecussons "335" sur Saint-Denis dans le secteur Roy / Cherrier si je me rappel bien... cela dit, il y a aussi une ecusson "Autoroute 20 OUEST" sur de Maisonneuve juste apres Saint-Mathieu

 

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[BiloMtl]

Ça serait un bâtiment idéal pour une conversion en condos!

[Kotar]

Je savais que la rue Sherbrooke correspondait à la route 138 mais je viens d'apprendre que la rue Saint-Denis est la 335 !! J'vais me coucher moins niaiseux ce soir.

 

Pie IX (125), de lormier (134), and Peel (112) are numbered as well.

[Kovalev]

Un edifice d'une laideur incontournable. Des condos? Pas pour moi...