The City of Montreal has assured that it too is in a hurry to redevelop the former Institut des sourdes-muettes this week, following an outing by Liza Frulla on the issue.

The complex – vacant since 2015 and fenced to prevent illegal access – should soon find a new vocation, predicted the elected official responsible for housing on the executive committee of the City.

“Everyone is driven by a sense of urgency,” Benoit Dorais said in an interview with La Presse. “I’m really confident. »

Ms. Frulla, former federal minister who became patron of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), cried out in the pages of La Presse1 on Tuesday to speed up the rehabilitation of the historic building at the corner of rue Saint-Denis and avenue des Pins.

“I can’t believe that in Montreal, we let this waste away,” Frulla lamented. “It’s coming for me. The ITHQ is the Institute’s neighbor and hopes to install student residences there, as well as certain teaching activities.

“We’re in a hurry too,” Mr. Dorais replied.

The Institut des sourdes-muettes, whose splendid main building dates from the turn of the 20th century, is owned by the provincial government through the Société immobilière du Québec (SIQ).

But these months of delay were not useless, assured Mr. Dorais. The City of Montreal has worked to develop a vision of the complex that can be used by its potential promoters. In particular, the construction of a new large social housing building on the northern part of the land was envisaged.

“Yes, it’s true that it can take a little longer, the consultation work beforehand. But when we’re going to have a real project to submit, it’s going to be much better,” he said. “When it’s going to unlock, it’s going to go fast. »

Mr. Dorais hopes to see work begin “in the extremely near future.” The elected official hopes to see the boroughs study development projects this year.