Héritage Montréal, 2025
The iconic Van Horne Warehouse was built in 1924 on the narrow rectangular lot between the Canadian Pacific Railway and Van Horne Avenue, facing St. Lawrence Boulevard.
It was built by Wilfrid Duquette for his warehousing company, the St. Lawrence Warehousing Company, which owned the building until the early 1960s. Thereafter, several owners and occupants succeeded one another, but the warehousing vocation remained, notably Docu-Dépôt and Docudata.
Since the 1990s, the sector has undergone a major transformation, particularly with deindustrialization. Large industries are leaving the area, and new uses are appearing. Along Van Horne, under the viaduct and near the railroad, citizen initiatives are also appearing, aiming to invest these places that were closed to the population for a long time. The Champ des possibles, Kabane 77, the multifunctional track (since 1994), and the skatepark are all initiatives that allow citizens to transform urban life near the railroad.
Gabor Szilasi, 1981, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
A landmark in the Montreal landscape, the Van Horne Warehouse is characterized by its minimal fenestration in rows. Indeed, the brown brick envelope is pierced only by a few narrow horizontal windows, testifying to its continuous use as a warehouse. Also noticeable is the exposed concrete structure, which gives rhythm to the building’s facades.
The painted signs on the building recall its former uses and owners.
Finally, the iconic water tower that tops the warehouse is a major landmark for Montrealers. Visible from afar, it is a reminder of the area’s industrial past – being the last one in the neighborhood.
Le Devoir, 2022
The Van Horne warehouse is located north of Mile End, in the Plateau-Mont-Royal. It is an area in transformation, as seen in the redevelopment of the area under the Van Horne overpass and the development of the bicycle network. Just north of the building, the Mile-Ex / Marconi-Alexandra sector is also a rapidly developing area. Many are therefore interested in the transformation of the former Van Horne warehouse.
It is in this context that a first transformation project was presented in 2013. The new owner then attempted to deploy a mixed commercial and residential redevelopment project where the facades would be almost entirely glass. The project did not materialize, thanks in particular to the intervention of Héritage Montréal, which placed the Van Horne Warehouse on its list of 10 sites to watch for the year 2014.
Then, in January 2023, a new owner proposed a mixed-use project combining retail, offices and a hotel. The project would transform the entire building, including the addition of numerous windows on the facades.
The project is subject to a public consultation with Montrealers, who can express their attachment to this emblematic building, but also their vision for the neighbourhood.
Héritage Montréal, 2025
An initial application seeking authorization for the occupation of the Van Horne Warehouse for office and hotel uses was submitted to the Urban Planning Advisory Committee (CCU) of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough on July 26, 2022.
In early 2023, the borough conducted a public consultation to gather comments and concerns from the public regarding the project. Held from January 30 to February 12, the consultation attracted participation from more than 10,500 people.
Following this process, the developer retained an independent firm to implement a dialogue process with residents, economic stakeholders, and civil society groups. Carried out between 2024 and 2025, this process aimed to document the issues raised and identify potential adjustments to the project. A report outlining the actions undertaken and the results obtained was submitted to the borough.
In parallel, the Urban Planning and Mobility Department (SUM), in collaboration with the borough, established a working group tasked with assessing the heritage value of the Van Horne Warehouse. This analysis focused on the historical, architectural, and cultural dimensions of the building in order to inform future decisions regarding its conservation, enhancement, or transformation.
A revised version of the project was subsequently presented to the Urban Planning Advisory Committee on April 8, 2025. The CCU issued a favourable opinion, subject to certain conditions. The project was then submitted to the Heritage Council and the Jacques-Viger Committee, both of which issued favourable opinions accompanied by recommendations on June 17, 2025.
In the summer of 2025, the borough council submitted a request to City Council for the adoption of a draft by-law, including the issuance of a notice of motion and the adoption of the draft by-law. A public consultation conducted by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) took place in the fall of 2025.
The report from this consultation was released in the winter of 2026.
View the Van Horne Warehouse Heritage Statement (City of Montréal)
As early as 2014, Héritage Montréal placed the Van Horne Warehouse on its list of the 10 sites to monitor for the following year.
In 2023, following the presentation of the new project and the public consultation that ensued, Héritage Montréal sent a letter to elected officials from the concerned boroughs (Plateau-Mont-Royal and Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie), as well as to local historical societies in the surrounding area (Mémoire du Mile-End, Société d’histoire du Plateau-Mont-Royal, and Société d’histoire de Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie).
As part of the OCPM public consultation, Héritage Montréal submitted a brief and delivered an oral presentation. The organization expressed support for the principle of requalifying the building, while also outlining a number of reservations and recommendations. These focused in particular on the need to ensure the conservation of key architectural features, to guarantee the long-term viability of cultural uses, to frame flexibility in the hotel component, to strengthen coordination with transformation projects in the surrounding area, and to assess the appropriateness of a heritage citation by-law in order to secure long-term conservation safeguards.
View the submission filed with the OCPM by Héritage Montréal.
View the transcript of Héritage Montréal’s presentation to the OCPM.
Héritage Montréal, 2022
Plateau-Mont-Royal Borough
Mechanisms for protection
Urban Development
Private : Rester Management
Demand for land, speculation
Inappropriate/incompatible use
Vandalism
No upkeep
Lack of knowledge
Duquette and Patenaude, building contractors
Owner
Industrial
1924
Inventoried : Témoin architectural significatif (TAS)
How do you see this Montreal site? What legacy has it left us? What future can we create for it? Where to start to get there? Who wants to participate in the project?
You have questions? Want to do more, but lack the information? Consult our toolkit to learn more about the heritage of the Montreal metropolitan area, the preservation mechanisms in place and possible actions.
