Abandoned former Chinese hospital to be put on real estate market after 18-year vacancy

An abandoned hospital in Villeray that has been sitting empty for almost 20 years could soon be back on the real estate market.

Built in 1964to care for Chinese immigrantswho had settled in Montreal, the former Montreal Chinese Hospital at the intersection of Faillon and St-Denis streets hasn't housed patients since 1999 when a brand new hospital was built in Chinatown.

The former hospital technically belongs to a legal entity calledMontreal Chinese Hospital, but its administrative management falls underthe CIUSSS.

So why let it sit for so long? According toRnaldBreton, director of technical services for theCentre-SudCIUSSS, it was impossible to "find a buyer at the desired conditions."

"This building has a value, and to dispose of it, we aim to achieve this value," Breton said.

Valued at about $4.152 million, the building requires annual maintenance that costs between $50,000 and $75,000 per year. These costs are absorbed by the CIUSSS.

Visiting the abandoned hospital is impossible, for reasons of security, and also because "a process of disposingis in progress," Breton said.

This means the building is being prepared to be put back on the real estate market.

"We are hopeful that this will be concluded and that there will be interesting projects for this building," Breton said.

Borough councillor concerned

For RosannieFilato, the new borough councillor for VilleraySaint-MichelParc-Extension, it's inconceivable that the former hospital has been collecting dust for 18 years without gaining a new owner.

She said there's also been confusion since the building closed from residents in Villeray, a neighbourhood booming with young families and commercial arteries.

"There should be clear information because citizens want to see their neighbourhood evolve," Filatosaid.

In 2010, there was some talk of converting the former hospital into a care centre for Inuit patientstravelling from Northern Quebec to Montreal for medical treatment, but the plans never came to fruition.