Edgy new project promises 'Instagrammable moments' amid downtown construction

Montreal's downtown will be littered with construction until 2021 but the city is hoping a new, edgy project called XP_MTL can bring some excitement to its shopping streets.

Several stakeholders, including the city, launched XP_MTL with a block party Thursday night.It promises music, performances, stunts and more to liven up the downtown core in the coming months.

"It will be a special experience," Montreal Mayor Valrie Plante said."Something you will not experience in a shopping mall, for example."

While the full list of events is notyet public, XP_MTL says that its stunts will appeal to workers, tourists and students, with many "Instagrammable moments," including DJ sets and dance battles at the McGill Metro station.

Lawrence Theriault came to the block party after seeing the event on Facebook and liking the artists involved.

She said that outdoor events by XP_MTL will probably become more popular when the weather warms up.

"It's super vibrant, it's super colourful, everybody wants to party," Theriault said of downtown.

Plantesaid last year thatonSte-CatherineStreet W., 70 per cent of traffic on the street was pedestrian, and a redesignshould reflect that reality.

In addition to infrastructure repairs, the city is widening sidewalks, adding greenery,installing new lighting and expanding the city'sfreeWi-Fiservice.

Sherbrooke Street bouncing back

A few blocks from where the music was blasting at the corner of Ste-Catherine and McGill College Avenue, remaining businesses on Sherbrooke Street are recovering after a period of construction that reduced pedestrian access.

Restaurant Pannizza is one of the surviving businesses.

Stephanie Boyd, its manager, said the restaurant was successful after opening in 2016, but then the construction started and the sidewalk was torn up.

She said only a small footbridge was put down, and that it was often moved without notice, leaving her being yelled at by police and city workers.

"Because there's a lot of underground tunnels around us, a lot of people would just go to the food courts," Boyd said.

Sales went down and construction materials would be trailed into the restaurant. Boyd said keeping the space clean for customers was a daily challenge.

She said two nearby businesses did not survive until the end of construction.