You may have already heard about the century-old duplex near Marché Saint-Jacques that’s been turning the heads of city officials and local passersby — for better and for worse.
Painted bright pink, green and blue with yellow doors and purple stairs, this striking home has become the subject of a heated debate between those who love it, despite it being a marketing stunt, and those who hate it, some even claiming it violates urban planning regulations.
What you might not know is that the colourful and controversial Montreal house is actually for sale right now. We’ll give you a rundown of everything you need to know about the property, as well as more details obtained from a conversation with the current owner.
Why so colourful?
The Victorian-style building, located at 2092, rue Atateken, was transformed into a Candyland-like fever dream last month. But as Narcity Québec reporter Josianne Desjardins put it in French, « Don’t be fooled: This isn’t some overly-festive landlady, or the decision of an 8-year-old who just inherited a huge amount of money. »
Rather, it was the brainchild of Koodo Mobile, a Telus-owned phone and Internet company, seeking to celebrate its new home Internet service by turning the property into a vibrant urban billboard as part of its ‘Choose Happy’ campaign — something you could probably gauge from the lawn placard, which reads: « Y’a d’la joie sous ce toit. Koodo Internet » (There’s joy under this roof. Koodo Internet).
Koodo worked on the project in partnership with creative agencies and production companies, including Toronto’s Camp Jefferson.
« This activation, which showcases the brand’s refreshed colour palette, aims to create a memorable and cheerful experience for the community, » said Isabelle Bonin, vice president of communications and marketing for Camp Jefferson’s parent company.
Why so controversial?
The controversy began when a spokesperson from Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s administration told La Presse that « this publicity stunt was not authorized by the city. »
La Presse quoted Béatrice Saulnier-Yelle, press attaché for the Office of the Mayor and Executive Committee of Ville de Montréal, as saying, « Urban planning regulations prohibit painting the brick on the exterior facade of most buildings. In addition, rules govern the place of advertising in the urban landscape. […] An inspection will be carried out promptly, and a notice of infraction will be issued to the owner, who will also be asked to comply as soon as possible. »
Meanwhile, Bonin told MTL Blog, « Before launching this activation, we asked for and followed the guidance and instructions provided to us by a representative of the City of Montreal. As per our original plan, we will restore the house to its original condition on July 8 and are continuing to comply with the City of Montreal’s rules and regulations. »
A Google Street View image shows that the building’s facade was already painted — albeit, a drab shade of pale green — since at least 2007.
The owner of the property, Amélie Dumoulin, told Narcity Québec that she had not yet received a notice of violation.
For Dumoulin, Koodo’s offer was advantageous in facilitating the refurbishment of the front of her historic property. « Over the years, we’ve tried to have the house repainted several times, but contractors refused because they didn’t want to bother with the permits for this type of house, » she told Narcity Québec.
While the house is not of heritage interest, according to Dumoulin the regulatory complexity lies more in the scale of the work to be carried out — requiring special scaffolding and platforms.
« We know that this is a market where all the contractors have a lot of choice. […] We’ve been turned down by nearly a dozen companies, » she added.
Beyond this « refurbishment, » financed by Koodo, Dumoulin said the flamboyant colours are sure to brighten up the neighborhood.
« When you’re out and about in the neighborhood, you get a lot of comments. I understand that some people find it ugly, [but] others find it beautiful. Taste is very relative. However, the fact remains that colour is good for a lot of people, » she said.
What do Montrealers think?
In response to all the hullabaloo, many Montrealers have taken to social media to oppose the City’s comments, asking how this paint job differs from graffiti, street art or other forms of public advertisements, with folks calling the home « magnificent » and « charming. »
« I seem to remember sections of [rue] de Bullion painted in vibrant colours like these back in the ’80s. The brown and grey decor trend of the past 20 years has bleached the beauty, fun and individuality out of the city, » wrote one member of the Montreal Then and Now Facebook group.
« Whether one likes the colours or not is irrelevant. If you pay $1M to own a building, you should have the right to paint it whatever colors you want, » wrote another.
That said, some commenters did agree with the City.
« Painting the century-old brick is not only a sh*tty idea, it also goes against zoning regulations, » reads one reply.
What are the details of the real estate listing?
Regardless of what you think of it, the makeover not only provided Koodo with tremendous visibility, but also got the word out about the house, which is for sale.
One of the photos was even used by the real estate agency to promote the house, located in the Ville-Marie borough.
« Near the beautiful Lafontaine Park, a 10-minute walk to Cégep du Vieux Montréal, the metro, Grande Bibliothèque and Quartier Latin. Basement of over six feet that could be developed. Lovely, very private courtyard. Second floor available to buyer, » reads the listing by Royal LePage Urbain broker Diane Daneau.
Built in 1870, the duplex consists of two units spread across three floors. The main unit has seven rooms, including three bedrooms and one bathroom.
The asking price? $905,000.
However, that’s unlikely to include the rainbow colours on the front, as Koodo’s agreement states it will return the building to its previous pale green by July 8. This means there are only a few days left for Montrealers to check out this ephemeral, artistic and commercial work of art.
Colourful, Controversial Victorian-Style Home
Asking Price: $905,000
Address: 2092 – 2094, rue Atateken
This story was adapted from the article « La maison la plus colorée et controversée de Montréal est à vendre, » which was originally published on Narcity Québec by Josianne Desjardins.
MTL Blog and Narcity Québec reached out to the City of Montreal for comment but had not yet heard back at the time this was published. We will provide updates as they become available.
MTL Blog – Read More
