{"id":470696,"date":"2026-06-01T13:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/470696\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T13:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:29:09","slug":"renovated-montreal-heritage-building-will-welcome-all-black-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/470696\/","title":{"rendered":"Renovated Montreal heritage building will welcome ‘all Black communities’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A downtown heritage building is getting a new lease on life. Built in 1922, the former \u00c9cole des Beaux-Arts at the corner of St-Urbain and Sherbrooke Sts. will undergo a more than $26-million makeover to become the new home of the Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a dream for me,\u201d said executive director Allen Alexandre, who founded the organization in 2021 \u201cwith a mission to preserve and promote the art, history and culture of Black Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexandre had spent the previous half-decade working in the federal government as a senior adviser in the cabinet of Justin Trudeau and as director of parliamentary affairs and Quebec adviser in the office of the Ministry of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth.<\/p>\n

Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, he began reflecting on initiatives to spark societal change on a more tangible level.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a generational opportunity to do something instead of asking others to do something for us,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw an opportunity for us to stand up and use this window to create something lasting so that when future generations ask, \u2018When you had the opportunity to do something, did you answer the call?,\u2019 we can say, \u2018Yes.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePlans for the Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal\u2019s renovation project for the former \u00c9cole des Beaux-Arts include space for an art gallery. Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal<\/p>\n

The idea for the Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal came to him out of the blue; once it entered his mind, he couldn\u2019t shake it. Using his contacts in government, Montreal\u2019s Black community<\/a> and the business community, he began to seek out collaborators and investors.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience working on national initiatives made it clear to me that talent and ambition weren\u2019t the issue,\u201d Alexandre said. \u201cInfrastructure and support were the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former \u00c9cole des Beaux-Arts will be completely renovated with more than $26 million in public and private funding. Nearly $14 million of that comes from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada\u2019s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program, which will allow the centre to seek zero carbon certification.<\/p>\n

Other funding includes $5 million from Canadian Heritage, funds from Employment and Social Development Canada and the City of Montreal, as well as private donations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a $40-million project, including the acquisition of the building,\u201d Alexandre said. The centre has operated without a physical location so far.<\/p>\n

Plans for the building include an art gallery, archive space, multi-functional rooms and resources for various groups to use, a dance studio, a space for digital and augmented reality works, and a 226-capacity concert hall and event space.<\/p>\n

\"Artist'sArtist\u2019s rendition of the Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal at the corner of St-Urbain and Sherbrooke Sts. Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something out of left field in terms of architecture and design in Montreal,\u201d Alexandre said. \u201cIt\u2019s inspired by African architecture and the baobab tree, which in West African traditions is where elders and the entire community get together to speak about issues. This brings a modern twist to it and reflects the idea of the centre as something African-inspired and Black-inspired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Decontamination has already begun on the existing building. On Monday, digging will begin on two additional wings connected to the current structure. Those additions comprise audacious architectural elements that Alexandre believes get to the heart of the bold approach infusing the Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a statement we felt was necessary. It would have been a missed opportunity to have something like this, which is so unique in the country, and not use it to make a powerful statement about Black history and the presence of Black people in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexandre envisions the Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal as a welcoming space \u201cfor all Black communities,\u201d on both sides of the linguistic divide. Born to Haitian parents and raised in French, he earned his law degree in English at the University of Ottawa, giving him an understanding of \u201cthe need to bring Black communities together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

tdunlevy@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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