The Katacombes Performance Hall will be converted into a student residence

The legendary former performance hall at Katacombes, in downtown Montreal, will soon give way to student housing.

The Work Unit for the Implementation of Student Accommodation (UTILE) acquired the land of the former hall earlier this summer, for this purpose.

“We are at the beginning of the process […]but in fact, it is a project in this sense that is displayed on this site,” confirmed the phone of Elise Tangway, Director of Public Affairs for the organization.

However, it is still too early, she said, for the organization to be able to comment on the number of housing units that will be built there, or on what form the project may take, as well as on the budget it will take. be necessary to achieve it.

“We are very early in the project development process, but there will be announcements to follow in the coming years, see next year,” she said.

However, she notes, the site is located near several universities, where the needs are particularly urgent.

“This is a project that interests us very much, and we intend to be part of the solution,” Ms Tangway added.

Located at the intersection of Ontario Street and Saint-Laurent Street, right in the middle of town, the former Katacombes Performance Hall was aimed at fans of rock and metal. During her 13 years of activity, she has hosted hundreds of shows.

In 2019, the place operated by a cooperative was forced to terminate its activities. “One of the reasons is that downtown is very expensive and taxes are very high,” the cooperative explained in a Facebook post.