Ville-marie borough waives fees on outdoor terrasses

Montreal’s downtown Ville-marie borough is waiving the standard fees restaurant and café owners pay to set up terrasses for this summer in an effort to spur business and give owners some financial breathing room.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced the city is adapting its financial aid program and allowing restaurants to operate a terrasse for the “symbolic price” of $50 to cover the costs of reviewing the permit. No fees will be charged to set up “placottoirs,” or parklets — small terrasse-style seating areas. The city is also enlarging the permitted size of some terrasses by 50 per cent on pedestrian-only streets.

The new measures will start once public health authorities allow the reopening of businesses.

Open-air terrasses are considered a potentially safer dining experience because COVID-19 is believed to be spread more easily in enclosed spaces.

At one time, the permits to set up a terrasse on the public domain in Montreal could run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Restaurant owner Peter Sergakis told the Montreal Gazette in 2015 he paid $38,000 a year to the Ville-marie borough for the right to set out his 53-by 11-metre Station des Sports terrasse at Ste-catherine and Fort streets.

That year, more than 100 of the 225 restaurant and bar terrasses in the Plateau were public domain terrasses that required permits for owners to install tables and chairs on sidewalks and streets in front of their businesses.

In February, Plante announced the process for installing terrasses had been simplified, saving businesses between $500 and $30,000 a year. Taxes on outdoor terrasses were also reduced. The measures were intended to infuse life and into Montreal’s downtown core, and ease the financial burden of restaurant and bar owners.

Restaurants across Quebec are still waiting for permission to reopen and are asking for at least a timeline for reopening this summer.