Hall: La Tulipe is afraid of having to close its doors

The auditorium of La Tulipe, a legendary establishment located on Papineau Street, may have to cease its activities due to frequent complaints by a neighbour, who is obsessed with the noise. The owners of the former Variety Theater will find themselves in court next week to defend themselves against an injunction request.

Chamber managers launched a call for help on Twitter Tuesday for the mayor’s attention Valerie Plant The Mayor of Plateau Mont-Royal, Luc Reboin, is calling for their intervention.

A few years ago, the building next door, which housed Gilles Latulippe’s warehouses, was sold, and for two years, complaints of excessive noise followed each other, according to Claude Larvi, CEO of La Tribu, which operates the performance hall. Mr. Larvi says in an interview with a task. He said the police visits took place during performances, including last weekend, during the Duma concert, as well as during afternoon rehearsals. “When the police give orders to the sound engineer to turn the volume down in the middle of the show, with the audience in the room, we agree it’s totally weird.”

The hall’s owners say they are “at the end of their power and resources” after spending large sums on fees to defend themselves after “dozens” of police visits.

According to Mr. Larrivi, the city of Montreal had “accidentally” allowed a change of use, from commercial to residential, for the buildings adjacent to the theatre. La Tulipe managers will have to appear in court on December 21, as the neighbor has filed an injunction. “This request for an injunction could mean that we should close La Tulipe, when we are the victims of an administrative problem,” Claude Larvey says. We find ourselves in a position that is clearly untenable. “

Mr. Larive adds that discussions with the city, both administratively and politically, have not made it possible to break the deadlock. It is still a Ministry of Culture classified building inside and out, and can only be used for performances. “

The CEO thinks he had no choice but to make this situation public. “You will bear the odds of this closure due to a fatal error by the municipal administration and your inertia on file. However, you have spoken a lot about culture and nightlife in the past year,” the owners of La Tulipe wrote in their letter to Mayor Plante and Mayor of Plateau.

La Tribu acquired the former Variety Theater nearly 20 years ago, a building dedicated to entertainment since 1913. The case of La Tulipe is not unlike that of Divan Orange, an independent auditorium that was forced to close its doors in 2018 after repeated complaints of noise from the neighbor Because of the unstable financial situation.

Early in the evening, Mayor Robben said he believed a resolution of the dispute was possible. “Theater No Tulip is here to stay,” he said on Twitter. “The plateau’s cultural vibrancy is an asset that must be preserved. We have had several discussions with the owners, and are closely monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings between the private parties. A solution will emerge.”

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