Canadian Pacific Railway’s former headquarters and train station in downtown Montreal is on the market. Today, the Class I announced it will sell historic Windsor Station, which was built in 1887, through a request for proposals (RFP) process.
The railroad also will sell the Windsor Station office building and courtyard, Windsor Tower Parcel (a former accounting building) and its interest in the parking garage at the Bell Centre hockey arena.
Commercial real estate advisors will help CPR conduct the RFP, which will take 12 to 18 months to complete because of Windsor Station’s historical significance. The station is designated as a key structure under the Railway Heritage Stations Protection Act and a natural historic monument under the Historic Sites and Monuments Act. CPR plans to work closely with federal and provincial governments to protect the station’s heritage.
The railroad currently employs 380 people at Windsor Station. After the sale, CPR will lease 79,000 square feet of office space in the station to maintain several departments in the city.
Windsor Station served as CPR’s headquarters until 1996, when the railroad moved to Calgary, Alberta, as part of parent Canadian Pacific Ltd.’s restructuring. A passenger train station for decades, Windsor Station was redeveloped into an office/hotel/retail/restaurant complex in the 1990s.
Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News
