A new neighborhood of “at least” 7,600 units could see the light of day south of downtown Montreal if – and only if – CDPQ Infra agrees to add a station to REM de l’Ouest.
Posted at 12:00 p.m
This is the position of the Plante administration, which this Wednesday morning must approve and send to the municipal council the master plan for the Bridge-Bonaventure sector. La Presse was able to obtain the document.
The city plans to construct new apartment buildings around Habitat 67, Silo #5 and Peel Basin, as well as provide space for a school and a new waterfront at the site of the Bonaventure Expressway. In that latest act, Ottawa also announced a $273 million investment over nine years in its budget on Tuesday to rehabilitate the highway at the end of its lifespan — most of which it owns — tens of yards further from the river.
However, this artery will not be sufficient to ensure the mobility of the new residents of this currently landlocked district, according to Robert Beaudry, the elected official in charge of town planning in the Plante administration.
IMAGE OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL OBTAINED FROM THE PRESS
La Pointe-du-Moulin and its No. 5 silo from the banks of the Peel Basin
The addition of a Metropolitan Express Network (REM) station is a “sine qua non” for the development of this sector, he said in a telephone interview. This station should not replace the Griffintown-Bernard-Landry station, on which work has not yet started, Mr Beaudry specified. The document includes a map showing a potential location in close proximity to the current Costco Bridge.
“Add as many accommodations as possible”
The Plante administration proposed a neighborhood that would retain its economic vocation — particularly given the significant presence of the Port of Montreal and CN — while also hosting thousands of homes.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Robert Beaudry, in charge of town planning within the Plante administration
Montreal wants to “add as many units as possible, but in [s’]Ensuring that the conditions are in place to create a full environment, including economic activity, a living environment, green spaces, etc.’ explained Robert Beaudry. “The harmonious integration of thousands of housing units will contribute to the dynamism of the sector while meeting housing needs and improving services to the population,” his colleague Benoit Dorais added in writing.
The land affected by the plan is owned by many owners, including real estate developers.
The document sets out basic principles to avoid compatibility problems between industrial and residential areas: do not build dwellings in close proximity to railroad tracks, discourage mass outdoor storage, and create vegetated buffer zones.
Although it will also be a dense neighborhood near downtown, Mr. Beaudry dismisses the Griffintown comparison.
It will have its own urban form. Unlike Griffintown, we will ensure that community access, services and green spaces are planned in advance. Our goal is to have a mix of apartments.
Robert Beaudry, in charge of town planning within the Plante administration
Specifically, the new residential buildings would be primarily located in the current industrial area near the Peel Basin, around Bridge Street. Others would be added on the strip of land housing Habitat 67 (la Cité-du-Havre) and Silo #5 (la Pointe-du-Moulin). Bickerdike Wharf operated by the Port of Montreal is not affected.
“Long Term”
The Plante administration wants to make the district an example of sustainable development. She wants to develop “around 12 km of additional bike paths” and seven new pedestrian connections to overcome currently problematic obstacles – such as a rail line or the Bonaventure Expressway.
IMAGE OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL OBTAINED FROM THE PRESS
The Wellington Basin seen from the SEM
She also wants the entire district to be heated and cooled by a single “municipal heating network”. “This type of network can be used to recover the heat removed from a commercial, industrial or technological activity (data center), from an infrastructure (sewerage) or directly use renewable sources (hydrothermal energy),” the master plan states.
In the “block” bounded by Bridge and Mill Streets, the Peel Basin and the [rail du] REM”, the Plante administration envisages a “priority pedestrian zone” with relatively few private parking spaces and streets closed to cars.
The timetable for the implementation of the project is not yet clear.
“From 2024, we could start interventions to prepare the ground,” explains Robert Beaudry. Then, of course, it depends on the reality of the market when the real estate developers are ready, but also when the developments are made. »
“This is an industry that will develop over the long term. It’s a big industry,” he added.