Brossard wants to regain control of its development, its mayor Doreen Assaad said on Wednesday after being dependent on the ambitions of real estate developers or CDPQ Infra for several years.
Posted at 7:00 am
Philippe Teisceira-Lessard The press
Ms. Assaad also confirmed that she wanted the suburban community’s “new downtown” to be built around the Panama Train Station, specifically along a completely redesigned Taschenreau Boulevard.
“The future inner city will be denser, with residential towers near public transport and a reduction in height on the outskirts to respect the urban fabric of the existing districts,” said the mayor before the IHK Süd Ufer on Wednesday afternoon. In an interview, she stated that the tallest buildings approved by Brossard at this site would be 30 stories.
This area – at the junction of the A10 and Taschenreau Boulevard – currently houses the Mail Champlain shopping centre, a closed Provigo supermarket and plenty of car parks.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Brossard Mayor Doreen Assaad during her speech to the South Shore Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday
It is the personality of the city, the personality of a living space of almost 100,000 people that is changing profoundly.
Doreen Assaad, Mayor of Brossard
It also stresses the importance of encouraging travel by public transport “without making motorists feel guilty”.
The mayor also wants to completely reinvent the Boulevard Taschenreau, which she currently finds “ugly” and “regrettable”. She imagines a green city artery that leaves plenty of space for pedestrians and bicycles. However, it is a provincial road whose future depends on Quebec, she adds in the same breath.
“I’ll tell them to do their homework”
In a telephone interview after her speech, Ms. Assaad argued that the development of this new downtown area should be led by the City of Brossard itself, which will communicate its needs to the many real estate developers waiting to develop lots for the district.
“I don’t want to give the impression that what has happened at Brossard in the past is very negative. But I see that there is an opportunity – now that we have a clear idea – to say [aux promoteurs] : “Come in with us, otherwise it will be more complicated,” said the mayor.
Can it scare promoters? ” Maybe ? I have no intention of slowing down or stopping development on our territory, but I tell them to do their homework to understand what it is, an interesting living environment. »
Ms. Assaad sums it up even more bluntly in her speech: “We will better control this movement and its goal. We want to be champions of this movement. »
The mayor estimates that Brossard is likely to surpass 100,000 residents in the medium term, raising fundamental questions about the community’s identity.