The Plante administration plans to allow certain businesses in the Latin Quarter to remain open all night, in addition to designating the area as a new “Francophonie district”.
The mayor made the announcement on Tuesday, launching the City of Montreal’s 2030 strategy for its downtown area, whose office towers still have a vacancy rate of nearly 20%. The document has been awaited for months.
“We love the Latin Quarter. It is a quadrilateral that has forged the French-speaking history of Montreal,” said Mr.me Plant. The City wants to “create a 24-hour sector there and carry out major development projects within the City’s assets, particularly at Îlot Voyageur and Émilie-Gamelin Park.”
She clarified that she did not wish to rename the place and that the designation as a “Francophonie district” would instead have a symbolic impact.
The Plante administration argued that the economic vitality of the city center required in particular an improvement in safety and cleanliness in the neighborhood, but committed to not pushing vulnerable people to the outskirts.
“Here, it’s a unique experience. It’s not a shopping center, it’s real people: a mix of people, Montrealers, tourists, students,” argued Mayor Plante, called to comment on the competition from shopping centers like the Royalmount.
The City of Montreal calculates that it will make total investments of $1 billion over 10 years in different sectors of the city center.
“A clean and safe city center”
Glenn Castanheira, from Montreal Centre-Ville, argued that it was important for merchants in the sector to hear municipal elected officials address their issues. He welcomed the City’s strategy announced Tuesday.
“When you compare yourself to other downtowns, we’re performing very well, but we’re not performing as well as we would like,” he said. “We must attack the base: a clean and safe downtown. A city center where people want to be and live. » Homelessness is “perhaps the biggest threat” to the local economy.
It is “finally a clear vision” for the sector, he rejoiced.
The official opposition at city hall was much less pleased.
“It’s too little, too late. After two years, we hoped for a lot more from the Plante administration,” said Julien Hénault-Ratelle, economic development spokesperson for Ensemble Montréal. “There is a lack of action in terms of security and social cohabitation. The majority of Montrealers do not feel safe in downtown Montreal. This is a huge problem and unfortunately, the Plante administration is not meeting this need. »