The transformation of the Place Versailles land into a district of 5,200 housing units will cost 2.2 billion and will take several years to complete, the project promoter said on Monday.
The same day, elected officials from the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district gave the very first green light to the idea, which involves the gradual demolition of the iconic shopping center.
Questioned by a few citizens, local mayor Pierre Lessard-Blais praised the proposal from the owners of Place Versailles who “want to do a great project,” while emphasizing that he still had “concerns.” He stressed that a broad consultation would be held this fall.
“We don’t want a heat island in the area. This is one of the basic elements of the project. The green spaces are very large and vast. The downside to that is the height,” he said, referring to the project to build two 25-story towers on the site.
Right now, if the owners of Place Versailles wanted to build four to eight stories everywhere in their parking lot, they could. But it would still be a heat island.
Pierre Lessard-Blais, mayor of the district of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
The elected official added that Place Versailles is a meeting place “for the entire East of Montreal”, but that we must accept that “we will not be able to do business in 2040 as we did in 1960, things change.”
“It’s going to be completely demolished”
The Press revealed the existence of the transformation project on Saturday. In addition to the 5,200 housing units, a school, a hotel and commercial spaces should be built on the 17-hectare site served by the green metro line.
The publication of the article sparked a strong wave of reactions, particularly regarding the announcement of the demolition of the shopping center.
The district mayor Lessard-Blais also wanted to be reassuring, during a media tour, affirming that “Place Versailles will not be destroyed at all, it will evolve over time”. The elected official did not call back The Press.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The demolition work on Place Versailles will not begin for two or three years.
“Over time, it will be completely demolished,” confirmed the architect-urban planner Josée Bérubé, who is leading the project within the Provencher Roy firm, in a telephone interview. It was this firm that was hired by the Gregory family – owners of Place Versailles for over 50 years – to carry out the planning.
Mme Bérubé has been working on the project for two years. She envisions a new integrated neighborhood, with three large parks, “ecological corridors” and a public square.
The development would include “rental housing, condominiums, social housing, family housing, senior living and affordable housing,” according to a press release issued Monday.
“In the majority of the project, the proposed height varies between 12 and 16 floors,” indicated the borough in its documents. “However, two of the buildings acting as landmarks are proposed on the site. The latter offer a maximum height of 25 floors and 115 meters. »
The commercial offer will be divided in two, added Mme Bérubé: regional businesses will be set up on Sherbrooke Street, while local businesses will be established on the ground floors of residential buildings. “There will continue to be an offer [commerciale]because after speaking to different people, including citizens, it is still important for the people in the neighborhood,” she said.
Timeline
Regulars of Place Versailles will not have to find a new meeting place in the short term. Construction will begin on the north side, where there is a huge parking lot and a Winners store.
In a publication on its Facebook page, Place Versailles indicated that a long process awaited it before the construction site opened. The work “will not begin for two or three years,” the East Montreal shopping center said on Monday.
The company wanted to reassure its tenants, following the release of the broad outlines of its transformation plan. “We are at the dawn of a new era for Place Versailles, a period of renewal and innovation,” the message states. We would like to reassure our commercial tenants and their customers that communication will be a priority throughout this process. »
“Our objective is to work closely with them to minimize the impact of the works and guarantee the continuity of their commercial activities,” the text continues.
As for the shopping center in its entirety, it could still be standing for several years, said urban planner-architect Josée Bérubé. Projects of this magnitude “are developments spanning decades,” she stressed. “These are long-term projects. Yes, there will be construction, but not everything will be demolished at once. »
Open houses are planned for June 18 to hear citizens’ concerns.