Real estate developers who intend to develop in the Bridge-Bonaventure sector suggest increasing the number of housing units on the site. A few days before the start of the consultation on the development of this strategic sector by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM), they are proposing a plan that would increase the number of housing units to be built to more than 9,500.
A little over a year ago, the consortium of promoters made up in particular of Groupe Mach, Devimco and the urban planning firm Fahey & Associés, unveiled a development plan comprising 7,500 housing units, including 3,500 social, affordable and family housing units. .
After holding discussions with community groups in the area and consulting experts, the developers came back with a proposal for more than 9,500 units, including 6,000 condos, 2,257 social units and 1,500 affordable units. They also propose to increase the height of certain buildings in order to reach 120 meters, that is to say about forty floors.
“The solution lies in density,” said Pierre Jacques Lefaivre, first vice-president of Groupe Mach, during a press conference on Tuesday. According to him, such a plan will make it possible to free up space on the ground for the development of parks and collective and cultural facilities. The density will also generate more revenue for the City to finance the development of streets, the construction of infrastructures and the restoration of industrial heritage.
housing crisis
During the unveiling of their new vision on Tuesday, the developers however expressed the wish that the City of Montreal choose the most efficient regulatory approval process possible so that the work can begin in 2025 as planned. The housing crisis requires quick action, they repeated.
“It is this density that allows affordability,” argued Serge Goulet, president of Devimco.
However, the number of housing units proposed is higher than that presented by the City last March in its Development Master Plan. The Plante administration then mentioned 7,600 housing units with a potential for 1,500 social housing units and 1,500 affordable housing units.
The promoters, who had a dispute with the municipal authorities in April 2022 concerning the density targeted on the site, affirm that the dialogue has now been reestablished with the City and that the latter has also evolved in its intentions. “We are not in confrontation,” said Serge Goulet.
Mr. Goulet also specifies that the plan of the promoters proposes a density twice lower than that of Griffintown, whose buildings are however lower and rise up to 80 meters. Bridge-Bonaventure will also include an employment component that was not present in Griffintown, he pointed out. “It’s going to be a different project because it’s a different time and a different location. »
The promoters also believe that a new financing model will have to be developed to carry out the infrastructure work related to the site, including the decontamination of the land, the development of the streets and the construction of the underground network. The bill could reach up to two billion dollars.
Both the private sector and the federal and provincial governments will have to put their shoulder to the wheel, maintained Serge Goulet. “We have to invent a new funding model. It will require legislative changes. We have to think outside the box, a bit like for Blue Bonnets and the east of Montreal. It’s a big challenge we have with the City and we’re working on it. »
The developers are planning municipal buildings on the site, but they intend to leave it to the City to determine what facilities will be offered, whether it is a school, a library or a sports complex.
Like the City, the developers want CDPQ Infra to build a Réseau express métropolitain (REM) station in this sector. “The REM station must not arrive when three-quarters of the project is complete. The station must be operational in the first phase,” insisted Serge Goulet.
When questioned on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a press conference on the development of the Lachine-Est sector, the head of urban planning on the executive committee, Robert Beaudry, had not yet read the brief that the promoters will submit to the OCPM. The elected official was however delighted with the participation of these in the consultation because, he said, this will make it possible to fuel the discussions with the population. “In light of the consultations, we will take note of the OCPM report to present an improved master plan,” he indicated.