The former Mansfield bus terminal, at the foot of Place Bonaventure, could accommodate one of the tallest towers in Montreal.
The Ville-Marie Urban Planning Advisory Committee (CCU) recently gave a preliminary green light to developer Broccolini to erect a 200-meter skyscraper, close to the absolute maximum allowed in Montreal. In total, 664 housing units could be integrated there.
A tower of the same size is already under construction just on the other side of rue Saint-Jacques. This sector of the city center, scarred by a railway line, surface parking lots and multiple access ramps to the Ville-Marie tunnel, has until now been uninviting.
The members of the CCU noted in their unanimous decision that “the project makes it possible to densify a site near several metro and REM stations”, “to liven up a sector largely dedicated to the automobile and […] to make pedestrian travel more pleasant.
The skyscraper would include a cavity over a few tens of meters (from 32e floor at 42e floor) to provide a protected view from the Mount Royal lookout.
“As a large portion of the site is not buildable given the underground presence of the Ville-Marie highway to the south, this surface will be developed, greened and accessible to the public,” added the members of the CCU. “Moreover, members express their concern about the potential noise pollution that future occupants could experience due to the proximity of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM). »
Two phases
“The project is still in its early stages and we are evaluating the feasibility of development,” commented Broccolini spokesperson Corry Kelahear.
The configuration is still under development and we cannot comment further as many additional permissions are still required. We are working diligently with City and government officials to continue moving the project forward.
Corry Kelahear, Broccolini spokesperson
The land is adjacent to the railway bridge building on which trains run when leaving Montreal Central Station. The description of the project by the CCU mentions a second phase in which a footbridge could be built above the rails, since a second part of the same land is on the other side. It is currently a parking lot.
The Mansfield terminus, which received buses from the South Shore via the Champlain Bridge, was closed immediately after the REM came into service.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
900, rue Saint-Jacques, a tower of the same size already under construction, testifies to the activity of the sector.
A sector in explosion
This sector of Montreal – at the crossroads of downtown, Old Montreal and Griffintown – has experienced rapid development over the past five years.
On or near Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, the Duke (25 floors), the new head office of the National Bank (40 floors), the Victoria sur le Parc (58 floors) and the Odéa (26 floors) are all out of land in the last three years.
The attention of developers now also seems to be focused on the other side of Robert-Bourassa Boulevard.
900, rue Saint-Jacques, a skyscraper under construction which should reach 200 meters, is gaining floors every month. This would be the immediate neighbor of the possible Broccolini tower detailed above.