In an article by Mathieu Dion published on September 30 on the Radio-Canada site (“The new condo market has not said its last word in Montreal”), we present the future luxury real estate development Le Sherbrooke, in the Golden square mile. With its three connected towers and 562 apartments, this building would become one of the most imposing skyscrapers built since 2012.
I find the positive tone of the information circulating disturbing. Let the promoters brag about themselves, but let’s not add our voice to the praisers: by its style and size, this project does not bode well for the heritage district of the Square Mile. Another aspect of the problem is the negative impact on the residents of the neighboring district, of which I am a part.
Indeed, even if the Town Planning Advisory Committee for the Borough of Ville-Marie looked into the details of the project, the dimensions of the building do not seem to have encountered any objection. However, the oversized size of this building would also harm its neighborhood, that’s what I told the Borough Council on October 5.
The essence of the response I received is, in short: “Sorry, the building does not exceed the permitted height, it is of right. We plan to review the regulations, which we do not like, but which are those of another administration. The project has already received its permit. ”
Why accept without flinching the construction of a complex so tall, so large? Even if the height comes within the norms, doesn’t a committee where there are experts and citizens have the role and the latitude to judge in a more nuanced way a project submitted to it? This set of three towers is not only very tall – almost two and a half times the height of the buildings opposite – but also very wide, resulting in a massive appearance that does not square with the Square Mile. Among other things, the adjoining Medical Arts heritage building risks being completely overwhelmed by the disproportionate dimensions of the new building. In addition, this construction will greatly disrupt the life of those around it: we can continue to debate the urbanistic or architectural aspect, but the citizen side is obviously a failure. In fact, in terms of the impact on the population and on neighborhood life, I doubt that anyone really cared about it.
Thus, we arrive at the crux of the problem: a way of doing things that leaves no room for citizens’ reactions, does not inform them, does not consult them. However, the public should be transparently informed of the issues involved in large-scale projects submitted to the boroughs. Otherwise, the happiness of some is the misfortune of others: this kind of real estate project is far from being as beneficial as it is presented to us, even economically. In fact, in addition to harming many residents, such a building dishonors an emblematic district of Montreal, rich in history and a major component of our city’s culture.
What do you think? Express your opinion