The arrival of residents with the development of the Lachine-Est eco-district should give new impetus to this sector, which is gradually coming back to life, believe merchants located a few steps from this former industrial zone.
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Corinne Van Egmond has been running her flower shop for nearly a year on Notre-Dame Street, a few meters from the old Dominion Bridge sheds, which will one day give way to housing.
“There has been a big change,” she confessed Tuesday morning. “A lot of stores that were empty are now full. There is a sense of community and we are very happy with the direction the neighborhood is taking.”
This inventory is also confirmed by Jacob Nidam, owner of the Pita Frena bakery located a little further down the street. According to him, three-quarters of the businesses currently open were not there two years ago.
Head of café Bistro Rizzys, Shneika Kimberlee Clarke finds that more and more people are strolling on this part of Notre Dame and not just driving by.
New life
In their eyes, the development of the eco-district between Old Lachine and the canal is a good thing.
Promised for several years by the Plante administration, the project will take a new step with the final filing of the special urban planning program (PPU) on Wednesday.
“We are talking about a 70-hectare sector that will be completely transformed in the coming years,” said the head of urban planning on the city’s executive committee, Robert Beaudry.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CITY OF MONTREAL
Ultimately, the sector should accommodate 7,800 housing units, including 1,200 for social housing and 620 for affordable housing. A grocery store, a school, and also a sports center are planned in the development.
“We find it interesting because it will bring in a different kind of clientele,” judge Allison, who works at Vrac du Canal.
“I think it will really change the “vibes” from rue Notre-Dame “, argued Mme Clarke.
However, traders will have to wait a few more years before seeing the first residents arrive.
The first interventions on this land are planned by 2025 for the deployment of water and sewer infrastructure. The places will also have to be decontaminated before the dwellings come out of the ground.
Impossible without tram
The mayoress of Lachine was clear: the new district will not be able to see the light of day without a structuring means of transport. For her, this project involves the tramway.
“At the corner of 6e avenue and Victoria, it will be a tram station,” said Maja Vodanovic.
This would represent a first step towards the development of the western branch of the pink line, a key commitment of Mayor Valérie Plante during the 2017 municipal elections.
However, the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM) is still studying the project. The different scenarios should be presented this fall, said Mr. Beaudry.