The intentions of the City of Montreal in terms of protecting the built heritage of Chinatown are good, but we must go further, notes the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) in a report published Thursday. In order for this sector to remain an interesting “living environment” for its long-term residents, the construction of social and affordable housing and the development of green spaces are particularly recommended.
At the end of January, the OCPM was mandated by the City to examine the regulatory changes desired by the City in order to revise downwards the densities and heights permitted within the perimeter of Chinatown, delimited by Rue Jeanne -Mance, Saint-Dominique as well as avenue Viger and boulevard René-Lévesque. This quadrilateral would also be extended to De Bleury Street to the west and Sainte-Élisabeth Street to the east.
The City thus wishes to ensure the preservation of the built heritage in Chinatown, which is coveted by several real estate developments that threaten to erode its distinctive architectural character. At the same time, the Government of Quebec indicated last winter its intention to provide heritage classification to the institutional core of the sector and to two of its most emblematic buildings, including the former building of the British and Canadian School, built in 1826, where promoters Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth would like to carry out a real estate project.
These efforts are welcomed by the OCPM, which dedicates the first recommendation of its 70-page report to the adoption of the regulatory changes proposed by the City, while proposing to further reduce the densities and heights permitted in this sector.
The municipal administration will also have to go further in its actions if it wishes to ensure the preservation of a “complete and lively living environment” for the residents of Chinatown, notes the OCPM. The organization therefore recommends that the City “invest the necessary resources to implement targeted actions aimed at ensuring the living environment and economic vitality of Chinatown”.
In this regard, several organizations and citizens who took part in this consultation mentioned the importance of facilitating the construction of social and affordable housing in this sector, where current real estate developments too often favor the construction of condominiums and hotels, perhaps -we read.
The Ville-Marie housing committee thus proposes to allow exemptions from the permitted heights and densities with regard to social and affordable housing projects intended for seniors, for example. The Council for the development of Chinatown, for its part, evokes the idea of an exemption for the construction of residences for international students in this sector located in the heart of the city center.
The OCPM also notes the importance of reserving spaces for the creation of green environments in order to counter heat islands in this sector, while the City could also promote Chinese culture and art more by funding the holding of exhibitions and festivals in Chinatown.
More details will follow.