Tower project at Place Montréal Trust | Should we choose between densification and mountain views?

A tower project risks changing the appearance of McGill College Avenue, at a time when the artery in the heart of downtown Montreal is preparing to welcome a Réseau express métropolitain (REM) station and to be pedestrianized permanently.

Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate arm of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, is proposing to rid Place Montréal Trust of its pink granite and add 13 floors. However, criticism is already being heard, particularly regarding the impact on the view of Mount Royal and the experience of the thousands of people who use the area every day.

“The project plans to keep the shopping center and add density above,” argued Peter Tragoulias, vice-president responsible for development at Ivahnoé Cambridge.

“There is a feeling that the optimal use today is residential,” added Mr. Tragoulias, specifying however that the lower floors would remain commercial.

Place Montréal Trust is a postmodern-inspired building designed by Canadian architect Eb Zeidler and inaugurated in 1988. It is backed by the Bell Media Tower, a 125-meter skyscraper built at the same time.

“We are worried”

Ivanhoé Cambridge will, however, have a lot of work to do to convince certain stakeholders of the desirability of the project.

At the end of January, in public consultation, Héritage Montréal and Les Amis de la montagne expressed reservations regarding the proposed plans, signed by the renowned architectural firm Daoust Lestage.

“We are concerned about the potential impact of the expansion project on the views towards the mountain,” said Jean-François Roy, of Friends of the Mountain. The sketches are “concerning,” he continued.

“There is a concern about the emblematic presence of Mount Royal,” confirmed Dinu Bumbaru, founder of Héritage Montréal, emphasizing that the building is located between the mountain and the new Ring of Place Ville Marie. Even though it doesn’t directly encroach on the view, the new building would still have a significant visual impact, he said.

Assuring that he had a lot of respect for Ivanhoé Cambridge and the architects of Daoust Lestage, Mr. Bumbaru suggested that they propose a more “jazzy” facade.

The borough assured that according to its models, the view of Mount Royal would not suffer. The Friends of the Mountain seemed doubtful about this assertion.

“Our concerns have been resolved”

One thing is certain: the Plante administration is now convinced of the merits of the project.

“The impact on the protected views is zero,” assured Robert Beaudry, responsible for urban planning on the executive committee of Valérie Plante, in an interview with The Press. “There is the Bell Media Tower which is behind it and which has a certain height”, which already blocks several perspectives.

As for the scale of the new building, with a high facade directly on McGill College Avenue, the elected official is not too worried. “Our concerns have been resolved,” he said.

McGill College Avenue must be transformed into a huge pedestrian square in the coming years. Construction is due to begin next year.

Architect Renée Daoust was present at the public consultation session at the end of January. She argued that the sketches of the project released so far were far from final plans.

“We are going to have a second stage,” she assured, promising to take into account the comments made by the various speakers. “What is important for us is that we do not have windows that are possibly barricaded, as we have at the moment”, which could allow a better interface between the building and the street despite the addition of 13 floors.