Westmount | A brand new building with historic charm

The days of a dilapidated building are numbered in Westmount, a few minutes’ walk from the old Forum and the Atwater metro station.

The five-story condominium building that will take its place has been the subject of multiple negotiations since the first version of the plans was submitted in December 2019. Result: Hillside Lane will recall the building with its red brick and size. which it will replace, it will have 31 spacious two or three bedroom apartments, part of its roof will be green and it will aim for LEED Silver certification.

“Our initial plan was to keep the building and restore it to restore its charm, but that was not possible,” says Maya Girlando, director of operations for GroupImmo Elite, a family business founded by her father, Luciano Girlando. In recent years, the company has restored the facades of Victorian buildings on Bishop Street in downtown Montreal and integrated them into two condominium complexes.

The red brick building, built in 1911, on Hillside Lane, first served as a riding school. The huge arched windows at the back at the time illuminated a merry-go-round lined with stands. An army division took possession soon after, but did not maintain the building.

“Unoccupied since 2014, the existing building turned out to be in an advanced state of disrepair, which justified its demolition,” specifies Frédéric Neault, director of the urban planning department of the City of Westmount, in a detailed email. Before authorizing this demolition, the City made sure to ensure the relevance of this irrevocable act. In addition to the supporting documents required in favor of demolition, the replacement proposal was the subject of numerous negotiations between the Urban Planning Department, the urban planning advisory committee and the owner. »

“We had to present a very interesting project to convince the City to authorize the demolition,” emphasizes M.^me Girlando. It was difficult, but we got there. »

GroupImmo Elite has teamed up with architect Maurice Martel, who is at the head of his own agency. The two firms have worked together for a dozen years.

“In terms of architecture, we had to make as much reference as possible to the existing building,” explains Mr. Martel. But we definitely had to improve it, because we completely changed the way it was used. »

Since this is a specific project for the construction, modification or occupation of a building (PPCMOI), the residents of the neighborhood and the City accepted the final version of the project following a long process. . “It wasn’t easy, but in the end, it will be a great project, which will stand out by continuing the history of the place,” says Mr. Martel. This will be characteristic of Westmount. »

The consultative process was transparent. “To ensure that there is maximum support for the project, the municipal council has requested a maximum of public consultations, beyond what is required by law,” explains Mr. Neault, in a telephone interview. They included the presence of the developer to hear the neighborhood’s concerns, respond to them, and also make certain modifications, if necessary. This is what happened in this case. »

The promoter is therefore obliged to integrate Hydro-Westmount transformers, which are located on the site. These are currently overhead and serve some neighboring buildings. All wires must be buried. The future co-ownership complex must also aim for LEED Silver certification.

Elsewhere, in a building of a similar size, any other developer would integrate two or three times as many housing units, points out Maurice Martel. The proximity of an athletics park and a secondary school led the City to look favorably on the developer’s proposal to develop spacious two or three bedroom apartments, likely to appeal to families.

“Clients are looking for large apartments,” notes M.^me Girlando. Some are moving out of a house and looking for an apartment with large rooms and big windows. We also wanted the accommodation to be suitable for families. The apartments will have an entrance, plenty of storage, a stylish pantry walk-in and a laundry room.

“These are small amenities that take the project to another level,” she continues. Because it’s LEED, you have a drain in your laundry room, you have triple glazing. Then because you are in Westmount, you have copper plumbing. These are things that increase costs for us, but which are really proof of quality for customers, who will gain a lot. »

Visit the Hillside Lane project page