Montreal creates working group to push forward on plans for Hippodrome site
The City of Montreal has begun the latest chapter in plans for the abandoned Blue Bonnets/Hippodrome racetrack.
On Monday, the province and municipality announced a working group to begin creating what it envisions as the city's "next great district of the future."
The working group, set up through Claridge Inc. with president Pierre Boivin, and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, with president and CEO Janie Béïque, will, according to the city, enable the creation of an eco-district as early as 2025.
The former site of the Hippodrome, which closed in 2009, was left derelict for almost 10 years, then demolished in 2018. The City of Montreal now owns the land, which contains no sewer system or roads.
Some 6,000 social, affordable and private housing units are expected to be built on the former racetrack site, with a public transport solution to match.
Housing will be a priority, as there's a need for 24,000 more social housing units in Montreal, said Mayor Valerie Plante.
"The racetrack site has the exceptional potential to become an eco-district that will inspire future generations and other major cities around the world," said Plante. "Within eight months, we'll have a business plan that will enable us to innovate in terms of the financial model and the partnerships to be put in place."
The completed project is set to include 20 hectares of green space, schools and office space. It will be accessible via the Namur metro station. There will be no street parking.
Earlier this month, the City of Montreal named the first developer selected to build on the abandoned Hippodrome site: Espace La Traversée. The non-profit organization specializes in housing for vulnerable populations and will create between 200 and 250 apartments on the site.
"What we're putting in place today is a new way of doing things to revitalize Blue Bonnets -- a strategic sector. It's the kind of approach that could be replicated elsewhere, in the east end of Montreal, for example," said Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
- Listen on CJAD 800 Radio: A new working group is pushing for an eco district at the former Hippodrome site
Some, including the opposition at city hall, have criticized the city for dragging its heels on the project.
While Ensemble Montreal said it applauds the initiative to "get everyone around the same table" but laments the fact that "the overall vision and investments are still lacking for the development of the Hippodrome six years after the signing of the agreement." said Saint-Laurent borough mayor Alan DeSousa.
Boivin addressed the criticism by saying the foundation has been laid.
"There are still a lot of questions. More questions than there are answers, and that's our job," he said. "But don't assume that four or five years were lost, much to the contrary. Now, we can talk about accelerating it. We could not have spoken about accelerating it a couple of years ago before the groundwork was done."
The working group is expected to take six to eight months to lay out its plans for the site.
With files from Noovo.Info
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.