Plans take shape for major redevelopment of Montreal's Wellington Basin
A large industrial sector sandwiched between Griffintown and Pointe-Saint-Charles could soon look a lot different.
The Canada Lands Company (CLC) has plans to develop a portion of the sector referred to as the Wellington Basin.
A rendering of new development project in Montreal's Wellington Basin. (Source: Canada Lands Company)
"We view that these lands have the opportunity to really create a focal point and be a special place and give an identity to the whole neighbourhood," said Christopher Sweetnam-Holmes, the federal Crown corporation's senior director of real estate for Quebec.
The vision is to turn old industrial sites into housing. They want 2,800 new homes built with 1,000 units dedicated to affordable and social housing.
A rendering of new development project in Montreal's Wellington Basin. (Source: Canada Lands Company)
"What we're presenting today is the vision for the site," said Marcelo Gomez-Wiuckstern, the CLC's vice-president of corporate communications and public affairs. "Then, we work with the city for approvals to obtain zoning, and then we sell the lot to different developers, but they need to respect the vision."
The Wellington Basin project would also include an urban beach, three new parks and a sector dedicated to artists.
A rendering of new development project in Montreal's Wellington Basin. (Source: Canada Lands Company)
The plan will need approval from the City of Montreal, which already has a vision for the area.
"This is public land managed by the Government of Canada," said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante. "Of course, we have high expectations in terms of housing, but it's also in terms of a mixed city, in terms of access to the water."
Housing advocates are glad to see more homes being built, but they are concerned about the cost of affordable units.
A rendering of new development project in Montreal's Wellington Basin. (Source: Canada Lands Company)
"The definition of affordable housing and social housing can be somewhat vague, and we really don't know if these new units are going to meet the needs of Montrealers who need affordable housing," said Margaret Van Nooten, a member of Project Genesis.
The Canada Lands Company will have to decontaminate the land and then sell individual lots to developers.
"We have significant decontamination costs that we plan to spend at least $77 million in decontamination costs, which is not inconsequential," Sweetnam-Holmes said.
The plan could take 10 to 15 years to complete and the Crown corporation hopes to get shovels in the ground by 2025.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel hopes to normalize the conversation around menstruation with a new children's book
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.