Canada Post Site
On the northern border of the Lachine Canal, between the Wellington and Des Seigneurs bridges, Canada Post lays claim to an unused site of over one million square feet. To preserve the public use of this exceptional site, RESO, along with the organizations Bâtir son quartier and the Coalition de la Petite-Bourgogne, tabled a general reconversion plan for the site in 2004 that took into account the people of the district. The project has already received official support from the Mayor of Montreal, Gérald Tremblay, the Member of the National Assembly for Saint-Henri/Sainte-Anne, Nicole Loiselle, the Mayor of the Sud-Ouest Borough, Jacqueline Montpetit, and various federal elected members in the sector. The Canadian government has authorized the Canada Lands Company (CLC) to negotiate the site’s acquisition so that a project that meets the population’s needs and encourages functional and social diversity may be developed there; talks are now in progress between the CLC and the Canada Post Corporation.
Heralded as a symbol of sustainable development and accessibility, the project has an economic facet that translates into the creation of 1,000 to 1,300 jobs. It will provide office space designed for the new economy, sites for neighbourhood services and business, work space for artists, and tourist facilities in connection with the Lachine Canal. The heritage dimension of the site will be further enhanced with the creation of a Lachine Canal interpretation centre. A hostel for international travellers will round out the tourist facilities.
The general plan also includes provisions for affordable housing, namely 625 units of cooperative or community housing, and private housing accessible to moderate or medium-income families.
To work, the plan calls for a partnership to be formed between private, profit-seeking promoters and social promoters, as well as the participation of the public sector in developing the site.
THE TURCOT YARD
Alone, the Turcot Yard covers 9 million square feet bordering Highway 20, which links Pierre-Élliott-Trudeau International Airport to downtown. These lands, which belong to the Ministère des Transports du Québec, have been set aside for the rebuilding of the Turcot Interchange; at one time they were used for railway activities.
Distanced from residential zones, the site offers significant real estate development potential. RESO backs development of a large-scale industrial park aimed at boosting job creation in the Sud-Ouest through retention and attraction of manufacturing companies. RESO’s position is based on the fact that tourist and residential development has prevailed in the Lachine Canal zone, the cradle of industrialization in Canada.
THE PARC D’ENTREPRISES SAINT-CHARLES
Bordering the seaway and extending the length of the Bonaventure Highway, the Parc d’entreprises Saint-Charles (formerly the Technoparc) belongs to the City of Montreal and now harbours high-technology and communications companies.
The City of Montreal holds vacant lands with a combined area of 2 million square feet. Companies in communications, media and high-technology fields are targeted as tenants.