Huge redevelopment in Montreal’s downtown in pipeline

The City of Montreal and the city’s Southwest Borough have approved the principal guidelines for the redevelopment of Griffintown, an old industrial area southwest of Old Montreal. The area was the heart of Montreal’s industrial quarter at the turn of the 20th century, but became rundown and dilapidated and was mostly razed during the 1960s to make way for the Bonaventure Expressway. It is now home to some graphic design workshops and a few residences.
Subject to ongoing community consultations, Developer Devimco’s plans for Griffintown include 3,900 residential units, which will make up 65% of the project. The homes will be for a diverse range of people, and will include social and affordable housing. There will also be shops, offices, a theatre, a movie theatre and two hotels. CBC reports that the plans also call for preserving 12 heritage buildings on the site.
On the infrastructure side, the development would integrate the Lachine Canal into the urban fabric, extending Rue de la Montagne. There would be a tram service on Peel Street and a bicycle path constructed along the Lachine Canal. The construction would also include creating a network of new green spaces and public areas totalling 600,000 square feet.
The project has been designed by urban planners Daniel Arbour and Associates, a Montreal company that is part of the IBI Group.