City shouldn’t approve new development as-is
Project on former MCH site not very family-friendly, Valérie Plante says.
The scale and scope of the proposed development project on the former Montreal Children’s Hospital site is such that as public decisionmakers, we cannot allow ourselves to rubber-stamp it without closely examining the site’s heritage characteristics, the project’s integration in its environment and its compatibility with the City of Montreal’s vision and objectives for the area, and for downtown as a whole.
We presented our concerns before Montreal’s public consultation body last week and noticed that many citizens share our views.
The proposed development includes 1,250 housing units. We, as elected officials, are being asked to vote for an important derogation from the city’s master plan. The derogation would allow the proposed buildings to rise up to 120 metres, or 50-per-cent higher than the 80 metres authorized by the city’s original plan. No other such derogation has been granted west of Crescent Street, in an area where building heights rarely exceed 35 metres.
The 20- to 32-storey towers would be completely out of scale with their immediate environment.
If we are to grant this derogation, it is a common practice for the city to obtain concessions for the local community from the developers.
This residential project is to be built on a site that historically has served the community. Any change in the land use should reflect and pay tribute to this heritage. We do recognize that efforts have been made by the developers to do so, through the inclusion of a community centre and social and affordable housing units within the project. However, we can only regret that the city has ignored the residents’ demands over the years for green and community spaces, throughout numerous previous public consultations. We ask that the project be reviewed to include a large park with children’s playgrounds.
Furthermore, the Children’s redevelopment project must include more family-sized apartments and condominiums. We find it difficult to understand why the city would accept such a large-scale project with so few three-bedroom units, given that the city’s own Downtown Strategy specifically calls for building more family-sized dwellings, with an objective of attracting 50,000 new residents downtown by the year 2030.
Let’s be realistic: Families will not choose to live in a 700-square-foot apartment. They need at least 1,000 square feet in order to have enough space. Whether it is possible to find appropriate sized housing at an affordable price will influence a family’s decision to stay in Montreal or leave for the suburbs. It is rather surprising that the city would not seize the opportunity presented here to attract more families to the downtown core.
Keeping with the idea of attracting and retaining families downtown, a new elementary school must absolutely be built in the area.
The CSDM has been asking for this for some time now, given that schools in the Peter McGill district are already overpopulated. There are currently no French public schools in the district. We support their request and see it as an essential component of the new development project.
Finally, the former hospital’s heritage value is indisputable and must be preserved as much as possible. The project as presented fails in this respect; the F-wing only survives thanks to vivid opposition to its destruction by the City of Westmount. We believe the D-wing, with its art deco architecture, should be preserved as well.
Once again, we are facing a situation where we as public decision-makers have a duty and responsibility to ensure that heritage site redevelopment projects are sustainable, socially acceptable and family-friendly, while respecting their heritage, history and the community’s wishes. Fortunately, it isn’t too late for this project. We must all work together in order to ensure a project in which we can all take pride.