REAL ESTATE PROJECT
O Quai du Nord in Boisbriand
Homeowners leaving their large and increasingly empty singlefamily homes for smaller and more comfortable environs in the
couronne nord north of Laval have several options.
The choices are there, an abundance of condos having sprouted up and dotted the North Shore landscape — but at the higher end, in the form of projects like LL sur le Lac, Aquablu and Quintessence. Those in search of a less pricey option are looking north of the Rivière des Mille Îles and discovering a new project set to rise above the shoreline west of Highway 15 on Chemin de la Grande-Côte in Boisbriand.
O Quai du Nord is a two-phase, 83-unit project co-developed by Batimo and GD Lead, two local developers with long experience and presence on the North Shore.
Construction is set to begin on Phase 1 this summer, with 40 per cent already sold and moving fast, said GD vice-president TommyJohn Gélinas, who brought Batimo on board with its Emd Construction division to redevelop this long vacant residential property on the opposite side of the river from Laval.
“We are targeting younger professionals and some empty nesters, particularly those in their mid50s who are selling their homes in Lorraine, Rosemère, Blainville and elsewhere — who want something nice on the river but don’t want to spend $1 million,” Gélinas said.
The 82,000-square-foot property sits next to the highway and river, at the eastern end of Boisbriand where the north shore perimeter meets Rosemère. It’s the best of both worlds, he said. “Our interiors and finishings are highend quality and urban, but our exteriors are riverside.”
Indeed, O Quai sits a short jaunt from the bustling Boisbriand and Rosemère malls and big-box centres and yet equally close to the scenic and small-town feel of the boutiques and small shops of Rosemère Village. The attraction of Rosemère is evident; restaurants, food shops, the renowned Spa Le Finlandais, golf courses, a bike path and the gorgeous Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.
The location of the two six-storey buildings is a big draw, but the river it sits above is clearly the star, popular with boaters, fishermen and all types of paddling enthusiasts, the latter sure to appreciate the inclusion of kayak and bike storage facilities in the new building, said Gélinas, who has lived in the area for decades and can attest to the beauty and popularity of the river.
“You’ll be able to haul your boat out of the garage and walk down toward your small private dock,” he said. A public slip farther down the river and road means visitors with boats can leave their vessels and meet up at the small private dock.
“The location also speaks to younger buyers,” Gélinas said, noting that it’s a two-minute commute from Laval, close to Highways 15 and 640, the suburban AMT trains and Montmorency métro. “The accessibility is amazing; you can head north or south directly from the exit of our project. It’s one of our biggest strengths.”
From 650 to 1,550 square feet, including a few with mezzanines in each of the buildings, Phase 1 is set to deliver in June 2018 and prices range (tax included) from $196,000 for the smallest one-bedroom to $600,000 for the largest two-bedroom unit. “The quality of our finishings is high and we’ve been told that we compare favourably with the higher-end projects in the region.”
Included in the units are quartz counters in kitchens and bathrooms, five-inch engineered wood floor slats, and commercial quality floor-to-ceiling windows with superior soundproofing, something recently confirmed by acoustic testing: “You don’t even realize that there’s a highway outside.”
Buildings also feature a garbage chute, full electronic secure access and multi-camera surveillance.
Common spaces include a large hotel-style lobby and a garden between the two concrete buildings, as well as a gym with a full glass wall for gorgeous water views and an outdoor pool. Monthly condo fees are estimated at 25 cents per square foot and parking is available for $20,000 indoors and $7,000 outdoors.
The site will also feature an abundance of newly planted vegetation, Gélinas said. “We are not too close to the water and our location is safely out of bounds of the flood zones. We are quite high, but we put in more vegetation to reinforce the riverbanks there, as we have a large slope.”
Phase 2 pre-sale is just months away, the building to rise just west of the first structure, and on more of an incline. The second phase will have larger. but fewer, units — 38 of them.