Projet Montréal changes its tune on Cavendish extension
Projet Montréal has reversed its position on extending Cavendish Blvd., saying the road is needed to access a future development slated for the former Blue Bonnets horse racing track.
A plan to extend Cavendish Blvd. from Côte-St-Luc to the St-Laurent borough has been promised for decades, most recently by incumbent mayor Denis Coderre, as a condition for building a new housing development around the track that was abandoned in 2008.
The Coderre administration saw the extension of Cavendish as necessary to avoid increasing traffic to the already congested nearby intersection of Décarie Blvd. and Jean-Talon St.
Standing in front of the former racetrack Thursday morning, Projet Montréal Leader Valérie Plante echoed Coderre’s concerns, saying the road is needed to manage traffic around the future development.
“Projet Montréal always had some reserves about the extension of Cavendish,” Plante said.
“For Cavendish, what we’re saying is that if we need to do another road, it has to consider all the needs and give as much space as possible for public transit, because if it is just cars, it won’t be viable.”
However, that stance flies in the face of pronouncements by Projet Montréal councillor Peter McQueen, who represents the Notre-Dame-de- Grâce sector. He was unequivocal just four months ago about his party’s opposition to extending Cavendish Blvd.
“We’re against the extension because it will become a shortcut, and we don’t want that,” McQueen told the Montreal Gazette in June.
He added that the extension would also give better access to a planned mall near the Décarie Circle, and drive away business from streets like Monkland Ave., Van Horne Ave. and Queen Mary Rd.
Plante’s predecessor, Luc Ferrandez was also outspoken against the extension when he led the party.
But on Thursday, Sue Montgomery, the Projet Montréal borough mayor candidate for Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, said if built properly, the Cavendish extension could be a boon for the area.
“What we’re against is developing another highway or super street,” said Montgomery, a former Montreal Gazette reporter who was present at the Thursday media briefing. “What we want to do is develop it properly, so there are places for cyclists, places for cars, and places for pedestrians.”
Projet Montréal announced it will build 8,000 housing units at the abandoned racetrack, and the development will be family-friendly, with 60 per cent of the units having three bedrooms or more. The party also plans parks and schools for the area. The plan is similar to one presented in June by Coderre — it called for 5,000 units, a new school, and emphasized public transit and bicycle lanes. It was announced after the Quebec government agreed to cede the land to the city.
In other election news, Coderre presented his plan to promote culture in the city by doubling financial aid available to festivals and events, creating a program that would help fund culture that reflects the Aboriginal community, and to increase representation of diverse communities on selection committees.