Club Sportif MAA, condo developer agree on makeover
Athletics facility set for upgrade, 300 luxury units to be built on roof
Montreal’s oldest athletics club, the Club Sportif MAA, will undergo a major renovation in partnership with a developer who will build luxury condos on the roof of the historic club on Peel St.
Devimco Immobilier, the real estate developer chosen for the project, said it would build 300 units (studios to 7,500-square-foot penthouses), saying there’s still a strong demand for condo units in downtown Montreal.
The athletics facilities will be upgraded and will include a modern, high-end sports club.
The club’s four-storey red brick facade will be renovated and restored to its original appearance, the developer promised.
The sports club, formerly known as the M.A.A.A., has a rich and storied tradition since it was founded in Westmount in 1881. It moved to its Peel St. location in 1905.
Hockey players from the athletic club won four Stanley Cups between 1893 and 1903 and the club won the Grey Cup in 1931.
During renovations, the club’s 2,880 members will be able to train at a location that will be disclosed in the coming months. If the new location is not suitable, members will be able to cancel their memberships.
The $150-million project will begin in August 2019 and be completed in 2021.
The renovated athletics club will be 45,000 square feet and include a 25-metre swimming pool, squash courts and a café.
“We have gone through many changes in our history but we have always strived to be at the forefront of the sport and fitness industry,” said Pierre Blanchet, president and CEO of the Club Sportif MAA.
Devimco says it sold one-third of all new residential condo purchases in downtown Montreal in 2017.
“This is a unique partnership between two leaders in their respective fields,” said Serge Goulet, president of Devimco.
He said the condo market on the island of Montreal continues to be strong because many Montrealers want to stay on the island and not fight off-island rush-hour traffic.
The firm built the Quartier Dix/30 on the South Shore and is revitalizing the former site of the Montreal Children’s Hospital, called the Square Children’s.