COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT
Bois-Franc’s parks, basins & homes
With a population of more than 100,000 spread over 43 square kilometres, the Montreal borough of St-Laurent is the largest on the island. It’s no surprise then, that the area is divided into a handful of distinct neighbourhoods. One of the communities within St-Laurent that truly stands out is known as Bois-Franc.
Its rows of attractive townhouses and abundance of well-thoughtout green spaces give Bois-Franc a true community feeling, reminiscent of European neighbourhoods. Bois-Franc was developed by two established builders: Sotramont and Montclair. The result is a clean, uniform look throughout the neighbourhood.
In order to preserve the visual appeal of the award-winning, environmentally-friendly community, there are agreements in place with homeowners to ensure that they maintain their properties in a way that reflects the vision of the developers’ plan.
“Bois-Franc is a huge success story,” said Alan DeSousa, mayor of the borough. “People really like the atmosphere and sense of style, so they accept the requirements and expectations of the developers.”
In addition to beautiful townhouses and condo projects, BoisFranc is recognized for its outdoor spaces. In fact, 31 per cent of the neighbourhood’s territory has been preserved for green spaces and bodies of water. Several parks and man-made basins and lakes were created as part of the BoisFranc project.
Not only do these blue spaces provide lovely environments for locals to enjoy, they’re also essential for the well-being of wildlife in the community in that they serve as homes for several species, including migratory birds.
“Residents really appreciate having beautiful outdoor spaces where they can spend time and gather together,” DeSousa said. “It’s a tightknit community and it’s great for young families with kids to have safe places to play.”
Aside from the many parks and basins, there are a number of bike and walking paths in Bois-Franc, enabling just about anyone to benefit from spending some time outside.
The neigbourhood is also laid out to make it easy for residents to get around on foot. Important service centres such as grocery stores, pharmacies, daycares, schools, and entertainment centres are all centrally located in Bois-Franc. The community is well served by public transit, with bus and train lines readily available for commuters.
One of the latest Sotramont condo buildings in the community was designed specifically to capitalize on the accessible public transit in the area. The TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) project, which is being built on des Equinoxes St., is within walking distance from the Bois-Franc train station, and a slew of essential amenities.
Bois-Franc is a huge success story. People really like the atmosphere and sense of style ...
MAYOR ALAN DESOUSA
The first section of the threephase development is well underway, with delivery expected in the spring of 2017. Phase 1 will consist of 46 units upon completion, including one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos, with remaining available units starting at $299,000, including tax.
“Living in Bois-Franc is attractive in itself,” said Marc-André Roy, president of Sotramont. “It has grown into a thriving community with multi-generational families enjoying the outdoor parks and amenities.”
There are a number of condos and townhouses available in Bois-Franc to suit just about any buyer’s needs and budget. For example, a four-bedroom townhouse in the Zac sur le Lac project starts at $899,900. And a two-bedroom townhouse in the Elsie development is going for $674,500.
While residents who live in the community routinely profess their affection for the neighbourhood,
the same sentiment can be found among local businesses. Among the many service centres and amenities in the community, a handful of businesses have been in operation since the very early days of BoisFranc. The La Piazza restaurant and Le Challenger reception hall, for instance, has been in business in the same location on Nations St. since 2003.
“Bois-Franc is a charming,
unique neighbourhood because it’s such a tight-knit community,” said Anna Norcia, director of corporate sales and marketing, and co-owner of Le Challenger. “People are warm and friendly and always take a minute to stop and chat with each other. Our clients are special to us; I can’t tell you how many of them have ended up becoming friends of ours — and you just don’t see that in every community.”