FIVE-TOWER VOLTIGE PROJECT
$200-million transit-oriented development, with 800-plus condominiums, to take shape in Ahuntsic-Cartierville
Maxime Gilbert has never seen anything like it.
“I’ve been doing this, been in this business, my entire life,” said the sales director for the Voltige real-estate project in AhuntsicCartierville. “I never saw demand like this.”
Judging by the enormous turnout at an on-site prelaunch party recently, as digging began on the five-tower residential project, the interest is certainly there. The $200-million transit-oriented development is the brainchild of Society Développement Immobilier — a new business venture of the Cheaib family, founders of the Adonis grocery chain.
Featuring 800-plus condominiums for purchase and rent, in addition to commercial and office space, the Voltige is expected to forever transform the area from the 400,000-square-foot lot at the corner of de l’Acadie Blvd. and Sauvé St., previously home to a dreary strip mall.
“When we sold the family business to Metro a few years ago, we made the decision to stay active in the community,” said Elie Cheaib at the groundbreaking in late October, “and to do it right here in the neighbourhood that saw the birth of our first family grocery store in 1979.”
There’s a lot of leverage in the neighbourhood, said vice-president Paula Cheaib of the project that would see buildings ranging in height from 12 to 26 floors surrounding a 35,000-square-foot central park.
This is what people are referring to when they talk about transitoriented development (TOD), she said, pointing to the location, equidistant from two métro stops, between Highway 15 and de l’Acadie, about 250 metres from the AMT’s Ahuntsic train station and Marché Centrale, half a kilometre to Chabanel station, along with an STM shuttle at the front door and a reserved bus lane coming soon.
The project will be equipped with underground parking spaces, bicycle parking, charging stations for electric vehicles and an on-site Communauto car-sharing service for residents — a plethora of simple and clean transit options for people considering investing in, or moving into, a neighbourhood of this scope in the heart of the city.
Construction will run until 2024, and at its peak will feature more than 200 workers on-site, said builder Fouad Geara of Groupe Module.
More than 60,000 square feet of commercial office space (including a pharmacy, drycleaner and bakery,) will be housed in the first floor of the first building. The Panora and a second building, the Belvedere, constitute Phase 1 of the Voltige project and share common areas including an urban chalet, community garden, pool, exercise space, outdoor barbecue, terraces, reception hall, and business centre with offices and conference room.
Panora will feature 214 condominium units, with delivery set for spring 2019. Twenty-six storeys will offer a varied mix, from onebedroom to three-bedroom units for $300,000 to $550,000.
Lofts and penthouses are also available. Some have a private terrace, and all include one parking space.
Condo fees are set at 37 cents a square foot, which includes air conditioning and heating.
The 16-storey Belvedere will house the rental units, studios and apartments with up to three bedrooms ranging in size from 562 to 1,280 square feet. While rents have not yet been set, units will include blinds, appliances, central air conditioning and heating.
“We have not set the ratio for rental and purchase yet,” said project director Pierre Collin. “We had intended to offer 50-50 when we began, but within days of announcing the project and the design we were inundated with registrations and interest — up to 90 per cent — for purchase.”
Elie Cheaib is thrilled that the project is attracting attention from locals.
“People love this area and want to stay here and invest in a home,” he said. “They are so happy to have this come here; there was nothing around the area that was as exciting.”
Collin said rentals are still a big part of the plan.
“We will definitely be offering a number of rentals overall, but we don’t know exact numbers yet.”
Indeed, each phase will house its own common amenities, but the large central green space is expected to be the heart of the new vertical village neighbourhood, which is expected to number 2,000 to 3,000 residents.
The central park will feature a children’s playground, recreation areas and pavilion, and will be finished with Phase 1, Maxime Gilbert said, adding that the park and varying heights of the surrounding buildings offers staggered profiles and diverse views “for a beautiful neighbourhood feel.”