Jean Talon/Namur Revitalization Project to create 3,200 new housing units

The redevelopment project aims to transform an industrial triangle of land, bordered by Jean-Talon, Mountain Sights and de la Savane Sts., into a green residential area. Slated to be finished in 2015, the development will create 3,200 new housing units. C.D.N/N.D.G. residents, community groups, and merchants still have a lot of questions about the project.

The evening meeting shone light on the concerns of attendees, but consensus may be hard to reach. While no one was opposed to the plan in theory, those in attendance had very differing ideas about the specifics of the project.

The most obvious example of this disagreement was the issue of social housing. The proposed new residential development is currently planned to include 15 per cent of new residences as low-cost social housing. An additional 15 per cent of the buildings are slated to be “affordable” housing, which is more expensive, yet still within most budgets.

While all in attendance seemed to agree this was a good idea in principle, there were many different opinions about exactly how much social housing is enough, and how and where the housing should be built. “A minimum of 40 per cent of the new housing being constructed needs to be social, or the (present) residents won’t have access,” said Cathy Inouye of Project Genese.

Inouye spoke about the many families that are on waiting lists for housing, saying there are only 1000 housing units available, and more than 2000 families are waiting. “Forty per cent (of the population) lives under the poverty line,” she argued. “These people are paying 80 per cent of their income towards their rent.” Inouye claimed that, based on the numbers, even 40 per cent social housing was insufficient.

Inouye’s opinion was opposed by Lucia Kowaluk, of the Milton-Parc Citizen’s Committee. Citing her own experiences in creating the Milton-Parc community several decades earlier, Kowaluk said that even though there is a “crying need” for social housing, more than 20 per cent was not feasible.

Kowaluk said she had concerns that some residents would not be comfortable with a high level of social housing in their midst, and urged the consultative committee to scatter social housing so as to allow its users to blend in with the rest of the community.

Developer Sam Scalia, of the Devmont construction company, already has a lot of experience building dwellings in the area. Based on his own projections and his consultations with the city of Montreal, he proposed 25 per cent social housing.

The figure was seconded by Mazen Houdeib of the R.O.M.E.L. group, who is working with Devmont. The two companies are finalizing consultations with the city to build 95 units in the new development. Scalia promised that the new units would be family-friendly and “green”.

Scalia also discussed the need for parking in the area, the second major issue of the evening. The current plan does not include any parking spaces within the development, a proposal which is causing concern for merchants and residents alike.

Houdeib suggested underground residential parking as a solution, but noted that high building costs and the need for social housing may make this option difficult for developers.

Scalia suggested opening Buchan and Pare Sts. for residential parking. He asked the committee to consider 50 per cent street parking, as opposed to the 0 per cent currently proposed.

Auto dealer Charles Hammer of Uptown Volvo Inc. also asked for more street parking. He says that the proposed project, which suggests cutting off the last part of Victoria St., would not help circulation, and instead proposed turning Pare into a two-way street.

Although initially scheduled to run for only one night, interest in the development was so high that the city of Montreal's consultation committe extended the hearings for a second night. If the initial meeting is any indication, reaching a consensus that will please everyone is going to be an uphill climb.