The Vision Bridge-Bonaventure Consortium is proposing an enhanced vision for the development of the Bridge-Bonaventure/Pointe-du-Moulin sector, including the construction of over 9,500 housing units, 2,000 more than originally envisioned, a job creation component on more than 46,000 square metres of built space, the expansion of the Quartier des artisans, innovative architecture, an environmentally conscious neighbourhood and greater connectivity between neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, its members want the City of Montreal to choose the most efficient regulatory approval process possible, so as to be able to implement their vision without delay, given the urgency of addressing the housing crisis and climate change.

This is what was unveiled by two spokespersons for the Consortium, Pierre Jacques Lefaivre, senior vice-president of Groupe Mach, and Brian Fahey, president of the urban planning firm Fahey & Associés, on the sidelines of the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) public consultation on the master development plan (known by its French acronym PDMV) for the Bridge-Bonaventure sector drawn up by the City of Montreal.

The Consortium’s revised vision emphasizes mixed-use residential development as a priority for the Pointe-du-Moulin sub-sectors, the Wellington Basin area, the Ray-Mont Logistics site, the eastern portion of the Saint-Patrick triangle and the Canal banks. Similarly, the vision concentrates the development of economic activities in the Pointe-Saint-Charles employment sector, west of Bridge Street, the Bridge commercial sector, the Artisans sector and the ADM flour mill.

“We want to create an extraordinary area, a new way of life of which Montrealers will be proud, an inspiring and exemplary 15-minute district that will become a benchmark for the world. We’re committed to meeting the challenge of ecological transition and tackling the changes of the day: climate change, housing shortages and telecommuting,” said Mr. Lefaivre.

The Consortium shares a common vision with the City of Montreal based on the following principles: the importance of dialogue, the strategic positioning of the sector, the excellence of the project to be put forward, respect for the spirit of place and innovation, the notion of a mixed–use district and the prevalence of sustainable mobility, as well as the transversal principle of ecological transition. It will also promote respect for the socio-economic reality of the area and harmonious development with surrounding districts.

The Vision Bridge-Bonaventure Consortium brings together the following architecture, urban planning and real estate development professionals: Broccolini, Groupe Mach, Groupe Petra, Groupe Devimco, COPRIM, Fahey & Associés, Lemay, Provencher Roy, NEUF Architectes and ACDF Architecture. These firms have joined forces to develop an inclusive, eco–responsible vision that meets the needs of the Bridge-Bonaventure sector.

The Consortium’s enhanced vision includes:

• Construction of over 9,500 housing units, 2,000 more than originally envisioned. The taxes generated by this additional supply will help to ensure economic viability, given the cost of the infrastructure required to redevelop the sector;
• Job creation on slightly more than 46,000 square metres of future building surface area (other sectors of the PDMV not controlled by Consortium members could accommodate other economic activities);
• Expansion of the Quartier des artisans;
• Innovative architecture;
• An environmentally friendly district;
• Greater connectivity between neighbourhoods.

The Consortium’s residential offer includes rental housing and condos, as well as affordable and social housing, which will contribute to resolving several major societal issues. More specifically, it calls for exceeding the City of Montreal’s 20% target for social, family and affordable housing. It also includes the creation of a civic hub capable of integrating a public school and other community, cultural and sports services.

This initiative aims to combat climate change, address the housing shortage and curb urban sprawl towards the suburbs.

The Consortium’s residential proposes intelligent densification and height control to create an ambitious project at the entrance to the town centre, freeing up more space for parks, riverside paths, and community and cultural facilities, as well as to finance the development of more generous green spaces.

These densities and heights therefore justify the investments that will be required to make the Bridge-Bonaventure sector an exemplary one.

More specifically, the Consortium recommends increasing heights to 80 metres, with strategically positioned peaks of up to 120 metres, for the northern triangle of Pointe-Saint-Charles, the Canal banks, the area around the Wellington Basin and Pointe-du-Moulin. We need to increase the planned densities to ensure the realization of the projects presented.

“In a context of the housing crisis, urban sprawl and the climate crisis, this rare opportunities for densification in the heart of the metropolis must be seized,” said Fahey.

The Consortium’s vision also revolves around the following elements:

• Residential use authorized in its own right and acting as a catalyst for the 15-minute city;
• The enhancement of heritage elements and artisanal trades;
• Access to a varied range of active and public transport options, including a new REM station and the redevelopment of Bridge Street, and the importance of seeing the REM station as a potential asset for strengthening connectivity between the area’s neighbourhoods and making it more accessible.

In its submission, the Consortium hopes that the present consultation process led by the OCPM will be the last major piece in the planning process, after more than four years of proceedings. The next steps must promote the rapid adoption of the PDMV and its concordance regulations to enable development projects to be implemented.

It recommends the use of sub-sector master plans to avoid unnecessarily complex and lengthy project approval processes.

The Consortium’s updated vision is based on the consultation process conducted last summer with 19 social and economic organizations, eight of which are members of the Table de concertation de la Ville de Montréal. It also draws on recommendations made by three independent experts, at the request of the Urban Development Institute.

Covering an area of 2.3 km², the Bridge-Bonaventure sector straddles the Sud-Ouest and Ville-Marie boroughs. It is located near Old Montreal and on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. It is the southern gateway to downtown via the Bonaventure Expressway and the Victoria Bridge. It includes the following priority sub-areas: Pointe-du-Moulin, Cité du Havre, the Peel and Wellington basins and the Pointe Saint-Charles triangle.

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