Griffintown developer scales back in Montreal

The current economic crisis is now threatening a local redevelopment plan in Montreal that’s been the cause of much concern.

Residents of Griffintown, a small neighbourhood located along the Lachine Canal, are worried that the downturn in the Canadian economy will make Devimco Inc., the company buying up much of the property, change plans and further alter the area.

Helene Dansereau, coordinator of the committee for sustainable redevelopment of Griffintown, said that a proposed cut in phase one of the $1.3 billion project by Devimco should make everyone skeptical.  

Dansereau has lived in Griffintown for the last 10 years and doesn’t doubt the fact that the area south of downtown needs to be revitalized, but argues that it should be done responsibly.   

“It’s an area that is derelict. It is prime land right next to downtown, also it’s not very inhabited,” she said. “If the project goes through it means there’s going to be 10 years of street and construction work. It’s not going to be fun living there.”

The Devimco plan calls for a redevelopment in Griffintown of one-million-square-feet, an area roughly equal to the size of 20 football fields.

According to Dansereau, the heart of the plan has always been the commercial space where Devimco, who also developed “the lifestyle centre” Quartier Dix30 on the South Shore, wants to build a mall similar in size to the Rockland Centre or the Marche Central. 

“My personal fear is that because their project was mostly the shopping centre, if they scale down does that mean that mostly the shopping centre is going to remain?” she asked. “Does this mean they would scale down on the housing and keep the shopping centre?”

A lack of housing in the neighbourhood has always been a major concern for those living in Griffintown and resident Ron Diamond has been questioning the project’s proposal for more units since it was first mentioned last spring.  

“They promised the city a certain percentage of student and lower cost housing,” he said. “Their plans keep changing and they keep saying whatever people want to hear.” 

Devimco has stated since the outset that housing in Griffintown was a priority and has guaranteed 65 per cent of the land be used for residential properties. But now that the global financial crisis has affected Canadian markets, the developer is uncertain if any housing will be created in the first phase of development.

“The market is slow. We have to wait before starting the project,” Devimco spokesperson Andre Bouthillier said. “It’s very important for us that this project be a residential project.”

Diamond fears that people in the community are going to lose their homes and businesses because of this large-scale project with land possibly being expropriated by the city from those who are not willing to sell their property.

“Devimco’s main business up until now is shopping centres,” he said. “There are actually a few hundred people working down here. We’re going to get thrown out."