WATCH ABOVE: A condo project slated to be built in NDG has residents miffed because of recent construction headaches. Billy Shields has the details.
MONTREAL — An ad-hoc organization is coalescing in NDG to oppose the construction of a multifunctional complex slated for the corner of de Maisonneuve and Claremont.
“It’s a very high impact project in that it will bring a lot of people into the area,” said Elizabeth Shapiro, an architect who lives near the proposed site on Grey Avenue.
“So there will be strains in traffic and parking.”
According to the project website, the building would be known as “Le Claremont” and would consist of a 10-storey building with about 300 units for senior citizens. It would also include a Provigo on the ground floor and offices for the Montreal Children’s Hospital. But residents who oppose the project fear the eventual result will be bigger than the developer is letting on.
“The city appears to be in favour of a 12-13-storey building,” Shapiro said.
The building also includes parking for about 200 cars. Given the recent traffic headaches brought on by construction on the nearby Super hospital, the closure of the St-Jacques Overpass and snarled line-ups around the Vendome Metro, residents fear this construction project will be too much.
“It is more than the straw that would break the camel’s back,” said Larry Karass, who also lives on Grey Avenue. “It’s going to put further pressure on us. Traffic is already projected to grow.”
READ MORE: Driving headaches could soon be the norm in NDG
City Councillor Peter McQueen, who represents NDG, told Global News that he would oppose the construction if it meant trucks would cross de Maisonneuve or Claremont. Currently the developper, Le Groupe Maurice, has indicated supply trucks will enter the project from Ste. Catherine Street to the south, and exit on de Maisonneuve.
Rita Kataroyan, the vice president of marketing for Le Groupe Maurice, said the construction is probably the best option for residents in the neighbourhood.
Since the land is already owned by Provigo anyway, it’s more likely the plot could be used for purely commercial purposes, she said.
“Something is going to be built there anyway,” she said in a telephone interview Monday.
“Isn’t it better to have residences?”
Also, another supermarket in the area would siphon congestion from the Metro residents use nearby, she said.
The next public consultation on the issue is scheduled for April 13.
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