Could a popular West Island market soon be redeveloped?

It’s the only market of its kind on the West Island.

The Marché de l’Ouest has been serving the community since 1982.

With an indoor-outdoor market and mom-and-pop shops in and along its iconic strip, it’s a place that many people frequent and have come to love.

And so, when it comes to the site possibly being redeveloped, it’s no wonder that so many have an opinion about it.

“I just hope that it continues and flourishes and that the merchants in it can make a good living and we can all continue to use it,” said Dollard-des-Ormeaux resident, Jill Rollins.

The Marché de l’Ouest is owned by BTB Real Estate Investment Trust.

The city says it has not officially received plans from the company to redevelop the lot, but it is taking steps to renew its urban planning program and bylaws, to prepare itself for any plans that may be submitted in the future.

“We’re gonna present to the population what are the new regulations that we are proposing for the site,” said Sylvain Boulianne, Dollard-des-Ormeaux’s urban planning director. “First of all, this is a commercial zoning bylaw and we want to add the possibility to put residential activities on this site – so to have a mixed-use site eventually.”

But for those who may fear that the market could disappear, Boulianne says the city won’t let that happen.

“The city is saying that if someone wants to present a project for this site, he would have to present the project with the same level of commercial activities, with the same exterior market,” said Boulianne. “So in terms of area, it will be completely different but we want to keep the commercial activities that are already there.”

In order to keep residents up to date and answer questions, the city is holding public consultations at the Dollard-des-Ormeaux civic centre on June 19 at 7 p.m. about the market.

The city says consultations are open to all DDO residents, as well as business owners who have shops located at the market.