The proposed 5,500 home, 185 hectare Pierrefonds West development could cost as much as $103 million in public money, according to a 20-page report by a UQAM researcher.
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That cost would far outstrip the amount of tax revenue the project could recoup, according to the report.
“This is a bad idea, it’s a bad idea from the point of view of taxes as well as the environment, as well as urban planning,” said Campbell Stuart, an environmental lawyer.
The development could hit potential legal snags due to wetland at the l’Anse-à-l’Orme Nature Park.
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It also calculates that the development would put 7,000 more cars on the road.
Public consultations are slated to take place around the end of March and beginning of April.