The City of Laval is implementing a new development plan that will focus on revitalizing the downtown core and protecting existing green space.
The plan is also intended to limit the number of highrise buildings in the city. The construction of buildings more than six stories high will be limited to the downtown area.
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The plan announced on Wednesday, is the first of its kind since 1990.
“We need to have a development plan and Laval was late. It has to be done,” said Laval spokesperson, François Brochu.
Aglaia Revelakis, a city councillor for Chomedey and member of the official opposition, told Global News future development in the downtown core will create a whole new district surrounding the Place Bell.
Although Revelakis agreed the city needed some kind of vision, she argued the plan doesn’t go far enough.
“More focus should be on other districts in Laval and not just the downtown core,” she said.
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One thing both parties agree on is the need to protect existing agriculture in Laval.
“Thirty three square kilometres of green space are now being protected under the new plan – equivalent to five times Mount Royal,” Brochu said.
With the upcoming municipal elections in November, Revelakis criticized the timing of the new plan, accusing current Mayor Marc Demers of using the plan to boost his campaign.
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