Montreal mayor still won’t support Royalmount mega-mall project, despite calling for revision

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says she still cannot support the controversial Royalmount project after a committee released its findings on the mega-mall’s community impact on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Royalmount project faces setback after Valérie Plante calls for revision

“Even though there’s been work done on this project, the negative impacts are more important than the positive impacts,” she stated.

“So, the City of Montreal, at this point, cannot be behind this project and that is a big statement. I am encouraging the promoter to continue his work.”

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Earlier this year, Plante called for a revision of the commercial-residential development — the largest proposed real estate project on the Island of Montreal.

WATCH BELOW: Back to the drawing board for Royalmount

2:13 Back to the drawing board for Royalmount

She slammed it as having “no social acceptability in its current form.”

Some of the committee’s recommendations include extending the Montreal Metro’s orange line from the Côte-Vertu station to the Bois-Franc train station to alleviate traffic pressure around the mall.

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READ MORE: Montreal’s Royalmount mega development raises traffic concerns

Florence Junca-Adenot, associate professor in the department of urban and touristic development at UQAM, also mentioned adding multi-model transit stations at both the De la Savane and Namur Metro stations for taxis and buses, as well as creating bike paths in the area.

“The diagnostic is very devastating in terms of what happens when a promoter can go and plan for something without taking into account the impact it’s going to have on neighbourhood communities, in terms of traffic, cost or infrastructure,” said Alan DeSousa, borough mayor of Saint-Laurent.

“The mayor herself said this is the case where a local project would have a major impact.”

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The $2-billion Royalmount site is slated to include a water park, cinema and about 6,000 residential units in the Town of Mount Royal (TMR). It has yet to be approved.

WATCH BELOW: Traffic concerns run high over Royalmount development project

2:15 Traffic concerns run high over Royalmount development project

“This project was authorized in 2015, not only by TMR, but the City of Montreal and the agglomeration of Montreal, so all parties agreed on the Royalmount project in 2015,” insisted Philippe Roy, TMR mayor.

The developer argues the prospective development has respected the laws, regulations and planning.

READ MORE: No major impact expected from mega Royalmount project on Montreal businesses

The proposed site is at the corner of two of the busiest highways — Highway 40 and the Décarie Expressway.

WATCH BELOW: Is Royalmount Montreal’s next mega-mall?