The City of Montreal has struck a landmark tentative agreement to acquire part of the land from the Molson Coors brewery in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood.
The deal, which was announced on Wednesday, means the site on Notre-Dame Street will be used to develop a green space and a mixed residential project, which includes social housing.
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Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante described the tentative deal as “historic.” She said the city’s proposed plan on the large portion of land will also allow residents to enjoy the water and a walkway to access the river.
“We are demonstrating that promoters and the city can work together,” she said.
Molson Coors announced in 2017 that it was leaving the waterfront property in Montreal where it opened a brewery in 1786. The company is building a new facility in Longueuil, which is expected to be completed in 2021.
A consortium of developers comprised of Selection Group and Montoni agreed to transfer a part of the land it had bought from Molson Coors to the city. It says revitalizing the area and developing a public park on the site is a “vital part” of its collective vision for the site.
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Aside from housing and a large park, the site could be used to develop a school or community spaces. The developed land would meet the needs of Montrealers, according to Plante.
“I think it shows what a good negotiation should look like between a promoter and a city and other partners as well,” she said. “We have to share a common vision, which is about social and affordable housing — in this case, access to the water, parks.
—With files from Global News’ Gloria Henriquez
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