Real estate developer Devimco is not planning a baseball stadium in its Peel Basin development, but that doesn’t mean it is closing the door on the idea just yet.
In videoconference on Monday, company president Serge Goulet unveiled the first models of his vision of the Peel Basin.
Neither of the two sketches he presented to the media included a baseball stadium.
READ MORE: Montreal baseball stadium proposal requires independent public consultations, report says
Yet he said Devimco is discussing the possibility of a partnership with Stephen Bronfman and Pierre Boivin, of Claridge and the Montreal Baseball Group, in the development of the neighbourhood.
Goulet also indicated that the lands targeted by this development are those that already belong to him and those held by the Canada Lands Company (SIC), not those of Loto-Québec.
In an article published in November 2019, La Presse reported that Claridge and Devimco had sights on some 440,000 square feet belonging to Loto-Québec in the area.
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For Goulet, the lands are not necessary for the development of the district as he understands it, “but if a stadium project were added, it would be good to have more surface area.”
How long is he prepared to wait for Bronfman? The way things turn out, it just might be the latter who is waiting for Devimco in the future.
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Goulet recalled that his neighbourhood development project was presented to the City of Montreal in 2018 and that the latter will not submit its development plan before the summer of 2021, a few months before the municipal elections, which could have the effect of further delaying the start of construction, possibly until 2023.
To this end, Goulet was part of a group of 12 signatories of an open letter sent to the City of Montreal last week, which asked the city to accelerate the development of the city centre, including the Bridge sector. The signatories believe the city is depriving itself of “billions of dollars” as it awaits a green light from the Plante administration to go ahead with its projects.
READ MORE: Bronfman presents vision for Peel Basin at public consultation office, including baseball stadium
Goulet wants the city and private developers to come together to set goals and deadlines now, subject to strict accountability rules. He wants to propose a “new deal,” in which the city would be more permissive in its demands in return for greater community involvement on the part of developers.
For Devimco, it is essential that the R.E.M. stop in the neighbourhood to make it interesting for development. In this regard, he proposed to defray part of the costs of a possible station to the tune of $25 million.
Based on the current route, the R.E.M. bypasses Peel Basin. Goulet points out that adding a station after the electric train is already in operation could multiply construction costs by a factor of 10.
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