Business owners and clients of the Elm Plaza strip mall in Beaconsfield, Que., would like the property to undergo a major renovation and see it modernized, but not sold to residential developers.
The property, north of A20, is for sale, listed at more than $9 million.
The RE/MAX brokers are listing it as an “ideal location for the creation of high end condos.” The property is zoned commercial and would require a re-zoning to residential for a housing project to be built.
The mayor of Beaconsfield wrote in a text message to Global News that a zoning change is possible, depending on the type project proposed.
“I think a zoning change would be considered depending on the proposed project,” Mayor Georges Bourelle wrote.
Business owners at the mall and their clients, however, oppose any plans to allows condos to be built.
“Too much condos. I’m against it,” Henriette Azar, a client of Revolution Hair Studio, told Global News.
The hair salon has been operating in the mall for 35 years. One of the stylists says there were attempts years ago to sell the property and convert it into a housing project, but were defeated.
“They tried in the past and people contested that and we always won,” Jackie Haddad of Revolution Hair Studio told Global News.
Instead, Haddad says the property needs a major facelift to attract new clients and businesses.
“I just hope they make it a little bit better,” she said.
It’s a feeling shared by other business owners in the mall.
“Beaconsfield is very community-oriented. We like to support local. It would be a shame to tear down this mall and have it become condo buildings. I think we have enough condo buildings,” Vanessa Percher, co-owner of Chef Veganessa, told Global News.
The asking price is more than three times higher than the municipal assessment of $3 million.
A real estate broker who grew up in the area says the commercial businesses operating inside the mall are important to local residents.
“I think there are businesses here that are very important to the community, so to get rid of that, I think there will be some pushback from the residents,” Sean Broady of Broady Windsor Group told Global News.
The owner of the property didn’t reply for a comment and the real estate brokers listing the property weren’t available to comment by deadline.