Following the recent call for interest for the sale by mutual agreement of the Îlot Voyageur Sud, the Ville de Montréal has announced the successful bid to proceed to the next stage of the process. To this end, the City has selected the joint proposal submitted by UTILE and Mondev to develop a real estate project on this site that meets the vision and objectives of the City of Montreal, and totals some 1,000 housing units, more than half of which are off the market.
As a result, the City will shortly be taking the next steps with the selected developer to agree on the terms and conditions of the sale of the building known as Îlot Voyageur Sud (IVS), which boasts an exceptional location close to downtown Montreal, connected to public transit.
“This redevelopment project on the Îlot Voyageur Sud site is a concrete way of accelerating residential construction, particularly off-market, and responding to the housing crisis that is particularly severe in the downtown area. It shows that we're making unparalleled efforts to meet needs and ensure mixed-use neighborhoods. This ambitious project will make it possible to develop over 1,000 housing units, more than half of which will be affordable, a stone's throw from downtown and connected to public transport. We're proud to have set the winning conditions for a project that will revitalize the Latin Quarter and Village sectors, while ensuring sustainable affordability in the downtown Montreal area,” says Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal.
“We have everything we need to build an attractive neighborhood where people will want to settle. This project meets the objectives of the Downtown Strategy, which places a strong emphasis on revitalizing key areas such as the Quartier Latin and the Village. We're also keen to keep up the pace with the construction of family and non-market housing, both social and affordable. By using the levers at our disposal, we want to ensure that non-market housing projects continue to see the light of day throughout the metropolis. The Îlot Voyageur Sud project represents an extraordinary opportunity to develop a promising project that will really help revitalize the district,” said Benoit Dorais, vice-president of the executive committee, responsible for finance and property assessment, housing, real estate strategy and legal affairs.
“We're very excited to have the opportunity to develop this iconic site with our partner Mondev. The project we are proposing will contribute to the revitalization of the Latin Quarter, in addition to meeting a variety of housing needs in the area. Through our innovative partnership, we are able to exceed the objectives of the initial call for projects by developing 50% non-profit housing on the site. The Quartier latin was the birthplace of UTILE, and our commitment to student housing is stronger than ever,” added Laurent Levesque, President and CEO of UTILE.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome the City of Montreal's support for the vision we have proposed for the development of this site with UTILE. This is a complex project, and the challenges will be many. We are confident, however, that the expertise of our two organizations will be equal to the task. The innovation of our partnership is key to delivering an optimal project in the shortest possible timeframe,” concludes Jordan Owen, Director and Partner at Mondev.
Project vision
As part of its Downtown Strategy, the City of Montreal wishes to contribute to its economic revival, particularly in the key sectors of the Latin Quarter and the Village. The redevelopment of the Îlot Voyageur Sud (IVS) site is one of the key elements of this strategy, particularly given its exceptional location in the Ville-Marie borough. Among the major objectives put forward are the development of a structuring project contributing to the revitalization of the area, the provision of off-market and family rental housing, and the establishment of commercial and community activities on the first floor of the building.
The selected project
The winning proposal calls for a 14- to 20-storey building with a total of over 1,000 rental housing units. Approximately 430 of the affordable housing units will be dedicated to students. The Maison des gens de lettres, a unique social housing complex supported by an alliance of literary and community players, will also provide 100 non-profit housing units. The project also includes commercial and community spaces on the first floor. It will therefore enable us to expand the range of commercial and community activities, accessible to the community and adapted to the needs of the area.
Montréal would like to thank the groups who responded at short notice to the City's call for interest. The two proposals received were of the highest quality.
