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Financially backed by partners Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ and Fiera Private Lending, Devimco Immobilier has been granted licence to proceed with construction of Le Square Children's, a massive building project on the site of the former Montreal Children's Hospital. The historic nurses' residence will be preserved into the multi-faceted project, but the other buildings on the site are set to have a date with the wrecking ball. Select Art Deco elements will be retained and incorporated into the project.
The development will breathe new life into the corner of Atwater Avenue and René-Lévesque Boulevard through the injection of multiple uses, including a residential assortment of condominiums, rental apartments and social housing. Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes are behind the design of the six-tower project, which will also contain a hotel, office space, and ground-level retail bays. Planned common areas include a view-laden sky lounge and a state-of-the-art fitness centre, claimed to be one of the largest ever built in a Montreal apartment tower.
Devimco is expected to start preparing the site this week by removing asbestos from the hospital structures. Demolition is then scheduled to begin on August 29 and conclude on April 10, 2018. In the midst of the deconstruction, excavation is proposed to commence in November of this year, with a targeted completion date of July 2022.
The news comes on the heels of a major federal investment in the city's future transit system, announced last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM) LRT network will receive a $1.283 billion contribution from the government through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The 67-kilometre system will include 27 stations and operate 20 hours a day, linking Montreal's vibrant downtown core to the West Island, South Shore, North Shore, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
"The REM is one of the most ambitious public transportation projects in our history. In addition to making it quicker and easier for millions of Quebec residents to get around, the REM will reduce the number of cars on the roads, help ease traffic and make the air cleaner," said Prime Minister Trudeau. "The announcement today represents a big step toward improving the quality of life of Canadians and their families, creating good, well-paying jobs for the middle class and growing the economy."
The province of Quebec has also set aside $1.283 billion for the $6.04-billion project, which will be the fourth-largest automated transportation system in the world after Singapore, Dubai and Vancouver. Construction on the network is expected to begin in the fall and enter operation in late 2020.
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