Montréal, November 3, 2016 – This evening, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal will submit its brief entitled Réinventer le centre-ville de Montréal pour répondre aux besoins du futur (Reinventing Downtown Montréal to Meet Future Needs) to the Office de consultation publique de Montréal as part of the consultation process on the Ville de Montréal’s Downtown Strategy. Mr. Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber, has taken this opportunity to salute the city's initiative. “This consultation process is a unique opportunity to reflect on the city we want for the future, or a place where our children will want to live, work, study and play,” he said.
An economic driver for the entire province
“We are pleased that this strategy stresses downtown Montréal’s position as the province’s economic driver and primary employment hub. The downtown area must be able to fulfill its role as Quebec’s economic epicentre. For this to happen, special care must be taken to make the downtown community diversified and dynamic. More needs to be done to reduce the gap between the non-residential and residential property tax burden. Zoning laws will have to foster the emergence of modern and innovative light manufacturing businesses. The downtown area will also need to be laid out so that it has access to fast and streamlined truck transportation from the port and airport,” added Michel Leblanc.
New momentum for commercial arteries
“The Chamber stresses the importance of attracting destination shops to the downtown area, particularly Sainte-Catherine Street. We need to take advantage of current construction work to transform the experience on Montréal’s downtown streets. This will attract new clienteles to the heart of Montréal and increase revenue from tourist dollars. The strategy must also breathe new life into other commercial arteries near the downtown core, such as Saint-Laurent and Saint-Denis,” continued Mr. Leblanc.
A vibrant and modern city
“The Chamber fully supports the city's goals to increase the downtown population by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. To achieve this, we will have to create a true living environment for a modern and high-density city. To attract new residents and families, the city will have to develop downtown Montréal so that it is a complete ‘live, work, play’ environment. To attract families, the downtown area will need local shops, schools, parks and sports facilities,” added Michel Leblanc.
The Strategy’s optimized role for Mount Royal
“The Chamber supports improving access to the St. Lawrence, but this must be done without detracting from port activities, which are key to the city’s economy. The river is an invaluable asset that gives the Island of Montréal a unique character. Mount Royal is also an undeniable attraction, but it is hard to get to from downtown. We encourage the city to plan the downtown area so that tourists and residents can easily access not only the river but also Mount Royal. A possible solution could be connecting Mount Royal to downtown by cable car,” concluded Michel Leblanc.
To consult the Chamber’s brief, click here.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM)
With a network of over 7,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Guillaume Bérubé
Advisor, Media Relations
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
gberube@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
To continue the discussion: #ccmm