Press release
Transfer of the Hippodrome: a strong gesture in favour of the city
Montréal, March 23, 2012 – The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is delighted by the Government of Québec’s decision to transfer the Hippodrome’s 500,000 sq. ft. of land back to the Ville de Montréal free of charge, in exchange for revenue sharing. The joint announcement by the Minister of Finance and Revenue and Minister responsible for the Montréal region, Mr. Raymond Bachand, the Mayor of Montréal, Mr. Gérald Tremblay, and the Chair of the Ville’s Executive Committee and Mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, Mr. Michael Applebaum, demonstrates the willingness of the two parties to make a strong gesture in favour of the redevelopment of an exceptional site for Quebec’s metropolis.
“This transfer—in the form of a win-win model—of such a vast parcel of land in the heart of Montréal, attests to the maturity with which the governments are handling the development of the territory in the metropolitan region. For the Ville de Montréal, the potential of building between 5,000 and 8,000 new housing units offers a unique opportunity to develop an inspiring neighbourhood that will complete the city’s housing offer for young, middle-class families,” stated the President and CEO of the Board of Trade, Mr. Michel Leblanc.
“The Board of Trade supported the adoption of the CCM’s metropolitan land use and development plan (PMAD) last December and is resolutely in favour of a transit-oriented development (TOD) approach. The revitalization of the Hippodrome district, along with several construction projects currently underway nearby in the Triangle (Namur) sector, are indicative of the support for this approach that hinges on transit hubs, which will redefine an entire neighbourhood. The Board of Trade hopes to see a coherent development vision applied to the metropolitan territory as a whole, and would support any initiative in this direction,” added Mr. Leblanc.
“The transfer of the Hippodrome gives the Ville de Montréal and the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough the opportunity to develop an exemplary neighbourhood, both in terms of land use and architecture, which responds to the needs of families. We invite them to take the required steps to ensure that this neighbourhood reflects the best practices of the 21st century,” concluded Mr. Leblanc.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Québec's leading private economic development organization.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Phone: 514 871-4000, extension 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
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