Laval announces future plans to develop Carré Laval

The City of Laval unveiled its plans to develop Carré Laval on Tuesday – to build a low-carbon neighbourhood in the Lagacé quarry near Highway 15, with nearly 22 hectares of land, which is equivalent to more than 30 football fields.

“The vision for the development of Carré Laval emphasizes quality of life, innovation, and sustainability. On this exceptional site, in the heart of downtown, we will create a unique environment where the community can flourish in a healthy, dynamic, and resolutely forward-looking environment,” said Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

Carré Laval will offer diversified and inclusive housing they say, with the aim of creating over 3,500 units.

The City of Laval wants to create of a mixed urban space, where housing, businesses, green spaces, and cutting-edge research facilities can coexist.

“We will have a lot of housing that will be affordable and we want it to be a neighbourhood where people can live, play and work. So we’ll also have business and we are also working with universities and CEGEPs to have their own footprints in this new neighborhood to build,” added Boyer.

In 2020, the government of Quebec granted $10 million in financial assistance for the decontamination and redevelopment of the site.

“For our government, reviving places like Carré Laval is much more than an economic project. It’s an opportunity to create spaces where our community can come together and thrive. Thanks to the collaboration of many local stakeholders, we have a unique opportunity to revitalize our downtown and our region,” said Christopher Skeete, MNA for Sainte-Rose.

The Angus Development Corporation (SDA) will oversee the first phase of the construction work.

According to a press release, their SDA will have to build 1,000 affordable housing units and develop a building dedicated to health, life sciences, commercial and research activities.

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“This building will be designed to encourage gatherings and networking among community members,” reads the press release.

Additionally, as part of the overall vision of the project, the City of Laval wants the public’s opinion for the future park at Carré Laval, to ensure that this new green space will meet the needs and aspirations of the public.

Citizens can come together Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Cabaret de l’Avenir at Collège Letendre for information and open discussions.

“Ultimately, Carré Laval will become a pivotal and identity-building hub for Laval residents and will attract people from all walks of life. This international-scale project will allow the City of Laval to enter a new era. We want to create a truly happy neighborhood,” stated Mayor Boyer.

Action Laval says project poorly planned

Action Laval Interim Leader Achille Cifelli and Saint-Bruno Municipal Councilor David De Cotis strongly criticized the Carré Laval project on Tuesday.

They claim that in addition to being unable to address the financial and scheduling issues involved with carrying out a project of this magnitude, the project also ignores the city’s growing debt since Mayor Boyer was elected.

“Once again, the mayor has tabled an extravagant, poorly thought-out project with purely electoral aims that he is finding hard to hide,” said Cifelli. “With no timetable or solid financial structure, and at a time when the housing crisis is unfolding before our very eyes, the project does not foresee any final delivery of the project for at least 20 to 25 years.”

Action Laval also denounced the project because it’s supposed to be car-free, but residents will struggle as it’s located several kilometres away from the nearest metro station. It does not have any bus lines, or even an additional service on the bus lines that currently serve the area.

“When [the mayor] is telling us that we’re close of a major transportation, he’s talking about Metro Montmorency, which is, yes, close for the industries, but for the people living there, we’re over two kilometers walking or by bicycle, if they’re not using their car,” said Action Laval’s spokesperson, Frédéric Mayer.

“The current administration has not consulted the civil society or the private sector. It is presenting us with a project without an impact study. The improvisation of funding means that we fear the future, at a time when housing needs demand rapid action,” added De Cotis.

The Mayor of Laval aims to establish the city as a model of an innovation zone that promotes wellness in harmony with nature.

“We are known for our highways and our shopping malls but I think Laval can be a lot more, Laval deserves a lot more. Sometimes we look at what’s going on in other countries and we’re kind of jealous and we tell ourselves this can’t happen in Quebec, we’re not good enough. I want to tackle this view. I want to show the world that we can do great things in Quebec, we can do great things in Laval and we can lead the show,” added Boyer.