The start of the work of the future Molson district in Montreal revealed such a level of contamination that its promoters are now hoping to obtain help from the Quebec government.
This is also what the director of major projects at Montoni, Leonard Verrilli, revealed on Friday, on the sidelines of the “Forum on major projects”, an annual event organized by the Metropolitan Montreal Chamber of Commerce (CCMM).
“We have a hundred million dollars of work connected […] to the decontamination of the site that we had not necessarily planned. […] I would not say that the project is blocked. But we are in discussion with different government entities in order to find a solution together. ”
Also known as the “Brewer District”, this real estate project expected for ages consists in the erection of a new mixed (residential and commercial) district of 1.1 million square feet, located between the Jacques-Cartier bridge, in the east, and the Old Montreal, to the west.
The Montoni group and the FTQ real estate fund have been the only two project promoters, since the collection of a selection group, a former company of the Réal Bouclin businessman, dismantled following important financial troubles.
-The director, major projects, of Montoni did not wish to reveal the share of the $ 100 million of decontamination that his company would be ready to assume, but explained that other promoters, managers of neighboring projects such as the Enlightenment district (Mach Group) and the Esplanade Cartier (Prevel), were able to receive help from Quebec to reduce their decontamination costs.
“We are told that there have already been budgetary envelopes for this purpose which no longer exist today. We understand the situation of the government, but we also have challenges and we would also like to be able to benefit from it [de ce type de soutien].»
Beyond financial aid, Mr. Verrilli reported other technical or regulatory options that would make the life of Montoni and the FTQ fund with this project. Permission from the Ministry of the Environment to move contaminated soils to other sites would be another.
“Discussions are continuing,” he said. “But there are other strategies that we could deploy which [ne correspondent] not necessarily [à] A check in the end. “
More details will follow.
