Housing may become part of the new Royalmount megamall project in the Town of Mount Royal to be built near the intersection of Highways 15 and 40.
In the meantime, they're getting the land ready for construction of the $1.8 billion, 2.5 million square foot project, expected to begin next spring.
Executive vice-president of developer Carbonleo Claude Marcotte said housing was not part of the original plan but if TMR okays the rezoning,
"We did our study and we're looking at it seriously," Marcotte told CJAD 800.
"We're in discussion with TMR at this moment."
But will TMR rezone the industrial area to include residential buildings?
"At first it's not the first thing we think to have residential over there but we'll wait to see what Carbonleo wants to propose to us," said mayor Philippe Roy in an interview.
Roy said they're meeting in the next week and the subject could go for a vote before council in January.
Snowdon councillor Marvin Rotrand said it's a positive measure but he's still unconvinced the project could be scaled down.
"It seems the promoter is slowly moving this way but we still don't have the data we require about traffic and traffic impact on quality of life and on air quality," said Rotrand.
Rotrand said they don't want to see "another Quartier DIX30 project from the South Shore plunked into Montreal."
That megamall was also one of Carbonleo's projects.
CARBONLEO
Carbonleo is also preparing about ten measures to ease potential traffic problems.
"We have the opportunity to enlarge Côte-de-Liesse on our site," said Marcotte.
Marcotte said they got the okay from the STM and the Transport Ministry for a covered pedestrian walkway over the Décarie expressway connecting the metro to the Royalmount site.
Marcotte said it'll cost about $20M and they're footing the entire bill.
They'll be demolishing the buildings at 8400 and 8600 Decarie. Carbonleo said 80% of the concrete, wood glass and other materials will be recovered and recycled on site.
Marcotte said leasing is going extremely well without revealing names or numbers.
They've already teamed up with Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.
The project features an entertainment venue, restaurants, stores, five hotels, an aquatic park, a skating rink and other businesses.