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Le Quartier des spectacles


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  • 6 mois plus tard...
MONTREAL

Quartier spearheads plan to repopulate downtown

The city is keen to reverse the net flow of residents out of the city to the suburbs

MONTREAL
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL 
PUBLISHED 7 HOURS AGO
 
 
UPDATED NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal's splashy staging ground for everything from jazz and experimental theatre to outdoor winter festivals, contemporary art and even circus acts. Every year, millions of visitors flock to the area – site of major attractions such as the International Jazz Festival, the Maison symphonique concert hall and the spanking new dance centre, home to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. It's a vibrant – and still evolving – part of the city centre enhancing Montreal's already well-established world reputation as a party-hearty, culturally savvy city.

But there's another element in the urban mix that's a key part of the Quartier's continuing transformation: residential development. The city's master plan for the one-square-kilometre sector includes a strong emphasis on encouraging downtown repopulation. The idea is to avoid becoming an entertainment district only, a neighbourhood that is little more than an "adult theme park" transformed into a ghost town once the crowds have left and the bars and restaurants shut down.

In terms of broader urban planning goals, Montreal – as most metropolitan centres – is keen on reversing the net flow of residents out of the city towards the suburbs. Using the Quartier's attractions to draw residents is a key part of that strategy.

Developers have taken the cue. The Quartier has seen several major new condominium projects go up over the past several years. Among the factors making the area attractive to promoters – besides, of course, the rich entertainment buffet on offer year-round – are its close proximity to the financial district, restaurants, shopping, iconic Mount Royal's green spaces and three universities (McGill, Concordia and Université du Québec à Montréal). Rental apartments and renovated older buildings are also part of the rapidly expanding residential mix.

"The idea is to create a place to live, to learn and have fun," says Marie Lamoureux, spokeswoman for the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, a non-profit co-ordinating group for the sector whose board of directors includes representatives from business, culture, academia, the City of Montreal and public institutions. Ensuring that noise levels are manageable is an important element in efforts to attract and retain residents in the high-density sector that literally pulsates at night during peak festival season with booming music and LED light shows.

Last year, the partnership recommended that the city "establish performance criteria for the construction or renovation of residential structures exposed to high levels of noise and street life." That issue had already been addressed in the city bylaws for the Ville-Marie borough, City of Montreal spokeswoman Anik de Repentigny said. An acoustic review as part of the approval process is required for all new residential construction in Ville-Marie, where the Quartier is located, she said. Noise mitigation measures may be imposed if noise levels are not sufficiently buffered inside, she added.

"When people decide they're going to live downtown they understand there's going to be action and noise that comes with it," said Mitchell Abrahams, president of Toronto-based real estate developer the Benvenuto Group. Earlier this year [2017], Benvenuto delivered Le Peterson, a 34-storey, 286-unit condo tower – a high-profile addition to the city skyline thanks to its distinctive wavy balconies – located on a quiet street in the Quartier, mere minutes from the street-level action.

Noise "wasn't a major factor for us" in assessing the potential attractiveness of the location, Mr. Abrahams said. "The positives and the draws to the area – the university, the proximity to downtown offices and the amenities in the area are what drew people in the first place."

Further east, a major twin-tower condo project now under construction in the Quartier – Laurent & Clark – offers residents broad vistas of one of the larger outdoor public concert venues as well as of the Maison symphonique and the city skyline and mountain. In its sales pitch, promoter Conceptions Rachel-Julien Inc. highlights the 4th-floor common patio as a comfortable, exclusive vantage point for taking in shows on the stage directly out front. Mindful of the noise factor, the developer has put all the bedrooms at the back of the buildings, overlooking a private garden. 

"We wanted to place the emphasis on the view and the balconies, all of which are on the Quartier des spectacles side, and the bedrooms in the back," said Denis Robitaille, the president and founder of Conceptions Rachel-Julien.

far, much of the interest in Laurent & Clark has come from empty nesters, couples whose children have moved out and who are downsizing while at the same time seeking a slightly more stimulating location than that of many condos in more sedate sections of Montreal, Mr. Robitaille said.

Laurent & Clark listing prices – ranging from $320,000 plus taxes for a 650-square-foot one-bedroom to $1.7-million plus taxes for a 2,267-square-foot three-bedroom – are higher than the average prices for Montreal condos, though considerably lower than for something similar in Toronto. However, Mr. Robitaille believes condo buyers in Montreal are prepared to pay more for amenities such as proximity to the downtown and a thriving cultural scene literally at your doorstep.

"They're not Toronto prices but they're high price levels for Montreal," he said.

Benvenuto Group's Mr. Abrahams says he and his team "saw the heart of Montreal as underserved by quality condominium projects, except at the very high-end of the market, which has always found a successful niche.

"The timing, impacted by pent-up demand, seemed right to allow for larger projects to flourish and that excited us. We like to develop projects that can offer great lifestyle amenities, quality design and exciting architecture in locations that already have the transit, shopping, entertainment and other infrastructure in place to create special places to live, work and play."

Buyers of Le Peterson condo units include well-heeled out-of-towners who want a pied-à-terre in Montreal that could do double-duty as an apartment for their children while they attend university, spokesman Paul Jussaume said. Prices range from $345,000 to $1.3-million plus tax.

 

Land for construction of new condo towers is a rarity in the Quartier – a densely packed patch of land containing 80 venues and eight public squares and equipped to accommodate 40 festivals throughout the year – so the result is a tight condo market, Mr. Jussaume said. "There is very little supply in the area. At the same time there is high demand because of the attractiveness of the location. That's a key driver, while supply is somewhat limited."

As to the party vibe in the background: "We're up close and personal. Sure, if you're on the 28th floor and there's a show going on in the middle of July, you're going to hear it from your balcony." But that's part of the attraction, Mr. Jussaume said. "I tell clients it's la vie de quartier on steroids." At any rate, the action doesn't go on all night and residents can shut out the buzz once inside the acoustically well-insulated apartments, he added. The city has placed limits on the duration of events in the public squares. Outdoor Quartier shows are supposed to wrap up by 11 p.m., said Ms. Lamoureux. If a promoter anticipates that a show will finish later, residents – who regularly receive an email newsletter – are advised of the situation, she said. They're also informed in advance of sound checks that are scheduled to take place before a show and whether any streets will be closed to vehicle traffic during high-attendance events like the summer Jazz Festival, which bills itself as the world's largest jazz fest.

The partnership encourages input from local residents and there is a continuing dialogue with them about their concerns and what changes or improvements they would like to see, she said. Meanwhile, Le Peterson's 28th-floor outdoor climbing wall facility – bathed in red light at night – can sometimes lead to a bit of confusion for street-level partiers.

"People look up and see the climbing walls on the 28th floor glowing in red and many come to the front door and ask the concierge if it's a restaurant," Mr. Abrahams says with a laugh.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/quartier-des-spectacles-leads-push-to-repopulate-downtownmontreal/article37113655/

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10 hours ago, jerry said:
Land for construction of new condo towers is a rarity in the Quartier – a densely packed patch of land containing 80 venues and eight public squares and equipped to accommodate 40 festivals throughout the year – so the result is a tight condo market, Mr. Jussaume said. "There is very little supply in the area. At the same time there is high demand because of the attractiveness of the location. That's a key driver, while supply is somewhat limited."

This isn't very serious.  There's a lot of land in the vicinity, the problem is that demand isn't high enough to entice the builders.  All of Saint Laurent could be rebuilt.  Yaccarini isn't even developing the tower portion of his project.  The Spectrum buildings, the empty lots next to the military building on Bleury.  There's a huge surface parking lot in the center of the district.  Within a very short walk, you have large sites at Aylmer St, Phillips Square, SNC Lavalin, and Jeanne-Mance.  

It's great and impressive that the area is re-populating, but it's not red hot or anything.  

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il y a 56 minutes, orages lointains a dit :

 

This isn't very serious.  There's a lot of land in the vicinity, the problem is that demand isn't high enough to entice the builders.  All of Saint Laurent could be rebuilt.  Yaccarini isn't even developing the tower portion of his project.  The Spectrum buildings, the empty lots next to the military building on Bleury.  There's a huge surface parking lot in the center of the district.  Within a very short walk, you have large sites at Aylmer St, Phillips Square, SNC Lavalin, and Jeanne-Mance.  

It's great and impressive that the area is re-populating, but it's not red hot or anything.  

C'est le même genre d'article de journal que l'autre que tu viens de commenter concernant le 628 Saint-Jacques: dans les deux cas, le ton est exagérément optimiste et superlatif.  En cela, ce n'est guère différent des reportages «touristiques»  à tendance fortement promotionnelle, qui ne montrent souvent que le bon côté des choses.  Ça «passe»  bien auprès des lecteurs ignorants de la réalité, et ça fait sourire ceux comme toi qui la connaissent plus intimement.  Donc BRAVO pour tes deux interventions équilibrées.:D

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  • 4 mois plus tard...
Citation

Investir des dizaines de millions en argent public dans le Quartier des spectacles a été rentable, conclut une nouvelle étude commandée par la Ville de Montréal. Les 200 millions nécessaires pour refaire ce secteur du centre-ville ont entraîné des retombées de plus de 2 milliards depuis 10 ans.

Montréal a dévoilé cet après-midi les résultats d'une étude du Groupe Altus sur les retombées économiques immobilières du Quartier des spectacles. Les auteurs ont recensé entre 2007 et 2019 pas moins de 60 projets immobiliers dont la construction a représenté des investissements de 1,5 milliard. Le cinquième de ces projets doit être livré en 2018 et 2019.

Ces investissements ont rapporté gros aux gouvernements, qui ont récolté 228 millions en TPS et TVQ. La Ville de Montréal n'a pas été en reste puisque ces projets ont généré des revenus en taxes foncières et scolaires de 85 millions supplémentaires. Et à partir de 2019, Altus calcule que les 60 immeubles construits ou rénovés généreront des taxes de plus de 37 millions par an.

Signe de la fièvre immobilière touchant le secteur, les terrains autour du Quartier des spectacles ont vu leur valeur augmenter de 21%, contre 15% dans le reste de l'arrondissement Ville-Marie.

 

Le Groupe Altus voit un lien direct entre la frénésie immobilière et le projet du Quartier des spectacles. « C'était un secteur déstructuré et s'il n'y avait pas eu ces investissements publics, le privé n'aurait pas suivi », dit Vincent Shirley, du Groupe Altus.

« La Ville de Montréal et ses partenaires ont profité de retombées 10 fois plus importantes que les sommes investis dans l'aménagement du Quartier des spectacles. C'est une excellente nouvelle et c'est un incitatif fort à continuer à investir dans l'industrie culturelle », a réagi Robert Beaudry, responsable du développement économique de l'administration Plante.

Saluant ces retombées, le président du conseil d'administration du Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles, Jacques Primeau, a dit espérer que les créateurs bénéficieront davantage de ces retombées pour continuer à alimenter la frénésie touchant le secteur. « Si la culture est le moteur de ce développement, alors on doit continuer de nourrir la bête. [...] C'est démontré que la culture est un facteur de développement économique. Alors ces prochaines années, il faudra se préoccuper un peu plus de ce qu'on met sur les scènes, à l'extérieur ou comme dans les salles du Quartier. »

Le développement immobilier du Quartier des spectacles se poursuit, les efforts se concentrant désormais dans la partie Est, le Quartier latin, où au moins 6 projets sont prévus. Quant aux aménagements publics, Montréal doit livrer en 2019 le dernier morceau du Quartier des spectacles, soit l'Esplanade Clark. Le terrain accueillera une place publique où l'on aménagera une patinoire réfrigérée de novembre à mars.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/201804/12/01-5160826-quartier-des-spectacles-les-investissements-ont-ete-tres-rentables.php

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