JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Construction for a long-awaited affordable housing project kicked off on Dawson Ave. in Dorval on Monday. The four-storey building will offer 82 low-cost rental units to autonomous residents ages 55 and up.

The project, titled “Habitations Les Îles Courcelles,” was first pitched back in 2017, but progress on the file was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The important thing is that we never abandoned this project,” said Mayor Marc Doret at a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday. “There were, of course, difficult moments, but also moments of hope. And today we’re here, proud of what we accomplished together.”

The price tag for the project is set at around $35 million. The City of Dorval will cover approximately $5 million of that cost, which will include the cost of decontaminating the property. The rest of the cost is covered through financial support from the Quebec government and from the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal. Other financial partners will be announced “a little bit later on,” Doret said.

The building will be constructed using prefabricated modules designed by Les Industries Bonneville, a manufacturing and building design company that specializes in prefabricated homes.

Speaking at the press conference, Isabelle Pépin, director general of Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal, expressed excitement about the modules.

“They are vibrant,” she said. “I walked around the factory – they are magnificent,” adding that this is an innovative approach to affordable housing projects.

The building is expected to be completed in early 2027.