JOHN JANTAK
The 1510 Report
It is projected that the population of Kirkland will grow by as much as a third in the next 10 years, but the town’s expansion will not be limited to the residential sector. It’s industrial and commercial base is going to get bigger, too. And signs of that building boom can already be seen on the north side of Highway 40, where the steel frames of two massive industrial buildings are taking shape.
In fact, there will be three new structures in the industrial campus north of the highway just west of St. Charles Blvd., a strip that encompasses 1.3 million square feet, when the buildings are completed
The project represents a $300-million investment by the Rosefellow real estate management and development firm which owns the land.
“One reason for the large investment is because all three buildings will be carbon neutral,” said Kirkland director general Joe Sanalitro.
“This is very important to the town in order to reach our objectives in terms of sustainable development. There are not too many buildings like this right now on the Island of Montreal,” Sanalitro added.
“The land, which is zoned industrial, was expropriated by the city 12 years ago for $25 million and we sold it for $70 million. There was a welcome tax of over $1.6 million,” said Mayor Michel Gibson.
The city is not yet sure how much tax revenue will be generated after the construction phase is completed.
The first building will be completed by the end of this year and the other two by spring 2024. The tenants of the new buildings have not yet been publicly announced. More than 800 trees will be planted on the site.
New commercial operations, too
The city’s commitment to sustainable development is also what prompted electric carmaker Tesla to locate in a 90,000-square-foot dealership along the Highway 40 service road east of St. Charles Blvd.
“They wanted to set up shop in Kirkland because of the services we give our residents and to the commercial sector as well,” Sanalitro said. “We’re happy to have them because their mission lines up with our sustainability plan as well.”
It took almost three years of discussions between the city, Tesla and the Broccolini Group, which developed and manages the property, to realize the project.
“They did a great job on the site itself. We had some high standards in terms of architecture and they were willing to follow those standards,” Sanalitro said. “And we’re happy with the result.”
Another major project currently under way is the expansion of the Canadian Tire retail outlet on Highway 40 west of St. Charles Blvd., which is building an extension to its existing building that will add about a third more space to the retail outlet.
“It’s a big project. They’re modernizing the whole store,” Sanalitro explained. “The expansion is mostly on the west side of the structure where they had the outdoor nursery.”
He added the city council is very selective with the development projects that are authorized in Kirkland.
“We really strive hard to keep the quality of life for the residents versus development,” Sanalitro said. “There’s always aspects that are considered by council, the impact on quality of life but also the balance between development and the quality of development.”
In the next decade, the population of Kirkland, which now stands at about just over 19,000 is expected to reach about 30,000, with the jump in the number of residents coinciding with the opening of the REM light rail service, mitigating the demand a growing population will put on the region’s road network.
There are currently three residential projects in the works in Kirkland, including the Lacey Green Village development. This project – which stretches from the border with Pointe Claire westward, between Brunswick Blvd. and the Highway 40 service road – includes 47 single-family homes, 110 townhouses and up to 900 condo units in a string of buildings that could be as high as 12 storeys. Another 800 units will be found in four buildings slated to go up near Ste. Marie Road, and another development with an as of yet undetermined number of units will be built on the site of the RioCan Centre near the Kirkland cinema.
Cutline: The steel frame of new industrial building can be seen taking shape north of Highway 40, west of St. Charles.
Credit: The 1510 West