New residential building to rise near Saint-Roch overpass
Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
peterblack@qctonline.com
In a reversal of Joni Mitchell’s ode to paving a paradise to put in a parking lot, developers are planning an eco-friendly residential building in what is now a parking lot in Saint-Roch – with a freeway overpass looming over it.
The city is expected to soon approve the permits for a six- storey apartment building, to be called Le Arno, built by Logis-Experts, one of the city’s busiest residential developers.
Jean-François Beaudoin, head of development and real estate investment for Logis- Experts, said in an interview with the QCT the project is unusual – flyé was the word he used in French – in several respects.
The first, and perhaps most obvious, is the location of the proposed $25-million building in a seemingly forlorn spot a few steps from Boul. Charest now used as a parking lot. The site is bordered by Rue des Prairies and Rue de l’Éperon, and for those familiar with the area, it’s around the corner from Comptoir Emmaüs.
Beaudoin said another unusual feature would be the building’s U-shape. The courtyard within the U would be planted with mature trees and vegetation to mitigate the impact of apartments facing each other.
As for the unusual aspect of a new residential building having a busy freeway ramp adjacent, Beaudoin said the block would be built so that no apartment windows would face the structure. “No one will be living under the overpass,” he said.
Building a large structure in a dense urban space is not an obstacle to construction, Beaudoin said. His company has dealt with such constraints in its other projects in the central city.
Beaudoin said the 93 apartments would be mostly smaller units targeted at young professionals who work in the area, citing the example of the Palais de Justice building just around the corner. The building bridges Saint-Roch with the Old City along Rue Saint-Paul with its many restaurants and other businesses.
There will be a handful of larger apartments for families, and a certain number of affordable housing units depending on an agreement to be negotiated with the city.
Beaudoin said his company would not be investing in the Le Arno project and a few others in the area yet to be announced if it didn’t have confidence in the Saint-Roch district. The area has been in the news in recent months with reports of businesses fleeing because of the deterioration of Rue Saint-Joseph and safety concerns in the area.
Before construction can begin, likely in early winter, the soil will be decontaminated, and an archeological dig needs to be conducted on the site, which falls within the limits of the designated historical zone and has been occupied since the early years of Quebec City.
In fact, one of the conditions the city imposed on the proposed building is that it not encroach on what’s known as the Maison Blanche, on Rue Saint-Vallier. The house, built in 1679, was originally on the large property of Louis Hébert, a legendary figure in Quebec history.