Namur-Hippodrome project.

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Hippodrome yes. Cavendish no.

The Federal government and the City of Montreal made an announcement, Monday morning, of a joint investment of $320 million for the infrastructure necessary for the development of the first phase of the Namur-Hippodrome project.

However the mayors of Cote Saint Luc, Town of Mount Royal, and the St. Laurent Borough say the plan is incomplete without a Cavendish Boulevard Extension.

The total sum combines a federal government investment of $128.3 million with $192.5 million from the City of Montreal. The Namur-Hippodrome District is an ambitious plan to develop up to 20,000 new housing units, including 50% off -market housing, a complete neighborhood with shops, services, and 14 hectares of green space, public and active transport networks, plus schools, community, sports and cultural centers, a library. and health care centers.

However, a release signed by the mayors of The City of Cote Saint Luc, Town of Mount Royal, and the St. Laurent Borough says “it is our firm belief and conviction that in order for this project to be a success, the full north-south Cavendish extension must be included in the plan to redevelop the site. Failure to include the Cavendish extension would be an omission that would undermine the integrity, safety, and viability of the entire development.”

The leader of Ensemble Montreal, mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada agrees, saying “Cavendish isn’t just a road, it’s the backbone for housing, transit, and sustainable growth in Montreal’s went end.”

The Suburban reported last month, quoting Montreal traffic consultant Rick Leckner, that, according to his sources at City Hall, a Cavendish extension is “off the table.” This despite the fact that Monreal Mayor Valerie Plante – whose mandate ends in just weeks — had once promised “we’re doing Cavendish for sure.”

At the press conference to announce the joint investment, held on the Namur-Hippodrome site, Plante said she is “extremely proud,” adding that the investment announcement marks “the start of construction” of the project.

The long-promised Cavendish extension is nowhere to be found the announcement.

Proponents of the extension have long argued for its importance to economic development, public security, and urban planning and political commitment.

“We call on all three levels of government to work together to ensure that the Cavendish extension is completed as part of the Namur-Hippodrome redevelopment project. And we call on the Provincial government to insist that City of Montreal honour all its obligations under the 2017 agreement through which the land was ceded by Quebec to Montreal.”

Côte St. Luc councillor Dida Berku told The Suburban Monday that it is interesting that the federal and provincial governments are investing in a major project with 20,000 housing units, but that the planned “water and sewer infrastructure usually takes a road plan, because you put that infrastructure under the roads.

“The City of Montreal hasn’t finalized that plan! They have Jean Talon [to Décarie), they have Devonshire [to Paré], but they don’t have the third link, which has to go west towards Côte St. Luc. They’ve given us all kinds of options (Clanranald into Côte St. Luc from Jean Talon, Mackle in CSL to Jean Talon), but the only option that is viable is the Cavendish connection. The three Mayors are insisting that they come up with a comprehensive road plan and that it be integrated with Cavendish.” n