1,600 Housing Units Slated for the Foot of Guy St. on the Lachine Canal

 Two of Montreal's better known residential developers have got the nod to build as many as 1,600 housing units on the Lachine Canal in the Sud-Ouest borough.
Canada Lands Co., a federal agency that sells off unneeded government land, has tapped Prével and Conceptions Rachel-Julien to be part of the redevelopment of the area called Les Bassins du Nouveau Havre.
They will build in area between William St. and the canal just west of the foot of Guy St.
The press release issued yesterday doesn't give too many details, but specifies that the first phase of construction will start late next year and will involve "various residential lots".  That implies smalleer projects, rather a mega-development of the kind Devimco is proposing a little further east.
What caught my eye about this project, for which no drawings or plans have yet been made public, is the fact that Prével and Rachel-Julien have committed to incorporating 400 units of social and community housing. They will work with Batir son Quartier, which coordinates the construction of housing cooperatives. They will also partner with RESO, Regroupement économique et social du Sud-Ouest, a community organization that looks out for the socio-economic interests of the people of southwest Montreal.
But then, Prével, at least has a track record for this kind of development. When it purchased the old Imperial Tobacco plant on St. Antoine St. several years ago, it committed to making social and community housing part of the project, as well.
The redevelopment of the industrial land around the canal is big project. You can read up on it and see computer models of the site's master plan by visiting this web site.