The Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) believes up to 75,000 housing units could be built on underused commercial spaces and large parking lots, including those near shopping centres across the region, La Presse reports.

“We think we’ve really reached that point in the redevelopment of our cities,” said Marie-Michèle Cauchy, director of sustainable and prosperous living environments at the MMC, told La Presse. “If we want to preserve our agricultural areas and our natural environments, we must first think about consolidating what we already have.”

Cauchy was due to present the findings Friday at the Strategic Forum on Major Projects hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. The conversation will highlight the “immense potential of underutilized sites,” both on the island and in neighbouring suburbs, she told La Presse.

The MMC has pinpointed 62 potential redevelopment spaces totalling 1,580 hectares—roughly seven times the size of Mount Royal Park, according to La Presse. These sites, which include commercial areas that can be densified, are all located near public transit services, primarily buses and the metro.

“We would like to make these spaces complete neighborhoods, with parks, schools, new streets, offices, commerce, cultural institutions—in short, all the services people need,” said Cauchy, who estimates 170 to 340 housing units could be built per hectare, in her interview with La Presse.

The MMC represents 82 cities in the Greater Montreal Area. Ultimately, municipal governments, regional county municipalities, and urban areas will decide how much housing is developed on the sites.

“They will ultimately determine the actual percentage of housing,” Cauchy told La Presse. “It’s possible that the capacity will be exceeded, but also lower, if they decide, for example, to dedicate it to office space instead.”

The MMC’s approach aligns with the upcoming revision of its Metropolitan Planning and Development Plan, expected to be adopted in June and take effect in January 2026, according to La Presse. If major transit projects advance, MMC officials are prepared to revise their housing targets, the publication reported.

To meet growing needs, the MMC says 3,000 social and affordable housing units must be built annually until 2035. It aims to finalize an action plan by the end of 2025 with tools to help municipalities reach these targets.

Longer-term, officials want 20% of all rental housing in the metropolitan area to be social or affordable by 2046, according to La Presse. Currently, about 28% of renter households face affordability challenges.

Pictured: Map displaying Montreal-area parking lots and commercial sites on which future housing could be built.

Image: MMC

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