Montreal’s public consultation office (OCPM) has approved the $2.2-billion redevelopment plan for the Place Versailles mall.

The approval marks a major advancement in the transformation of the 61-year-old shopping centre. The approval follows months of public consultations, during which residents and stakeholders voiced support and raised concerns about the project’s scope and execution.

Place Versailles is located in the borough of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve near the Radisson Metro station.

The OCPM’s 109-page report endorsed the redevelopment but recommended improvements, including adjustments to the 25-storey residential tower.

“The consultation that took place in August and September 2024 revealed that public opinion is divided,” said the OCPM in a news release. “Despite the generally positive reception to the idea of ​​revitalizing and densifying the site perceived as a heat island, the redevelopment plan faces strong local opposition in its current form. Indeed, the affordability of housing and future businesses, the proposed density thresholds, the impacts on traffic as well as the heights and shape raise very real concerns for residents currently living on the edge of the site.

The report calls for the tower’s height to be reduced by removing floors or redistributing them elsewhere on the site in order to alleviate community concerns about obstructed views and increased density. The OCPM also recommends that the project’s 25-year timeline be reduced by combining or accelerating certain phases.

The municipal body also wants to see more affordable and social housing units on the site and “a direct, safe, user-friendly and universally accessible link to the Radisson station.

Denis Perras, a resident living near the site, expressed cautious optimism.

“I must say the commissioners took into account many of our concerns,” he told the Montreal Gazette. “Now, we’ll have to wait to see how things play out.”

Unveiled earlier this year, the redevelopment plan seeks to transform the 17-hectare site in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood. The project includes more than 5,000 housing units, commercial spaces, a primary school, parks, a hotel, and community facilities.

“The commercial vocation of the site will, however, remain significant,” the mall’s owners noted in a statement​​ in the summer.

Place Versailles, originally opened in 1963 as Montreal’s first indoor shopping mall. The retail centre holds sentimental and historical value for many residents.

According to the OCPM news release a participant in the public consultation process asked: “How will you help us love your project?”

“This quote sums up the conclusions of the OCPM report well,” OCPM added. “Indeed, improvements must be made to the project to address the legitimate concerns of citizens who currently live on the outskirts of the site and, moreover, to make this project a true model of the vision proposed by the City of Montreal’s Urban Planning and Mobility Plan (PUM.)”   

According to CBC, Richard Dubrovsky and John William Gregory are the listed owners of Place Versailles on the province’s business registry.

The OCPM has forwarded its report to Montreal city council.

Photo: CNW Group/OCPM