In Charlesburg, it was the end of a saga when citizens approved a real estate project on the land of the former Maria-Goretti church after 13 years of postponement.
• Read more: Maria-Goretti Project in Charlesburg: “The Situation Is No Longer Viable”
“Finally!” exclaimed Claude Lavoie, councilor member of the administration responsible for citizen relations. “When I woke up this morning, the first thing that came to mind was “relief”. We actually found a way. We have the right plan at the right place.
Neighbors of the site were asked to vote in a poll held on Sunday. Of the 1,023 eligible voters, 492 exercised their right to vote or 48% of the electorate. In the end, 305 voted for regulatory changes to allow the plan to go into effect; 184 voted against.
“As a result, the regulation has been approved,” Quebec City confirmed in a press release Sunday evening.
The building is not up to standard
So the project could come to fruition at the site, which already has a 63-unit building housing residents, but whose construction was interrupted by a former developer several years ago. The building is not up to standard and the owners cannot insure their accommodation. “Finally, they can turn around and the project can go forward,” Mr. Lavoie commented that both camps welcomed the mobilization of citizens.
The project on schedule includes an addition of 36 units, including townhouses. It will begin construction in the spring of 2025 and work will span 18 months.
The saga in the matter has been going on since 2011 and has had many twists and turns in recent months, including the first request for a referendum and the involvement of a mediator to resolve the impasse. Mr. For Lavoie, this intervention made it possible to move the discussions forward.
Villeneuve was delighted
Official opposition leader Claude Villeneuve also welcomed the decision. “This is a very good thing. It’s interesting that a community-accepted project is coming, and then it was able to be properly validated. It’s interesting that when citizens rally in support of a project, we don’t hear about those who oppose it and have grievances. So we are satisfied and have been trying to take this project forward for a long time under the previous administration,” he said.
– in collaboration with Dominique Lelievre
