Changes have taken place over the past few months at the St-Jacques seniors complex. The family business Immeubles Georges Landry, which first cut services to residents last July, recently took a new step by selling the building of more than 300 units.
According to the Résidences Québec website, it was one of the largest complexes of its kind in Granby due to its number of housing units.
The buildings (civic addresses 325 to 359 rue Saint-Jacques) are now in the ownership of Habitations Tremblant inc, a real estate company from Prévost in the Laurentians. The property value of the complex is nearly $17.4 million.
Just like the Landrys, the buyers are shareholders in a family business: they are Alain Ross (president), his wife Caty Rivard then Kevin Ross. Note that Alain Ross also owns the building located at 94, rue Saint-Charles Sud, also in the city center.
Habitations Granby is the new name of the complex bringing together several types of housing. (Catherine Trudeau/La Voix de l’Est)
For the new owners, bringing back services to seniors is a priority. “We are currently looking for an RPA operator to maintain this vocation for half of the complex, or approximately 180 units,” the co-owner said in an interview. What if [aucune entente ne se concrétise]we will move on to plan B.”
Mr. Ross ideally wants to find an RPA management organization, which will be able to offer nursing services and meals, by the end of January.
Mixedness
Currently, more than 200 housing units (out of 326) are vacant in the vast complex called Habitations Granby. Mr. Ross plans to integrate a mix of tenants into the five adjoining buildings. “We want to create a beautiful community,” he summarized.
The businessman is nevertheless reassuring about maintaining the tranquility of the place. “We want to favor older tenants in a section of the complex,” he mentioned, specifying that the average age of current residents is around 80 years old.
Mr. Ross and his partners also want to offer around fifty housing units for student clients in the building at 325, rue Saint-Jacques, located near the Cégep de Granby.
The other accommodations would be rented to a varied clientele.
Towards a complete withdrawal?
The Landry family still owns a housing complex for independent retirees in Granby. We are talking about the building located at 100-135 rue Saint-Jude Nord, whose property value is $4.7 million.
We see here the two residential buildings belonging to Immeubles Georges Landry, rue Saint-Jude Nord. (Catherine Trudeau/La Voix de l’Est)
What is the future of these buildings dating from the late 1990s? Does the Landry family want to sell it and completely withdraw from the real estate business? If necessary, will we change their vocation, among other things by welcoming a new type of clientele?
Questions that remain unanswered, because Chantal Landry, one of the company’s shareholders, declined our interview request.
