The City of Montreal has reserved the right to have priority over the purchase, when it is put up for sale, of the private seniors’ residence (RPA) Mont-Carmel, at the heart of a legal saga for several years between elderly tenants and developer Henry Zavriyev. The latter is also open to selling the building in the heart of Montreal, provided that a “serious offer” is presented to him.
“The building is subject to the right of pre-emption for the purposes of housing and social housing”, and this, for a period of 10 years, indicates a notice registered in the Quebec land register for this building of 216 housing units following ‘a resolution adopted without fanfare by the municipal council on November 18.
This means that the City will have priority, until 2034, over any other buyer, when the owner expresses his desire to sell this building located on René-Lévesque Boulevard. It could then sell or transfer this building to a non-profit organization which would retain the RPA vocation of this building, explains in an interview the spokesperson for the Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU), Véronique Laflamme.
“It’s a way of ensuring that this housing remains reserved for seniors” and remains affordable, she continues.
“A lot of work to do”
This building has been at the heart of legal proceedings for several years, its tenants having fought several times in court to maintain the services of an RPA in this building. They will also be back before the Superior Court on Tuesday, a judge having to decide what sanctions will be applied to Mr. Zavriyev’s company, found guilty of contempt of court last May.
“The City may or may not exercise its right of pre-emption. It’s a first step, but will she take it? It remains to be seen,” said Duty the tenant Marie-Paule Lebel, who became one of the leading figures of the mobilization which was quickly organized in this building after its acquisition in 2021 by Henry Zavriyev, for the sum of 40 million dollars. She hopes, like several other elderly residents of the building, that it will one day come out of the “private market”. But “there is still a lot of work to do” before such a project comes to fruition, she foresees.
Joined by DutyHenry Zavriyev indicated in writing that he had communicated in the past with non-profit organizations as well as with the City regarding the potential sale of this building, “but no one had shown interest because of the RPA status » of the building. “If that ever changes, we would be happy to sit down with them,” he says.
He specifies that he would be “happy to meet any interested party” who will present “a serious offer” to acquire this building.
“I find that a response like that gives hope,” confided Mme Lebel.
-According to our information, non-profit organizations would be interested in acquiring this building, but the amount requested by the developer would be too high to allow them, currently, to seize this opportunity.
The role of Quebec
However, the acquisition of a building for social purposes “cannot be done without financial participation from the government”, underlines François Saillant, former spokesperson for FRAPRU, who is now involved in a “development committee” which took shape to foresee the future of RPA Mont-Carmel.
“It is absolutely necessary, given the fact that the City has taken this measure and that Zavriyev is ready to sell, for the government to do its part,” underlines Mr. Saillant, according to whom only the State would be able to deploy the funds necessary for the acquisition of this building in downtown Montreal.
This is also what happened with the Manoir Lafontaine, in Plateau-Mont-Royal, which was sold in 2023 to the Interloge organization, so that its 93 apartments could be transformed into affordable housing, all thanks to the financial support from Montreal, Quebec and the Desjardins company.
“The Société d’habitation du Québec is ready to consider any project that will be submitted to it and will analyze the different possible options,” responded by email the office of the Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, when asked about the interest of Quebec to be involved in the possible acquisition of RPA Mont-Carmel.
Mr. Saillant, for his part, doubts that an organization could obtain the necessary financial support from Quebec through the programs in place to finance affordable housing. “It would take a special envelope” intended specifically for the acquisition of this RPA, according to him.
The office of Mayor Valérie Plante did not react.
