Proposed by the company Construction APP, the integrated residential project is named: Le Saint-Joseph. A public consultation evening took place on Tuesday, December 10 to listen to citizens’ comments and answer their questions.
According to the plans presented by the city of Saint-Raymond, the project would be located on the land of the former Auberge La Bastide at 567 rue Saint-Joseph. The building is currently called Chalet Saint-Joseph.
Project details
There would be 7 3-story buildings with 6 units, 2 4-story buildings with 16 units, another 4-story building with 40 units and a 5-story building with 60 units. The plan is designed so that the smallest buildings are located along Saint-Joseph Street so that the most imposing ones are close to the river so as not to stand out too much in the city’s landscape. Still according to the plans, 60 parking lots will be covered in locations designed under stilts.
No residential project of this scale has been built in Saint-Raymond before, according to what Mayor Claude Duplain indicated during the public consultation: “We worked with the Union of Municipalities of Quebec to succeed in having the right directions and steps to follow. It’s still a special project, we’ve never seen one like this and we don’t want to make a mistake.”
Support from UMQ
Jean-François Sabourin was on site during the public consultation. He is an urban planner for the UMQ and is responsible for supporting Saint-Raymond in taking charge of this project. He was present to put the housing situation in Saint-Raymond in context and to explain what is being done by the city to take charge of the real estate project.
According to its information, Saint-Raymond currently has a housing vacancy rate of 0.6%. With the projected population growth in the MRC being 11% by 2041, he explains that cities must find ways to house their residents.
Several citizens attended the public consultation. Photo: Danick Julien
Success Tags
In order for the project to be acceptable to the Saint-Raymond Municipal Council, markers were put in place to monitor the progress of the file throughout the stages.
Saint-Raymond wants information and accountability from the developer, whether for the impact on traffic, the environmental impact and for the architecture of the building.
Shared reception
Several citizens spoke during the public consultation to express their views on the project. A good number of them are delighted to see that quality housing could be built near downtown Saint-Raymond. Many seniors have expressed a desire to stay in the heart of the city without having to take care of the maintenance that a house entails.
Mayor Claude Duplain also testified to the fact that young Raymond residents wishing to reside in their hometown could not do so, because the number of quality places is very limited. According to him, projects, like that of Saint-Joseph Street, will keep local people directly in the city center.
Although a good number of citizens recognized the need for major real estate projects in Saint-Raymond, others expressed their concerns.
Concerns
Many citizens came to the microphone to question the speakers on certain aspects of the project. Firstly, the monetary aspect of the housing envisaged by the developer had left some perplexed. These citizens wondered if the housing would be affordable and adapted to the economic reality of the residents of Saint-Raymond.
As the project is planned on the land of the former Auberge La Bastide, the building with an important historical significance in Saint-Raymond would be required to be destroyed. A citizen wanted to know if the building had a heritage value that would mean that it could not be demolished, to which Mayor Duplain responded in the negative.
Due to its proximity to the Sainte-Anne River, many citizens are concerned about the possibility of flooding. A citizen also recalled that the two most important buildings were located on the old bed of the river before the withdrawal of islands in the 1970s, which caused, at the time, a deviation in the trajectory of the river. the river.
With the public consultation now complete, the Saint-Raymond municipal council will take the time to provide feedback on citizens’ comments. The council wishes to remain transparent with its population and advises that developments concerning this matter will be transmitted through the city’s communication platforms.
Related News :