Since 2021, the City of Quebec has been negotiating, as part of the tramway project, to purchase parts of lots belonging to the CHU de Québec – Université Laval.
The future structuring transport network must pass through Laurier Boulevard, where the CHUL hospital is located. The public road must be widened in places to allow the passage of rails and the maintenance of road traffic.
The City has therefore targeted six portions of land of up to 1,153 square meters to acquire in the area on the south side of Laurier Boulevard, between the Ronald McDonald House and the CHUL. No buildings appear on the targeted grassy strips.
However, despite several “discussions, meetings and exchanges […] at present, however, no overall agreement has been reached,” informs the municipal administration in a decision-making summary made public on Monday.
These acquisitions were deemed essential by the Ministry of Transport. The City is therefore turning to the Government of Quebec to ask for permission to accelerate the process and move into the expropriation phase.
To force the Quebec University Hospital to cede parts of the land to it, the Marchand administration pleads the need to secure the project’s schedule, in particular in order to carry out preparatory work.
“The City must immediately take the necessary steps to be able to expropriate […] in order to avoid delays that could have critical consequences on the Quebec tramway project, both financially and in terms of the implementation schedule,” explains the official municipal document.
“Good hope”
Even if the City of Quebec is now considering embarking on the path of expropriation, the CHU of Quebec insists that negotiations are continuing at the table.
“Discussions are still ongoing. We still have good hope of being able to reach an agreement with the City,” expresses spokesperson Jean-Thomas Grantham, refusing however to comment on the reasons behind the impasse which persists.
