Latest news with #CanadaLandsCompany
CBC
3 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Old NFB head office in Montreal to get new lease on life with mixed-use development
The former home of the National Film Board on Côte-de-Liesse Road in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough has sat vacant since 2019, but that could soon change. The Canada Lands Company unveiled its plans for the site on Thursday, which includes transforming the area —equivalent in size to approximately six football fields — into a mixed-use residential, commercial and cultural hub. Christopher Sweetnam-Holmes, the Crown corporation's senior director of real estate for Quebec and the Atlantic, said after 30 months of consultations with the public, the project has changed to better answer the community's needs. Issues raised by the community, Sweetnam-Holmes said, included a need for more housing, stores within walking distance and more parks for kids to play in. "So first, we're going to insert 700 units of new residential housing, of which half will be non-market housing," Sweetnam-Holmes said. "So that means social housing, affordable housing, non-profit housing. Then, we're going to repurpose 80 per cent of the buildings on the site, only demolishing 20 per cent." The plans include room for retail and office space, as well as more green space including a big community park centre in the middle of the housing development. And to preserve the legacy of the NFB, Sweetnam-Holmes said there will be a place "where art gets made" and people can take part in cultural activities. Also, the future Côte-de-Liesse REM station, which is slated to open later this year, is less than a kilometre away. Sweetnam-Holmes is hopeful the project will be transformative. "I think it's going to bring a lot of new life," Sweetnam-Holmes said. "Because you're going to have all these new people, you're going to have kids, you're going to have people working here, it's going to become like this really dynamic place." In an interview with CBC, Robert Shearmur, a professor of urban planning at McGill University, struck an optimistic tone when discussing the project. WATCH | What is co-op housing and can it help alleviate housing crisis: How co-operatives could become a hack to Canada's housing crisis 17 days ago Duration 5:18 People who live in them say they offer an attractive, low-cost alternative as the price of renting and buying property rises. Here's how housing co-ops work and why we might start hearing more about them in Canada. He said the Canada Lands Company has a good track record when it comes to listening to communities and coming up with good development ideas and proposals. He did, however, raise a few areas of concern. "These are all wonderful ideas if they work," he said, but added they need to be properly scaled. "There's a very small residential area right next to it. So, for a population of, let's say a couple of thousand people, how much culture, how much community space do you need or would be used?" Shearmur asked. The same question applies to retail and office space. Shearmur said he doesn't believe the population size will necessarily warrant having a big grocery store and people will likely have to do their weekly shopping elsewhere. Which brings us to the issue of cars and where to park them. In its current form, the site will have 350 indoor parking spots for residential use, 180 indoor and 60 outdoor spots for commercial use. Shearmur said that might not be enough. "Unless people happen to work along the REM line, getting to work ... typically requires a car," he said. "I suspect that housing units will be more difficult to sell without at least one space per unit." Meanwhile, housing advocates worry about how affordable the new units will be. " The market prices right now are crazy if you look at the prices in Montreal, and even in Quebec," said FRAPRU coordinator Catherine Lussier. "Even if you go below the market, how much below the market?" Even at 80 per cent, Lussier said tenants risk being priced out. Meanwhile, Sweetnam-Holmes said its impossible at the moment to know what the rents might look like. "All that we know is that they will meet the standards of both the City of Montreal and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in terms of what they define as affordable housing," he said. According to the CMHC website, "housing is considered affordable if it costs less than 30 per cent of a household's before-tax income." Later this year, Canada Lands Company will start taking proposals from developers who want to make the vision a reality. It says the first residents could start moving in in 2028.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Major redevelopment planned for former NFB head office in Montreal
A site once home to Canada's most iconic documentaries and animated films is set for a dramatic transformation. A site once home to Canada's most iconic documentaries and animated films is set for a dramatic transformation. Canada Lands Company (CLC), the federal Crown corporation that acquired the former National Film Board (NFB) headquarters on Côte-de-Liesse Boulevard, unveiled its master plan for a complete redevelopment of the roughly five-hectare property in the Saint-Laurent borough. The vision is a new urban neighbourhood blending housing, green space, culture, and commerce while preserving the site's cinematic legacy. 'We want to keep the DNA of what the NFB is and what people love about it,' said Christopher Sweetnam-Holmes, senior director of real estate at Canada Lands Company. 'This project is about respecting that legacy, while meeting the community's needs today — for housing, for parks, and for local services.' The site, which spans nearly 49,000 square metres (roughly the size of six football fields) is set to be redeveloped over the next several years. The latest version of the plan was presented to the public at an open house Thursday. The proposed mixed-use neighbourhood includes 700 residential units, half of which are expected to be below-market or affordable housing. CLC's Marcelo Gomez-Wiuckstern said it's a direct response to one of the most common themes to emerge from community consultations. 'We had several open houses — about 600 people came through — and the need for affordable housing came up again and again,' said the company's vice-president of corporate communications and public affairs. Developers said the goal is to create an inclusive, accessible living environment with an emphasis on meeting the needs of the existing community, especially for vulnerable residents. 'There are a lot of people in this neighbourhood who are immigrants and who currently live in unsatisfactory housing,' said Sweetnam-Holmes. 'We want to build something that responds to that — that integrates people instead of pushing them out.' To help achieve that goal, the self-funded federal agency said it's working with community groups and non-profit housing developers as planning moves forward. In addition to housing, about 35 per cent of the site will be reserved for commercial and office use. The plan includes local shops and workspaces aimed at supporting innovation and small business growth. Cultural preservation is another core element, which is why the company plans on preserving 80 per cent of the site's existing buildings — a decision that helps reduce the project's carbon footprint, while also honouring the NFB's long history in the space. 'Some of the spaces, including one of the theatres, will remain as-is, so people can still screen films there,' said Sweetnam-Holmes. 'It's important to maintain that connection to what this site meant for Montreal and for Canadian film.' The future neighbourhood will also feature significant green space. More than 8,860 square metres — between 18 to 20 per cent of the total site — is slated to become public parks and landscaped areas. Right now, much of the property is paved over or dominated by grey infrastructure. But project leaders said their goal is to build something sustainable and inviting. If the plans are approved by the City of Montreal, construction could begin as early as 2026. Full completion is expected within six to seven years. For Canada Lands Company, the project represents a rare opportunity to reshape a major urban site with both history and potential. 'We're trying to create a place that tells a new story,' said Gomez-Wiuckstern. 'But one that still remembers where it came from and celebrates its history.'
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
N.S. scoops up land at Shannon Park for $16.8M, expects 600 affordable units to be built
The Nova Scotia government is wading into the redevelopment of Shannon Park in Dartmouth, confirming to CBC News it is purchasing land for affordable housing at the former military site that has been largely vacant since 2017. An order-in-council dated March 6 authorized the minister of public works to purchase the land from Crown corporation Canada Lands Company, but details are scarce about the Nova Scotia government's plan for its new property. "We expect about 600 units of affordable housing will be built there," Gary Andrea, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, said in an email. Andrea said the province paid $16.8 million for the property, which is "well below market value." He said the two parcels of land off Princess Margaret Boulevard total more than 9,000 square metres, which is approximately the size of two football fields. Interview requests for Minister of Public Works Fred Tilley and Colton LeBlanc, the minister in charge of housing, were declined. An aerial rendering from 2023 of the proposed development for the Shannon Park lands in Dartmouth, N.S. (Canada Lands Company) The grassy area the size of 63 football fields on the waterfront near the base of the MacKay Bridge has been sitting largely empty for almost a decade since the demolition of military housing was completed in 2017. In 2023, the Halifax Regional Municipality approved a permanent housing development at the site, as well as a commercial space, a transit hub and two large parks. Canada Lands Company owns the property and is in charge of the redevelopment, which is set to include 3,000 housing units. Canada Lands told CBC News last year the redevelopment of the 34-hectare property will include at least 20 per cent affordable units, which amounts to around 600 homes. An order-in-council has authorized Nova Scotia's minister of public works to purchase the land from Canada Lands Company, a Crown corporation. (Paul Poirier/CBC) At the time, the company said it is working with the municipality to get the required approval to subdivide the property to sell off parcels of land to developers, with construction expected to begin in the fall of this year. 'More affordable housing, faster' Canada Lands Company told CBC News on Friday it is unable to comment on its activities during a federal election period, so it cannot provide an update. Andrea said on Wednesday that the purchase is being completed and the land will be acquired "in the coming days." Another spokesperson would not say whether the province plans to build its own housing on the land it is buying, or if it will work with affordable housing providers to do so. "The land purchase at Shannon Park is an exciting next step in getting more affordable housing, faster for Nova Scotians," Amy Wagg, a spokesperson for the Department of Growth and Development, wrote in an email. "It is premature to comment on the affordable housing aspect of this land purchase." Non-profit housing hopes Trish McCourt, executive director of the Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association, said she doesn't know what the province is planning, but she hopes non-profit housing providers are involved. "Then that will also mean ... affordable housing in perpetuity, which is really where the greatest need is for housing right now," McCourt said in an interview Friday. Trish McCourt of the Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association says she hopes non-profit housing providers are involved in the province's work. (Paul Poirier/CBC) McCourt said some non-profit housing providers have the ability to build housing, but it could also work if the province built the housing and a non-profit ran it. She is hoping to see rents that are 30 per cent of the household's income. "What we really need to be focused on right now is to have the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to government funds, when it comes to community funds, so that we can ensure that we find our way out of this homelessness crisis as quickly as we can," she said. MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
07-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.S. scoops up land at Shannon Park for $16.8M, expects 600 affordable units to be built
Two parcels of federal land purchased for 'well below market value,' says provincial government Caption: Although the former military housing was demolished in 2017, the area has sat largely empty except for the existing Shannon Park Elementary. (Brian MacKay/CBC) The Nova Scotia government is wading into the redevelopment of Shannon Park in Dartmouth, confirming to CBC News it is purchasing land for affordable housing at the former military site that has been largely vacant since 2017. An order-in-council dated March 6 authorized the minister of public works to purchase the land from Crown corporation Canada Lands Company, but details are scarce about the Nova Scotia government's plan for its new property. "We expect about 600 units of affordable housing will be built there," Gary Andrea, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, said in an email. Andrea said the province paid $16.8 million for the property, which is "well below market value." He said the two parcels of land off Princess Margaret Boulevard total more than 9,000 square metres, which is approximately the size of two football fields. Interview requests for Minister of Public Works Fred Tilley and Colton LeBlanc, the minister in charge of housing, were declined. The grassy area the size of 63 football fields on the waterfront near the base of the MacKay Bridge has been sitting largely empty for almost a decade since the demolition of military housing was completed in 2017. In 2023, the Halifax Regional Municipality approved a permanent housing development at the site, as well as a commercial space, a transit hub and two large parks. Canada Lands Company owns the property and is in charge of the redevelopment, which is set to include 3,000 housing units. Canada Lands told CBC News last year the redevelopment of the 34-hectare property will include at least 20 per cent affordable units, which amounts to around 600 homes. At the time, the company said it is working with the municipality to get the required approval to subdivide the property to sell off parcels of land to developers, with construction expected to begin in the fall of this year. 'More affordable housing, faster' Canada Lands Company told CBC News on Friday it is unable to comment on its activities during a federal election period, so it cannot provide an update. Andrea said on Wednesday that the purchase is being completed and the land will be acquired "in the coming days." Another spokesperson would not say whether the province plans to build its own housing on the land it is buying, or if it will work with affordable housing providers to do so. "The land purchase at Shannon Park is an exciting next step in getting more affordable housing, faster for Nova Scotians," Amy Wagg, a spokesperson for the Department of Growth and Development, wrote in an email. "It is premature to comment on the affordable housing aspect of this land purchase." Non-profit housing hopes Trish McCourt, executive director of the Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association, said she doesn't know what the province is planning, but she hopes non-profit housing providers are involved. "Then that will also mean ... affordable housing in perpetuity, which is really where the greatest need is for housing right now," McCourt said in an interview Friday. McCourt said some non-profit housing providers have the ability to build housing, but it could also work if the province built the housing and a non-profit ran it. She is hoping to see rents that are 30 per cent of the household's income. "What we really need to be focused on right now is to have the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to government funds, when it comes to community funds, so that we can ensure that we find our way out of this homelessness crisis as quickly as we can," she said.
