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First specific details about Les Cours Marc Chagall

Developers Gerald Issenman and David Brown have reached out to one of the top real estate agents in the West End, Anita Benabou Rozenblatt, to sell their new 21 unit town house development on Marc Chagall Avenue. Pending some more approvals by city council, work is expected to begin on the project this summer.

Here is the information Anita sent me about the newly dubbed Les Cours Marc Chagall:

Architectural Specifications

AMENITIES

• 3 bedroom design with optional room In basement or open concept floor plan
• Member of the new Home Warranty Program – APCHQ
• Visitor parking provided

FEATURES INCLUDED IN EACH TOWN HOME

-Individual front entrance from a landscaped courtyard. 

- Individual rear backyard and patio.

- Two interior parking spaces within heated garage.

- Ventilated garbage/recycling room in the area.

- Forced air gas heating and air conditioning system including air exchanging unit.

-  Separate hydro electric meter and gas meter (where applicable). 

-  Underground Hydro electric infrastructure. 

-  150 amp Electrical entry with a 40 circuit breaker panel in each home.

-  Copper wiring throughout the town house.

-  Pre-wiring for telephone, cable.

- Fully sprinklered fire prevention system includes  semi recessed sprinkler heads and three in – line smoke detectors

-Standard electrical fixtures installed by builder

1. All rough-in for five (5) appliances
2. Red brick
3. Front doors (black)
4. Frame around Windows light taupe
5. Gutters and drain-spout taupe
6. Small roof over bay window black metal
7. Stone trimming grey/sand concrete
8. Shingles (shadding black, 2 tone)
9. Top floor skylight
10. Pre-wiring (considering videotron)

 

 

STRUCTURE

- Concrete foundations containing reinforcing steel bars.

- Asphalt shingles (25 YRS manufacturer guarantee) includes three feet of ice water shield roofing membrane at the roof perimeter. 

- Roof structure built with pre-engineered factory trusses, with 1/2 “plywood.

 - Roof:  R40 Insulation for thermal rating

- Walls: R20 Insulation for thermal rating

-  Exterior walls built in 2 x 4 studs at 16” c.c with an additional R10.5 of urethane insulation 

-   Interior walls built in 2 x 4 studs at 16 “ c.c  (Separation walls provide proper fire rating and above standard sound proofing)

-   All floors are built with pre-engineered floor joist system, covered with factory fabricated high performance subflooring.

EXTERIOR

-   Town houses are clad in clay brick with a stone and brick facade

-   Pre-cast stone trim around windows on facade 

-  Windows: PVC frame, double thermal panes and low – E argon glass.

-   Patio doors off basement to 12 foot X 12 foot rear terrace

-  Sliding patio doors off family room to treated wood balconies,

-     Insulated metal doors with side light, mail box and door knocker. 

-      Bay window off living room.

INTERIOR

-    “Coloniale or Modern” style interior doors and trim, paint grade.

-  One (1) coat of primer and two (2) coats of off-white throughout the town house.

- Pre finished ¾” oak strip flooring on the main and bedroom level.

-  Pre-finished oak staircase and railing from ground floor to bedroom level.

-   Pre-finished oak staircase  and railing from main level to basement.

-    Carpeted basement

-    Ceramic floors in vestibules entrance, master en-suite and family bathrooms, powder room, basement bathroom, kitchen and laundry closet

-  Ceramic tile backsplash in the kitchen.

-  Kitchen cabinet doors are in “regal style wood” or “woodshaker”, with a granite counters

-    Double stainless steel sinks with vegetable spray and levered faucet in kitchen.

-Master bathroom will include shower with prefabricated glass door frame, sink with 4 “c.c, faucets and elongated toilet.

-  Family bathroom & basement bathroom include bathtub (shower head and temperature controlled faucet) 4 c.c, sink faucet and elongated toilet.

-  Pedestal sink and elongated toilet included in the powder room.

-   Granite top vanities will be included in the master en-suite and family bathrooms.

-    Rough in Central Vacuum.

-Fire rated wall separating basement from garage area.

-Double glazed clear acrylic skylight.  

 -8 foot 9 3/4 inches ceiling clearance on the ground floor and 8 foot ceilings at bedroom and basement level.

  - Finished basements with choice of utility room ( 10 foot by 6 foot) or bedroom of 10 foot by 10 foot 6 inches. Bedroom includes window.  

-Approximately 2300 square feet living space – Open Concept floor plan

  21 Townhouses

6 Corner Units with an additional bay window offered at $495,000 tax in

 15 Attached Units offered at                                         $485,000 tax in

For more details about Anita, who is one dynamo of an individual, go to www.anitabenabou.com or call her at 514-502-6627. A sales trailer is expected to go up once the proper permits are in place.

                      

 

 

 

Rembrandt Park, traffic and snow dump dominate District 2 meeting

1.     Introduction  

Rafi Zeira (right),  a District 2 resident, was introduced. As people entered the room they heard Rafi’s Accordion, a new CD he has just released with his wife Fay and their collaborators Michel Tordjman and Larry Hughes. All four were on hand to showcase the Jewish medley, which took a year and a half to produce. I also introduced special guests Councillor Steven Erdelyi, responsible for public works and the environment; Beatrice Newman, manager of customer service and administration;  Charles Senekal; manager of engineering; Mohammed Ali, project manager in the engineering division and a CSL resident;  Harold Cammy, manager of sports and facilities for Parks and Recreation.  I explained that these meetings have been held once or twice annually since I was elected. Everyone was reminded that they can always call me at City Hall or send an email to mcohen@cotesaintluc.org. 

 
Left to right: Mohammed Ali, Charles Senekal,  Beatrice Newman, Harold Cammy, myself and Steven Erdelyi.

 2.     New Town Houses  

Gerald Issenman (pictured below)  was introduced as the developer of new townhouses on Marc Chagall Avenue. He is reviving the 21 unit complex which Jerome Winikoff had previously attempted to build. The same architects have been retained from the original project. Landscaping has been upgraded. If all goes well he hopes to starts building sometime in July, with units ready for occupation in December. Mr. Issenman owns the Côte Saint-Luc Building Corporation. Among his properties are the Bonaventure Arena, apartments on MacDonald Avenue and many more.  Units will cost about $425,000 for an interior and $435,000 for an exterior.

 3.     Digital Signage

 I expressed my appreciation for the Kazoo Digital signage we have up at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare. CSL gets a certain amount of promotional space and Kazoo sells the rest. It is working out nicely and Kazoo might add one or two more digital signs elsewhere in the city.

 4.     Rembrandt Park/Tennis Courts

Last year Harold Cammy was at the District 2 meeting, at which time he unveiled plans for us to build three new tennis courts at Rembrandt Park. There was a lot of opposition to this move and we took the time to consult. First and foremost, people were worrying about a lack of parking spots in the immediate area. In the meantime, all park renovations in the city were put on hold as we focused our financial objectives on the new $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre (ACC), two thirds of which will be paid for by the provincial and federal governments. In the meantime the city began negotiating a new lease with the English Montreal School Board for the five courts on the premises of the former Wagar High School. An agreement was reached and for the summer of 2012 those courts will be completely revamped. Mr. Cammy explained this will be far more cost efficient than constructing new ones at Rembrandt. There have been discussions at the council table, inspired by new city manager Tanya Abramovitch, to create a “cultural park” with picnic tables and space for performing arts. Over the years a lot of money has already been poured into this park. Mr. Cammy called on residents to send their ideas for  what they would like to see the park used for to Councillor Cohen.

 Comments and Suggestions

  -There were suggestions that more benches be added. While this will be looked into, benches are costly. The option of sponsoring a bench on behalf of a loved one was raised. (The following day Beatrice Newman reported to me that some new benches had been delivered and installed.)

-Replace the sand near the swing areas with bark chips or recycled rubber. Councillor Erdelyi cautioned there may be health hazards with those options.

-Replace the old skateboard pit with a picnic table area.

-Fix the wet patchy spots in the area where the soccer pit once sat.

-Close up the cement garbage containers next to the benches

-Install a speed bump at Merrimac and Rembrandt where cars are making quick turns. (Manager Senekal said that if such a suggestion or complaint comes in writing it will be looked at by the Transportation Committee.)

-For the “No Dogs Allowed” sign adjust it to include the cost of a fine if you are caught as  people continually ignore this rule.

-Introduce outdoor exercise equipment at parks (Councillor Erdelyi indicated that will in fact be occurring soon at a number of spots.)

-Bring back the rosebushes to Rembrandt Park (The following day Beatrice Newman confirmed that the bushes disappeared because they were dying and diseased. An order has been placed to plant new ones.)

 

5.     Traffic Matters (Kildare and Cavendish)

 I indicated that  many of my calls are about this corner and there is no simple solution. I lauded Charles and Mohammed for how responsive they are in general to citizens, particularly in regard to Kildare and Cavendish. A lot of time and money has been devoted to this corner over the years. It is not an easy fix. Mr. Senekal explained that attention is now being devoted to the reconfiguration of Cavendish Boulevard and the new road (The Avenue) which will lead to the Mall housing development. Once that is in place phase two will involve some significant proposals vis-à-vis Cavendish and Kildare. Mr. Senekal and Mr. Ali have developed some impressive options to really improve the situation. People will have to be patient as this must be discussed at the council table first. There were many suggestions of how to fix the situation, including Shirley Rosen (below) who has been on top of this situation for a long time. A common complaint was that Police Station 9 should be giving out more tickets to cars which are repeatedly not waiting for a green arrow to turn left on Cavendish coming from Kildare. There was a request for me to address this concern to the local police commander. I then took the opportunity to announce that I wish to invite all residents of District 2 to submit their own ideas as to how to fix the problem.

There was a suggestion that we put cameras mounted at the corner of Kildare and Cavendish to help give out more tickets.

 On a related issue, one resident of Marc Chagall suggests that the traffic pots – meant to slow down speeders – be painted yellow so they are easier to see.

 6.     Public Works

 A main topic of discussion here was the height of snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue. Dr. Paul Weinstein, who resides at Le Marquise next door, said that he is less concerned about the aesthetics than the amount of garbage there which he fears can spread disease. He also said that the state of the dump is leading to increased pigeon droppings on balconies. Across the street from Le Marquise, on part of the land where the new town houses will be built, he noted that proper grass cutting was not done and as a result white dandelions are growing. Beatrice Newman explained that someone from Public Works mistakenly thought that area was private property and this is why it was not attended to immediately. Dr. Weinstein also repeated a request he had about the planting of trees inside or directly outside of the fence of the dump. He reasons that eventually these trees might grow high enough to block the snow hill. We spoke to our horticulturalist, René Lapointe, who said that trees were in fact planted where he asked a number of years ago but they will never grow high enough to cover the hill. Furthermore, we did look into planting more but there simply is not any more sufficient fertile land to do so.

 Dr. Harry Shizgal and other asked whether we could try to bring in equipment to cut down the size of the hill. I have asked for this to be done, but as Councillor Erdelyi interjected the estimated cost to do so is somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000. For budgetary reasons, he explained, the city will likely wait until the snow melts. Dr. Weinstein asked that we investigate any alternative options which perhaps were not looked at in the past such as covering the hill with something to make it melt quicker.

 7.     Cavendish Mall

Many people have been asking when construction will begin on the new housing development at the Cavendish Mall.  Charles Senekal said that the first thing which needs to be done is the demolition of the pavement. Work will then begin for the infrastructure for the various streets. If all goes well, that phase could be completed  by early fall.

  8.     Beth Chabad

 I communicated with Rabbi Mendel Raskin of Beth Chabad last week. He can only say at this point that he hopes to see some progress on the first phase of the project soon, which would allow them to relocate from their temporary trailers and the space they rent at Bialik into their new home.

 

Mohammed and Charles chat with Aubrey Zelman, president of the Meadows Condominium Association and the owner of Gourmetchip.com. 

 

 

 

A sneak peek of the CSL Aquatic and Community Centre

Your mayor and members of city council have had a number of opportunities already to see the progress of construction of the new  $18 million Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre  (the  ACC), which is expected to open its doors on Parkhaven Avenue by September.  We had our latest sneak preview a few days ago and I was just astonished at how much work has been done since they first broke ground last fall.

The complex will include a 10-lane competition pool (which I am standing by above), a recreational pool, the Senior Social Centre, multipurpose rooms for meetings and banquets, a satellite public library, a dance studio, an art studio, an exercise room with physical fitness equipment, a games room, a youth drop-in room, a kids gymnasium room, a babysitting service for parents using the facility, a coffee shop, and an exterior terrace.

Our ACC has been a project that community leaders have long dreamed of. As a former competitive swimmer, one of  Mayor Anthony Housefather’s  dreams has been to bring an indoor swimming pool to the city. Our competition pool will allow us to have a swim team, a master’s team, a synchronized swimming team, a water polo team, and other activities such as free swim, swimming lessons for older kids, and programs to prepare them to become lifeguards.”  The recreational pool will also provide games and fun for families, a beach area, swim lessons for younger children, aquasize classes and more.

The governments of Quebec and Canada have given Côte Saint-Luc grants totaling up to a maximum of $11.57 million, which equals two-thirds of the costs of building the facility. Mayor Housefather and councillors Mitchell Brownstein and Ruth Kovac (pictured above with Councillor Glenn J. Nashen) are overseeing the project. City Manager Tanya Abramovitch and Parks and Recreation Director David Taveroff are the key leaders among senior staff while we are very fortunate to have someone of the calibre of Anthony Palumbo to take care of the day-to-day operations of the work crew

I am very excited, as the Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor responsible for sponsorship, that we have engaged the services of   BNP Strategies Philanthropic Management (BNP) to conduct a feasibility study for a fundraising campaign for the ACC. When I was first elected and handed this portfolio I immediately set out to  establish a process where we could move towards the areas of event and program sponsorship and ultimately naming rights. Within two years of the start of our first mandate a series of guidelines were approved by council. Sponsorship agreements for events and of certain publications also started  to take shape. The coming of the ACC, I believe, provides really opportunities for naming rights.   I am anxious to see the case statement BNP presents to us in the early summer.

 
Councillor Sam Goldbloom likes what he sees.

 

Fun-Tastica - The annual Senior Men's Club Dance

It was my pleasure to once again attend the annual  Côte Saint-Luc Senior Men’s  Club  dinner/dance at Le Crystal  in St. Laurent on October 14. The theme was “Fun-Tastica” and the hundreds on hand enjoyed wine, hor d’oeuvres, a full course dinner  and party animator extraordinaire George Thomas who really got everyone out dancing and singing. Mayor Anthony Housefather gave his usual upbeat speech while Liberal Member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy McGee Lawrence Bergman and Men’s Club President Sidney Margles also had some nice words to share. 

 Joel Sourkes was honoured as “Man of the Year”  for his 12 years of dedication to the group. He and his wife of an incredible 68 years, Rose, sat proudly at the head table. We hope that within the next year or two events like this will be held at our new Multipurpose Facility now under construction on Parkhaven Avenue.

                                            Pictured above (left to right) with George Nashen and Esther and Aaron Spector at the Men's Club Dance.

Below (left) , David Taveroff shares a laugh with George Thomas while  (right) Glenn  J. Nashen, his wife Judy and Sam Goldbloom dance up a storm.

Public Information Meeting on Aquatic Centre August 30

On Monday, August 30, 2010 at 7 p.m., the City of Côte Saint-Luc will hold a public information session on the construction of a new multipurpose aquatic centre on Parkhaven Ave.  Mayor Anthony Housefather and members of council will provide an update on the status of the project, including building designs, and services that will be offered.

The public information session will take place at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall, 5801 Cavendish Blvd. Residents are invited to watch the presentation and ask questions. Following several years of discussions, the Côte Saint-Luc City Council decided to build the multipurpose aquatic centre following a funding promise from the governments of Canada and Quebec totaling up to $11.57 million, which was equal to two-thirds of the total cost of the project. On Monday evening, August 23, we held a special council meeting and awarded an $18. 3 million contract to Pomerleau Construction. We hope to break ground soon on this magnificent facility, which will right next to our existing outdoor pool and gymnasium.

Barbeques on balconies

I continue to receive phone calls regarding regulations for barbeques on balconies. Here is an update of the bylaw that has been posted on the CSL website:

Use of barbecues in Côte Saint-Luc

In order to protect the safety of residents, the City of Côte Saint-Luc has placed limits on the use of open-flame barbecues, such as propane barbecues, charcoal barbecues, etc.

The following will help you determine if you can use an open-flame barbecue at your residence.

1. Apartment and condominium rules
Before even reviewing the city rules about the use of open-flame barbecues, you should first learn if your condominium association or landlord allows the use of barbecues on balconies or ground floor area. If it is prohibited by the association or owner, then you cannot use an open-flame barbecue, irrespective of the by-laws of Côte Saint-Luc.

2. Type of balcony
Assuming that there are no prohibitions by your condominium association or apartment building owner, then you should familiarize yourself with Côte Saint-Luc by-laws. By-law 852 amending By-law 626 concerning fire prevention states that the use of a portable open-flame device, such as a barbecue apparatus—which includes a hibachi-type table-top grill fired by charcoal—must be used on a balcony that has a support, floor, wall or any part thereof that is fully fireproof. In general, this means that the balcony must be made of concrete as opposed to wood. However, the only way to determine whether your balcony is fully fireproof is to ask the Montreal fire department to inspect it. You can contact the fire department at 514-280-0868.

3. Distance between gas cylinder and building opening
Assuming that the fire department says that your balcony is fully fireproof, you must also have a balcony large enough to satisfy the rules governing the storage of gas cylinders, such as propane tanks.
 
The distance between the building opening and the cylinder containing gas is governed by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which enacted the Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code and the Propane Storage and Handling Code. These distances, which are incorporated by reference in Côte Saint-Luc By-law 2279, vary and are based upon various factors. These distances only apply to barbecues fuelled by gas. 

For example, the Propane Storage and Handling Code states: a cylinder shall be installed outside a building, with the discharge from the cylinder relief valve not less than: 

a)    3 feet (1 metre) on a horizontal plane from any building opening when the opening is below the level of the relief valve discharge;
b)    10 feet (3 metres) on a horizontal plane from the air intake of any appliance or air-moving equipment; and
c)    10 feet (3 metre) on a horizontal plane from any source of ignition.

Note: Although these codes regulate gas barbecues and not barbecues fueled by charcoal, Montreal fire inspector Jean-François Duclos recommends that residents read carefully and rigorously apply the recommended distances listed in their charcoal barbecue user manual.

4. Smoke
Assuming that your building allows barbecues, that you have a fully fireproof balcony, and one that is large enough to permit the distances required between the gas cylinder and the building opening, then you can to use your open-flame barbecue—assuming you are not causing a nuisance to your neighbour.

By-law 107 concerning nuisance (i.e., smoke) applies to all barbecues. Just like loud music, smoke from a barbecue could be a nuisance to your neighbours.
 
TABLE:

Here is a table of Côte Saint-Luc’s relevant by-laws concerning barbecues explaining which type of barbecues apply:


    

	Nuisance By-law 107	Obligation to barbecue on a fully fireproof* balcony By-law 852	Distance requirement between gas cylinder and building opening By-law 2279	Transport of propane By-law 2279
Gas / Propane	X	X	X	X
Charcoal	X	X
Electric	X
Table-top grill (charcoal)	X	X

 

* The determination of a “fully fireproof” balcony is made by the fire department.

 

Multi-million dollar Intergenerational/Aquatic complex announced for CSL

Today I was proud to be in attendance at a press conference at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall where city council's wish to build an intergenerational/aquatic centre became a reality thanks to an investment of $11.5 million from the federal and provincial governments. We will make up the remainder of the cost.

Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs Lauren Lessard made his first visit to our community. He was accompanied by D'Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman. Senator Judith Seidman represented the federal government. Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Anthony Housefather gave Mr. Bergman a lot of credit for pursuing this file. Councillors Allan J. Levine and Ruth Kovac were also on hand. Ms. Kovac will co-chair the new project with Councillor Mitchell Brownstein. Below is a group photo after the announcement and the full press release.

 

Senator Judith Seidman, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today joined Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, and Lawrence S. Bergman, Member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy-McGee and Chair of the Government Caucus, in announcing that the City of Côte Saint Luc will receive $11,571,880 in joint government financial assistance under the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec for the construction of an intergenerational/aquatic centre.　

The project involves the construction of an intergenerational/aquatic centre covering a total gross area of about 5,456 square metres in the City of Côte-Saint-Luc. This new complex will comprise a 25-metre swimming pool, a wading pool, an indoor terrace adjacent to the aquatic pools, portable bleachers for about 200 people, multifunctional community halls, a physical fitness room and dance and warm up studios.　

The new complex will bring sport and recreational facilities under one roof and boast modern equipment tailored to contemporary indoor leisure and fitness activities as well as suite of activities for persons aged 55 and over. Students from nearby schools and residents from surrounding cities and boroughs will also be able to benefit from the activities and services on offer at the new centre.　

"Côte-Saint-Luc’s construction of a new intergenerational/aquatic centre will serve the interests of its residents and businesses. In supporting this project, we are seeing to it that the population enjoys the high quality of life for which our country is famous. Indeed, the Government of Canada is committed to equipping every community with modern facilities and equipment to ensure citizens’ health and safety. The renewal of public infrastructure is part of a broad action plan that will enable us to thrive and prosper in a healthy environment," stated Senator Judith Seidman.　

"By participating in this project, the Government of Quebec is moving forward to ensure the province’s municipalities have infrastructure that meets their unique realities while fostering sustainable development. By injecting new capital into the Quebec Infrastructure Plan, our government is looking to accelerate the execution of numerous infrastructure projects throughout the province, like this one in Côte Saint Luc, in an effort to improve Quebecers’ well-being, create jobs and promote a high-performance economy. In this way, we are leaving the municipality a legacy of quality infrastructure with which to face the challenges of the future," said Minister Laurent Lessard.　

"Côte-Saint-Luc is the Island of Montréal’s third largest city and its population is growing faster than that of Quebec as a whole. It is important that the City have all the necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of its increasing number of residents," added MNA Lawrence S. Bergman.　

Completion of this project will necessitate an overall eligible investment of $17,357,821. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $5,785,940 toward the work, for a total of $11,571,880 in combined government funding, while the City of Côte Saint Luc will assume the remaining third, or $5,785,941, of the project’s costs.　

The Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec is a cost-sharing initiative aimed at funding infrastructure projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants. These communities are thus able to use this assistance to improve infrastructure that is in major need of revitalization, including water treatment plants, water supply systems and cultural and sports centres.　

For provinces, like Quebec, that have committed all of their funding under the Communities Component, the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides for up to $500 million in additional funding for projects that will be completed by March 31, 2011.　

In Quebec, a joint federal-provincial contribution of $232 million will be used to fund 106 infrastructure projects.　

The contribution from the Government of Canada has been awarded through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. To learn more about this plan, visit　

www.actionplan.gc.ca.　

For further information on the Government of Quebec’s Quebec Infrastructure Plan, see　www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.　

Aussi disponible en français :　www.dec-ced.gc.ca.　

More door to door and sign posting

It has been a busy week on the campaign trail. On Rembrandt Avenue, constituent Martin Bogante was kind enough to go door to door with me in his highrise condo unit.  All of the people were a pleasure to talk to. Many of them, of course, do communicate with me by telephone or email already. After we finished knocking on every door Martin, a practicing lawyer who gives a lot of his time to the community, brought me outside to show me a parking spot on the street that is just a little too close to the entrance to his buiding's garage.

Rembrandt Avenue residents Howard and Arlene Mayers greet me at their door.

I spoke to our city traffic engineer, Charles Senekal, and as luck would have it our crews will be doing some line painting next week. This space will therefore be marked off on the sidewalk, preventing vehicles from parking there and preventing any trouble from occurring.

 

Today, the official election period got underway. Even though I am unopposed at the moment I nonetheless made sure that my campaign posters are up in District 2.  Nominations close October 2 and I will continue to campaign hard.

Owner of Kildare Towers and Manoir Camelia is hands-on

It is always a pleasure for me to meet with property owners in District 2. Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Howard Szalavetz, a hands-on owner if there ever was one of two large apartment buildings: Kildare Towers (5761 Honore de Balzac), and Manoir Camelia (5875 Cavendish).

A chartered accountant by profession, Howard  (pictured with me below) is an energetic 44 year old businessman who also owns apartment buildings in N.D.G., LaSalle, T.M.R, and St. Hubert. He has an excellent website at http://www.montrealapartments-hs.com which provides comprehensive overviews of each property, including availability.

Howard has owned Manoir Camelia, a 98 unit located directly next to the City Hall and Library, since 1992. In fact, this was the first place he lived upon moving out on his own. He did so for five years, eventually buying a home after getting married and having kids. As for Kildare Towers, situated adjacent to the Cavendish Mall, Howard only purchased this large 162 unit facility in 2007.

I was amazed to see Howard’s familiarity with the tenants in his properties. Not only is he in touch with his building managers throughout each day, he makes a point of making personal visits to each place several days a week. "I absolutely love what I do," he insists.

That is clear!

New President of Oakridge Apartments

Since my election to city council three and a half years ago, I have been very impressed with the way in which a number of residential apartment buildings in District 2 are run. A case in point is the Oakridge Apartments at 5795 Sir Walter Scott Avenue. This is a pretty large building, which took me parts of three days to go door to door in. For more than 20 years Dr. Joseph Brody, a distinguished professor of mathematics and statistics at Concordia University,  has been the president of the Oakridge Tenants Association. He has attended many of my District meetings. In addition, he has organized meetings for his own tenants at which Mayor Anthony Housefather and I have attended.  Well, Dr. Brody has stepped down as president. His successor is Andrew Halmos, whom we wish the best of luck.