Back in June 2022, the City of  Côte Saint-Luc began gathering feedback from the public to revise the municipal Planning Program and Zoning By-law documents.

The Planning Program is the municipality’s most important official long-term planning document. This fundamental tool enables the municipal council to draw up a current portrait of the territory, identify issues and then guide decision-making on planning and development solutions and actions for the next 15 to 20 years.

Going door to door with Bialik student interns Noah Galambos, Avery Hannon, Jeremy Nashen, Liana Levary and Alexa Omer.

You are invited to attend an information session on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 pm at City Hall to find out about the vision and orientations of the Planning Program, the process and next steps, and how you can participate.

For residents of my District 2, the big question has been what will be the Planning Program’s impact on the future of Quartier Cavendish?
The special planning program (SPP) is a detailed component of a municipality’s broader planning program that focuses on areas needing special consideration.

The SPP presents a distinctive vision; guidelines and strategies for the SPP for the Town Centre of Côte Saint-Luc. Its aim is to create an attractive and cohesive town centre that encompasses the Quartier Cavendish property, the City Hall and Library complex, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park. The SPP for the Town Centre of Côte Saint-Luc is a key component of the city’s overall planning program. Its implementation will significantly contribute to the broader planning vision for the city.

The Quartier Cavendish is located at the center of the SPP. It was built in the early 1970s, a time when malls served as downtown areas and community gathering spaces. Its architecture and layout are typical of regional shopping centres from that era. It is set back from the streets and surrounded by a vast open-air parking lot. Upon its opening, Quartier Cavendish stood out as one of the city’s few shopping destinations accessible on foot, a characteristic that, to some degree, remains true even today. It remains a popular meeting place, especially among older adults who commonly use the food court as space to gather. Originally, the land occupied by the shopping centre was nearly twice its current size. In 2010, about 40 percent of the original building was demolished to make way for a residential area, mainly consisting of townhouses, single-family homes and an apartment building.

What is next? The Quartier Cavendish officials wish to implement a total facelift and for that new zoning will be required.

Unfortunately, we will still have no firm details available on Sept, 16 regarding the Quartier Cavendish. All I can tell you is that our planners are projecting zoning for new buildings that could very well range from two to 20 storeys. Mandevco, the owners of Quartier Cavendish, do not have a formal plan ready for council to consider at this point.

More news may only come to Council at the Oct, 21 meeting, with a legal public consultation to follow on Nov. 20. Soon after, the entire city will be able to vote for the municipal Planning Program and Zoning By-law documents. That means that even if residents of District 2 near the Quartier Cavendish oppose the project, they won’t be able to vote it down.

As my colleague, Councillor Dida Berku repeats, the revitalization of the three large shopping centres (Quartier Cavendish, Decarie Square and Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre) is vital to the future financial prosperity of our city. I lament the fact that at this hour we not have all of the necessary information for them to review.

Last week, with five of my Bialik High School student interns, I knocked on doors of people on Park Place, Jubilee, The Avenue and Cavendish Blvd. They live closes to Quartier Cavendish so we wanted to give them a heads up on the Sept. 16 meeting where city officials will be on hand and residents can ask important questions.