Construction

Urgent work will cause road disruptions on Marc Chagall Avenue and Kildare Road

Urgent work by Hydro-Québec and Bell Canada will cause significant inconvenience to motorists on Marc Chagall Avenue and Kildare Road near Cavendish this summer.

I met with some members  of our Urban Planning team today and the city has no choice but to issue the permits now as both Hydro and Bell insist the work cannot wait without potential negative repercussions for residents.

Hydro-Quebéc will be performing urgent work to demolish and rebuild their access point at the corner of Mackle and Marc Chagall. This work is necessary for the residents in the sector to have functional electricity and HQ is sending out letters to residents explaining the importance of this work. It will commence on June 25 and last until at least September 20. The timing could not be worse, with construction for Phase Two of the Equinoxe high rise buildings now at the cement pouring stage. That job won't conclude  until next June. We asked Hydro if there was any way to delay this work and they stated that residents could be at risk of major power outages .
 
Here is the signage plan.
Signalisation NRC
 
Urban Planning and Public Security will try to manage this the best possible way. More information on the rerouting of traffic will be forthcoming,
 
Meanwhile, Bell will be digging up Kildare (between Rembrandt and Cavendish) during weekends beginning soon to upgrade its network in the area. You may have noticed a lot of Bell repair trucks in the area in recent years. Traffic will be diverted into two lanes. It was timed to begin once school concluded at JPPS-Bialik.
 
 
 
 

 

 


Facilitating another meeting between condo reps from Marc Chagall with the administration of the Equinoxe

Soon after developers announced they planned to construct two high rise rental buildings on Marc Chagall Avenue I established an ad hoc committee, consisting of  representatives from the four  condominum complexes on the street (Le Cours Marc Chagall, La  Marquise, The Bellagio, Rothchild II and on Mackle Road the Rothchild I).  We began meeting immediately and a lot of issues were resolved as the new Equinoxe became a reality,

I always begin my stories  on the Equinoxe with the historical note that the zoning to allow for this facility was adopted by a previous city council more than 30 years ago.

On April 29,  I convened another meeting. This time we gathered at the Equinoxe, which everyone on hand agreed closely resembles a five star hotel.

IMG_5070
A picture of our group with André Doudak (left) at the Equinoxe.

Present was  André Doudak,  the president of lead developer Jadco and Philippe Mourani who oversees the new building.  Representing the condos were: Lyon Kunin and Albert Aaron (Rothchild II); Eddie Bornstein (Rothchild I);  Sheldon Lang (resident, Equinoxe);  Sid Margles and Mike Cuplowsky (Marquise); Syd Rosen and Allan Familiant (Bellagio); and  Jason Ullman (Les Cours Marc Chagall).à

Update

André Doudak reported that all but two of Phase One’s 170 units are occupied. Excavation is nearly complete and a crane will be installed next week to begin the construction phase for the second tower, which will number 116 units. It is scheduled for completion for spring 2020, with move in date likely in July 2020. The bulk of the “messy” excavation was done during the winter when most people were away. There is no weekend construction for this phase. Only certain weeknights will they work late for the pouring of cement.

Everyone agreed that thus far efforts by the construction crew to keep the street clean have been successful. It is hoped this will continue. Ditto for the presence of a crew member to direct traffic when needed- a valuable safety measure,

Condo reps were  then given the floor to air any concerns.

Rothchild II

Cement trucks will be present soon for a six month period. Mr. Kunin and Mr. Aaron alluded to Phase One when these trucks parked on Lismer and they were cleaned, leaving behind  a very large mess. They asked that this not be repeated. Mr, Doudak took note.

Rothchild I

The presence of the generator at the side of the building resulted in a winter of misery for  many Rothchild I residents. The Equinoxe did not have a full Hydo-Québec hookup until April 14, so the generator was regrettably necessary to power their building. Efforts  were made to baffle the sound,  but this was not completely successful. Eddie Bornstein asked if the generator could be moved inside the building. Mr. Doudak said this is not possible, but he made it clear that that the generator will not cause the neighbours any more problem. It will be tested once a week for a few minutes, likely mid-morning during a weekday. The only time it will ever be used again is in the event of a power failure. Should such an event occur, the Rothchild I will be in the same boat.

Marquise

Mike Cuplowsky suggested that a temporary fence be erected near the excavation area as a safety precaution. He also asked that attention be given to a generator placed in the back of the building and whether it is necessary.

Les Cours Marc Chagall

Jason Ullmann asked about the makeshift parking lot next door. Mr. Doudak said his workers will be using it this summer. Councillor Cohen noted that it will be returned to greenspace after the construction concludes in the summer of 2020. It is his hope and mine for this to become some kind of parkland.

The Bellagio

Syd Rosen expressed his appreciation for the cleaning efforts thus far. He was also pleased  to hear workers will park in the lot and not take up spaces on the street. Dust does tend to come from the construction  and effect the air conditioning units of some residents.

The Montefiore

Mr. Doudak shared with the group this company purchased the former Manoire Montefiore seniors home at  Mackle and Cavendish last year. They are gutting the inside and building about 100 new rental apartment units. They will also be repurposing the main floor for additional garage spots. More news to come on a name and potential opening date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


City and Condo Association work closely to prepare for Rembrandt Ave. garage work

For the  last  several months, our Urban Development, Public Works and  Public Safety Departments, have been working diligently with the administrators of the Condo Elysée on Rembrandt Avenue and how to assist them while major garage work occurs over the next four months.

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Garage work on Rembrandt will last four months

 

The Elysée   data base of 84 cars license plate numbers have been submitted to Public Security. Residents in the immediate area can expect to see a lot of cars on the street. Those residing in the other condos  would be well  advised to use their own garages all of the time, even if they are only going in and out for a few minutes.

Public Safety has been very helpful in collecting vehicle information. Public Works will ensure that the recycling bins are attended to. A big thanks as well to Spyro Yotis, our traffic engineer.

Work like this on a street with many condo buildings can be disruptive. The administration of the Elysée has been very well organized. Hats off to Agneta Hollander and  Steve Acre in particular.


Excavation work begins on second Equinoxe Tower but ventilation system noise is unacceptable

Excavation work has begun for the second tower of the Equinoxe highrise apartment complex.  Phase 1 is fully complete and occupied.

Permitted construction hours are 7 am to 7 pm   weekdays. Unlike Phase 1, no  work will be permitted on weekends. Our Public Security will do regular inspections to ensure these hours are being respected.

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The construction site for Phase 2 of the Equinoxe.

Residents of the Rothchild I Condominium  on Mackle Road whose units face the Equinoxe have had to endure unacceptable noise from a large generator. I went there last night and recorded  the noise myself. Click here. It sounds like a loud moving truck parked just outside your bedroom window.

 

The developers are still waiting their permanent power supply for the first building and have been using their generator all winter, which is becoming a nuisance for the neighbourhood. Today, our senior management were tasked to communicating with Hydro Quebec officials to expedite this work. We cannor order that the ventilation system  be shut off, because as the temperature dips even lower, they need the supplemental power to provide heat to the Equinoxe residents. We will be asking them to build a “baffling” box around it on the Rothchild side immediately while we sort out the Hydro problem. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I are committed to getting a resolution to this serious problem as soon as possible.

We are also working with the developers on where the construction vehicles will park so please stay tuned for more information on that.

There are a lot of things to work out and I want to assure residents that our staff is working diligently on this file. The Mayor will also resume his monthly meetings with the developer and a committee of residents of the neighbouring condos.

It is estimated that work will continue for as long as 18 months until this project concludes.

UPDATE: Thanks to our Urban Development Department. The Equinoxe  has modified its internal power distribution priorities, so, according to them, the generator should not be on at all outside peak hours going forward.  In the event it does go on, it would only be in times of extreme cold outdoor temperatures and during hours where there is extremely high strain on the power grid (early morning and/or evening - at times when many people are cooking, showering, doing laundry, etc. at the same time). In other words, there is a chance it goes on, but only for short periods during the day and never in the middle of the night. They were on site January 16 evaluating an appropriate temporary screen for the Rothchild side of the generator. Public Security will do inspections overnight

Le bruit inacceptable

Les travaux d'excavation de la deuxième tour de l'immeuble d'appartements Equinoxe ont commencé.  Les heures de construction permises sont de 7 h à 19 h en semaine. Contrairement à la phase 1, aucun travail ne sera permis les fins de semaine. Notre Sécurité publique fera des inspections régulières pour s'assurer que ces heures sont respectées.
Le site de construction de la phase 2 de l'Equinoxe : les résidents de la copropriété Rothchild I sur Mackle Road, dont les unités font face à l'Equinoxe, ont dû supporter le bruit inacceptable d'un gros générateur. J'y suis allé hier soir et j'ai enregistré le bruit moi-même. Cliquez ici.

Les promoteurs attendent toujours leur alimentation électrique permanente pour le premier bâtiment et ont utilisé leur génératrice tout l'hiver, ce qui devient une nuisance pour le quartier. Aujourd'hui, notre haute direction a été chargée de communiquer avec les représentants d'Hydro-Québec afin d'accélérer ce travail. Nous pouvons ordonner l'arrêt du système de ventilation, car à mesure que la température descend encore plus bas, ils ont besoin de l'énergie supplémentaire pour fournir de la chaleur aux résidents d'Equinoxe.

Nous leur demanderons de construire une boîte "déconcertante" autour du côté de Rothchild immédiatement pendant que nous réglerons le problème de l'électricité. Le maire Mitchell Brownstein et moi nous sommes engagés à trouver une solution à ce grave problème le plus rapidement possible et nous travaillons également avec les promoteurs sur les endroits où les véhicules de construction seront stationnés, alors restez à l'écoute pour en savoir plus à ce sujet. Le maire reprendra également ses rencontres mensuelles avec le promoteur et un comité de résidants des condos avoisinants et on estime que les travaux se poursuivront pendant 18 mois jusqu'à la fin de ce projet.

Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator

 

 


Former Manoire Montefiore seniors facility to become a residential apartment building

Three and  a half years after the Manoir Montefiore closed as a seniors residence,  the highrise at the corner of Cavendish and Mackle will be transformed into a residential apartment building.

Jadco, the company behind the Équinoxe project on Marc Chagall, purchased the property from  Réseau Selection. They will be granted a permit to proceed with renovations since there are no zoning changes requested nor is the façade being altered.

Montefiore
Manoire Montefiore present-day.

The timing, of course, is not ideal. Excavation work will begin soon followed by as much as an 18-month construction period for the second Equinoxe building.

There are presently 130 units in the Montefiore building. Jadco has proposed 94 units for their rejigged project – 43 one bedroom and  and  51  two bedrooms. The area of these units are conforming to the city by-law.  There will be about 90 interior parking spaces, including 14 new ones to be constructed in what is now a dining area. In addition, an outdoor lot will accommodate 23  more vehicles.

I will provide more news as it becomes available.


Developers provide update on Equinoxe Marc Chagall - first units to be delivered in July

The first phase of the  Equinoxe Condo Rentals on Marc Chagall is moving along at a good pace. It has been more than a year since work began on the project. I need to remind everyone that this land was zoned for a high rise 30 years ago by a former council. We were able to lower the height of the two buildings from 16 to 14 floors. It could not go any lower than the highest property – the Marquise.

In order for the residents of the four existing high rise condominiums and the one town house complex to have a mode of communication with the developers, I established an ad hoc committee. Over the course of several months meetings were organized with representatives from the condos, the developers, myself and city officials. This helped us set the table for complaints and concerns to be dealt with. One major complaint was the fact construction was permitted on Saturdays. In an agreement reached, the developers agreed to limited work on Saturdays and no Sundays. As of March 15, 2018 only interior work is permitted on weekends.

Nothing is perfect and unquestionably we will face many more challenges as the project continues.

In our most recent meeting, developers Andre Doudak and Alex Bouhadana  provided some interesting news.

Equinoxe-CSL-La-Reception-1

The first units will be delivered to new residents in July. Rentals are already at close to 75 percent. Residents will move in stages over the summer and early fall. Tower One will have 170 units instead of the original 187 planned as a number of the units were enlarged.  Excavation work on Tower Two is expected to begin soon. That will be 100 units instead of the originally planned 110.  So in total 27 less units means fewer cars and that is good news for everyone.

It will have taken 18 months to deliver the first building. The second will take longer because of the fact no Saturday or evening work is permitted under our new bylaw. It is estimated all of the work will be done no later than  the summer of 2020.

2788-jadco_equinox_Piscine_001-1

According to Mr. Doudak, most of the people who have signed leases are already residents of CSL who have decided to sell their homes and condos. “It will not be a transient  population,” he promises.

Indoor parking spots will exceed what our bylaws ask for. There will also be outdoor parking in the back for up to 40 cars.

The one major issue we have tried to resolve for the past year has been parking during work hours. There are close  to 200 workers per day and they take up spots all along Marc Chagall, Mackle and even some of the musical streets. We leased them land for temporary parking. That worked in the winter when it was cold. But when the temperatures dipped, cars were sinking. Two hour parking rules were instituted, but residents complained and asked us to repeal this.

When Tower One opens, some workers will be able to park inside. City Manager Tanya Abramovitch attended our meeting and she advised everyone that we will add 12 new parking spots (currently no parking zones) on Marc Chagall. We looked for a consensus around the table regarding whether two hour parking should be discussed again, four hour parking instituted or the status quo (for better or worse) prevail.  The latter is how we will proceed for now.

Work on cutting down the hill on the snow dump cannot begin until June. It is solid as a rock and the equipment we rent to undertake this 100 hour job cannot make a dent in the mountain until then. Once that is cleared, we can look at making part of the dump available for the  workers  to park until it snows – making the temporary lot feasible again..

There was a lot of talk regarding cleanliness of the street. The developers have agreed to have the street cleaned three days a week. The city will also use its sweeper. If any cleanups are not completed, the city will send in a crew and bill the developer.

Finally let me address the topic of noise. Work is not supposed to begin until 7 am. nor is it permitted to go past 9 pm. In the past week alone I have received countless complaints about vehicles arriving on site as of 5:30 am and making large beeping noises as they backup. There have also been reports of the dumpster being emptied as late as 10:30 pm Our Public Security patrols are monitoring the site as best they can and I am encouraging residents of the neighbouring buildings to continue to advise me of any violations. The developers are committed to dealing with this, noting the problem often comes about as a result of sub-contractors of sub-contractors not following the rules. Clearly we need to address the chain of command.

The developers will be represented at my District 2 Town Hall meeting on Monday night, June 4 (7:30 pm) at City Hall.


New City Hall/Library Parking Lot gets good reviews

I am pleased to report that I have been getting nothing but positive reviews regarding the reconfiguration of our CIty Hall/Library Parking Lot.

IMG_1950Last spring a contract was awarded to Groupe TNT Inc. in the amount of $1,941,716.78. The work included the reconstruction of the sidewalks and curbs, the replacement of the lighting, the installation of security cameras, the asphalt paving, the installation of new park benches, bike racks and recycling  and garbage containers.

We began work on the project on July 5  and it was carried out in three phases in order to minimize the impact on the public. This first section of the parking lot, which included 62 parking spaces, was opened on August 7. Phase Two, the central part of the parking lot,  was paved on September 11. Phase Three, which included the Cavendish entrance,  was paved on October 16, and opened to the public on October 31 following the installation of the signage. The landscaping was substantially completed in November. The park benches, recycling garbage containers, bike rack and street lights were installed in December. The activation of the electric vehicle charging station was done in early February.

IMG_1955

Work left to be completed includes the installation of the security cameras.  Three additional large caliper oak trees will also be planted in the spring as these types of trees do not tolerate well transplanting in the fall. A total of 45 trees were planted to date.

IMG_1958Besides the fact that this is now safer parking lot to navigate by car or on foot, what most people appreciate is the wide drop off zone. No longer does a vehicle have to circle continually because someone is honking behind them.

IMG_1963I wish to thank Marianne Zalal in particular from our Urban Development Department and of course Director Charles Senekal for their tireless work on the project. When some residents expressed concern about the number of trees we needed to cut, In called an emergency meeting with Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. We proceeded to make changes to the plans and sacrificed a number of new spaces to ensure some healthy trees remained in place.

I look forward to everyone enjoying the full beauty of this new area when the nice weather returns in late spring.

 

 


Construction moves at a quick pace on Equinoxe Rental Condos on Marc Chagall

Concrete pouring is nearly complete for Phase 1 of the new Equinoxe Rental Condos on Marc Chagall Avenue in District 2.

I will remind everyone that this land was originally zoned high-rise residential by a previous council 30 years ago. Working began last spring. The developers are nearing completion of the concrete structure of the building itself, pouring the floor slab of the 12th floor at the time this report, leaving only the penthouse level to complete. The ground floor is now closed and portions all the way up to the fifth floor have now been closed , meaning interior work is underway. The builders have made great progress on this project despite the harsh winter weather we have experienced so far this year.

Equinoxe

According to building officials, rental deposits are going very well and they are on target for people to move in by July 1. We should know very soon if they will begin work on the second building in the spring. It would be nice to see all of this construction over by the summer of 2019.

The city is working with the builders to mitigate the ongoing nuisances in the area and the builders have been cooperative to date. New signs for parts of Marc Chagall and Mackle will soon be installed to limit the amount of hours vehicles can park their during the day. This is meant to encourage construction workers to use the temporary parking lot we opened. There are a few matters we must resolve before e signs are installed.

As for Saturday construction work, that will be restricted to indoor work by the middle of March as per an agreement we reached with the owners. This will amount to very good news when Phase 2 begins and residents can once again enjoy Saturdays without that unfortunate noise pollution.

 


Phase Two of the City Hall/Library Parking Lot project will be paved soon

As Phase Two of the City Hall/Library Parking Lot project is under way, we have been getting questions regarding the pedestrian access to the building.

For this week, pedestrians are being directed to the temporary stone path that runs from Sir Walter Scott to Cavendish, on the south side of the parking lot.  The contractor will be bringing more signs to direct the pedestrians from the back of the lot towards this path.  He has also adjusted the temporary fence and its supports following a complaint received about a possible tripping hazard risk.  
 
Weather permitting, we expect that Phase Two of the parking lot should be paved by September 1.  This will provide parking in the area that is presently under construction and the sidewalk for pedestrian access towards the back entrance.  The contractor has been advised that this sidewalk closer to the building is a priority and he is working to see if it can be done sooner than later.
 
The entire project should be completed by October.
MeetingParklot
Residents take part in a meeting about the parking lot construction.
 
Last week we invited area residents to City Hall to get a closer look at exactly what this project will look like upon its completion. I met with a number of residents from Marc Chagall and Sir Walter Scott. There was a request for us to save even more trees than originally planned. We have done so and as a result there will be eight less new parking spots than originally envisioned.

Temporary main entrance to City Hall/Library Parking Lot

Starting  on Monday, August 7, access to parking spaces at the City Hall/Library parking lot will only be via the Sir Walter Scott entrance. See the map below to locate this temporary entrance.

Work on this large-scale project is continuing at a nice pace. Anyone wishing to receive more information, please join me at City Hall with Project Manager  Marianne  Zalzal on Monday,  August 14 (5 pm)  where we will answer any questions and show a new mock up of the final design. As the result of consultations I carried out in July with the mayor, we have decided to fell less trees and plant many new ones. We also changed the design of a proposed bike path.

For anyone driving to City Hall via Sir Walter Scott, please make sure to use the turnaround at the end of the street. Do not drive straight inside! When leaving the lot, drive slowly!

http://www.cotesaintluc.org/announcement20170804a

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