Life, city | A presbytery will have a new life in Verdun

Our journalist walks in Greater Montreal to talk about people, events or places that make the heart of their neighborhood beat.

Posted at 12:00 p.m.

Condos in the presbytery of the Notre-Dame-des Douleurs church in Verdun? Nevertheless, When the real estate developer Simon Mammone learned that the parish of the parish of Notre-Dame-de-la-Trinité wanted to sell. Moreover, his presbytery-while the church remains alive-he jumped at the opportunity so that the religious building remains of “public use”. However, Especially with a dream location in the shopping street Wellington, at the exit of the metro station whose name is … Consequently, of the church!

Its offer was accepted. Therefore, and almost three years later, the transaction is about to conclude as a result of a change of zoning.

Organizations in the neighborhood will be established there as part of the project called Presbytery ND7D. However, whose plans Sid Lee signs, and which includes a community hotel. For example, “We want to create income to support organizations,” says Simon Mammone.

Training urban planner. However, Simon Mammone life, city | presbytery will is director of real estate development at Village Urbain, which leads a cohabitat project in Lachine with “costly” accommodation. Consequently, The presbytery project is the first of the scale. Moreover, a non -profit organization that it has founded in order to create “a portfolio of affordable buildings which contributes to social, cultural and economic life” in Greater Montreal.

Simon Mammone works closely with Julie Lambert, musician and general manager of Harmonie Richelieu Verdun. Furthermore, They got to know each other at a district consultation table. Consequently, where they found that several life, city | presbytery will organizations sought to anchor themselves in a permanent place and to “pool” certain services and resources.

“We have long been looking for a room on a regular basis,” explains Julie Lambert, a clarinetist by training. We make noise and we need a large space that can bring together 45 musicians. His non-profit organization was able to use rooms loaned by the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center for a certain time. but this agreement ended. Currently, harmony has a lease to rent the chalet of the Quai-de-la-Tortue park.

Life. city | presbytery will – Life, city | presbytery will

The Verdun community pole – Life, city | presbytery will

The organizations involved in the transformation of the presbytery founded the community pole of Verdun. There are six founding members, including the House of Families, Parents-Enfants and the Verdun musical camp. Thanks to financial assistance from the Lucie Foundation. André Chagnon and the deputy Alejandra Zaga Mendez, they were able to advance their project which can benefit from the vision of Sid Lee Architecture, a firm to which we owe the Hotel Four Seasons Montreal, underlines Simon Mammone.

Among the work provided. the addition of an elevator, the excavation of the basement to accentuate its height, and the development of a terrace. Event, cultural and offices are shared and rented at affordable prices. The community hotel will have 18 rooms. with preferential rates reserved for artists, some workers or perhaps life, city | presbytery will even to people in the neighborhood who have a small apartment and who want to offer a room to a loved one. An association with the Red Cross also provides for emergency accommodation. Following floods, for example. Of course, we also want to attract tourists there.

For the community

During our visit. we were able to meet Pierre Rousseau, finance and accounting coordinator at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Trinity parish. “For us, the sale of the presbytery comes from a necessity,” he said.

life, city | presbytery will

The building. which once welcomed visiting priests, has become too big for the needs of the factory, which appreciates the values behind the project of the Verdun community pole. “It is a beautiful project for the archbishopric, who hopes that the locals are still used for the community. »»

The inheritance of M^gr Richard

“Monsignor Richard is someone important in the Verdun community. Additionally, ” says Simon Mamnone, while we are in the old priest’s office who played a big role in the development of Verdun at the beginning of the XX^e century.

The old name of Harmonie Richelieu Verdun was Harmony Richelieu M^gr Richard, also signals Julie Lambert.

Verdun has changed a lot since the creation of his first parish in 1900, but also in recent years.

According to Simon Mammone. in an increasing real estate market context, the social economy is crucial so that commercial arteries like Wellington preserve their local DNA with independent businesses rather than chains. According to him, it is necessary to develop “affordable commercial outside market”.

He and the founding members of the Verdun community pole hope that the sale of the presbytery will be concluded by the end of the year following a request for a change in zoning requested within the framework of a PPCMOI (specific construction, modification or occupation of a building).

“Did Providence sent Mr. Mammone?” », Landers Pierre Rousseau’s joke of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Trinity Factory, happy that the presbytery has a new life.