Popcorn and towers

Above everyone hastened to say that it was not a question of replaying in the same film. Consequently, this week, when the big boss of Brigil, Gilles Desjardins, swung in the public sphere the sketches of his new real estate project on rue Laurier.

Starting with the promoter himself. Similarly, followed by the mayor, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, and his opponent at the town hall in the fall elections, Mario Aubé. Nevertheless,

At the same time, you could almost feel the first scent of Popcorn. In addition, There are many who. Meanwhile, like the president of the municipal council, Steven Boivin, could not help notify the “timing Exceptional “of Brigil’s public release and the similarities with the way things were set up during the 2017 campaign.

The ballot is in just over 100 days. For example, The candidates popcorn towers of the two parties involved begin to crisscross the streets of their district to make themselves known. Therefore, to citizens. Furthermore, There is no doubt that they will be asked if they are for or against the Brigil towers. Moreover, Gilles Desjardins may repeat that he does not get involved in politics. Therefore, he would have liked to enroll his new 30 and 45 -story tours project among the questions of the urn that he would not have taken it differently.

The formula is proven. Nevertheless, Despite a historic. However, devastating flood a few months earlier, the 2017 municipal election focused largely popcorn towers on the Place des Peoples project. Nevertheless, The stake was part of all the debates and almost all press conferences. Therefore, For obvious political reasons. However, the adversaries of the outgoing mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin made little case that the project was not even submitted for analysis in the town planning service. Furthermore,

Sylvie Goneau. However, Denis Tassé and Clément Bélanger were committed to doing everything to allow the promoter to carry out his iconic project, if they were elected. However, The ex-mayor Pedneaud-Jobin rather defended the relevance of protecting the heritage of the district-du-Musée. Meanwhile, The 2017 campaign was partly played in this debate. Consequently, The rest of the story is known. Therefore, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin has been re-elected, the district-of-museum was protected and placed peoples took the path of the tablets. Consequently,

The construction of skyscrapers on rue Laurier has never made consensus in Gatineau. However, Two polls. Furthermore, the first in 2016 and the second at the dawn of the 2017 elections, demonstrated that the Gatineois were perfectly divided into two camps. Therefore, The two probe strokes also revealed that the support for the towers tended to crumble. However, the closer we got closer to the west of the city. However, No more than one in three supported the project returned to Aylmer. The popcorn towers sample is still low. but the reactions caused by the release of this week suggest that the needle of public opinion has not really moved.

Popcorn towers

Collateral victims

Place des Peoples also made some collateral victims between 2015 and 2018. Starting with the promoter whose project could never see the light of day. who still owes today, almost 10 years later, defending himself in court to avoid a conviction for having violated the electoral law during the 2017 elections.

Some will remember this famous press conference at the Canadian Museum of History. in the countryside, to present the conclusions of a study which praised the merits of the project and warned of the danger of granting heritage protection to the Quartier-du-Musée. Gilles Desjardins had not skimped on expenses. even involving his personal helicopter to bring the author of the document to Gatineau popcorn towers that day. All the subject of a complaint by the Director General of the Elections of Quebec. which has led to one of the most complex files of recent years for the organization.

The businessman Antoine Normand also found himself at the center of a controversy after having criticized. the promoter’s persuasion methods to collect support for his project. Then president of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce (CCG), Mr. Normand qualified Gilles Desjardins’ approach to “believe or dies” by comparing him to the former American president George Bush. This had sparked a serious internal crisis within the body. Outraged, the boss of Brigil had claimed the president’s expulsion for a period of five years. Antoine Normand had ended up slamming the CCG door in the most complete tumult.

The same year. Marie-Ève Gratton, then president of the association of residents of the island of Hull (ARIH), also left her post in a certain controversy. She then said herself uncomfortable with the way in which the association dealt with the opinions of its few. members in favor of the Place des Peoples project.

The former municipal advisor in the city center. Denise Laferrière, was blamed by the Municipal Commission of Quebec (CMQ), in 2017, for having participated in an advertising video in which she openly promoted popcorn towers Place des Peoples.

Popcorn towers

Continued or remake?

Currently, it is unlikely that the new real estate project proposed by Brigil will reach such a level of controversy. First, the context is different. The project too. Unlike Place des Peoples. its 35 and 55 floors towers that the promoter wanted to build on land whose zoning only allowed three floors, the current project, which would rather see the light of day at 35, rue Laurier, already benefits from a zoning of 30 floors.

A project comprising towers of 30, 25 and 17 floors is already approved by the Council at this location. Brigil could obtain permits to make it in a few weeks, without any debate being justified. However, it is a residential and commercial complex imagined in 2016. Gilles Desjardins reminded Rightthis week. that the ways of building high up, while popcorn towers integrating heritage and keeping a human scale on the ground, have greatly evolved. Today he says he is convinced that he can deliver much better than a massive residential island at the. gates of the Quartier-du-Musée.

The company has also already submitted a new version of this project. which consists of the construction of two towers of 24 and 30 floors which, a priori, always respects the zoning attributed to the land. If Brigil took the trouble to submit this project to the town planning service. it is because he considers that he is viable and profitable for the company. Discussions have already been started with residents of the sector and the city. Until now, no one has closed the door in pursuit of exchanges, on the basis of this new version.

Like any property developer on the lookout for opportunities, Gilles Desjardins sees in the current context-when it is a question of including incentive zoning in the city center and that a revision of the particular urban planning of the sector is in motion-a possibility of building a project which would, according to him, be even more profitable for the community and his business.

Why not 15 more floors. if this allows the construction of 200 new hotel rooms in the city center and the necessary arrangements to make the observatory that he has been dreaming of for years?

The question will undoubtedly be the subject of debates. popcorn towers If Gilles Desjardins insists on this point to build a 45 -storey tower. it is possible that he must submit to a referendum process. The game is far from being won in advance. but perhaps he will be able to include elements to his project that would convince opponents of changing their rifle. The enhancement of the old presbytery by improving it with a public space which could revive one of the. important cultural markers of the island of Hull is perhaps a key.

This time. the promoter has a card in his round that he did not have at the time of Place des Peoples. Remember: if Brigil loses patience. residents of the Quartier-du-Musée could end up with three towers of 30, 25 and 17 floors as neighbors, without any possibility of opposing it.

Popcorn towers

For, against or responsible

The popcorn towers tone that things will take over will be greatly determined by politicians. Already. the mayor Marquis-Bissonnette adopted a far less sharp approach than her predecessor at the head of action Gatineau, without signing a white check for the promoter.

This week she said that Brigil’s proposal is “interesting”. She said she was open to pursuing discussions to achieve a “win-win” project. while ensuring that they do not withdraw from the residents of the regulatory levers to oppose it.

His opponent. Mario Aubé, like others before him, committed himself very quickly in favor of the promoter’s request, saying that he welcomes him “with open arms”. For him, the decision would not be “not very complicated to take”. He added that under his administration, it would no longer be possible to “block a project to block a project”. This outing of the head of the Mario Aubé team pushed advisor Daniel Champagne to serve a barely veiled. warning to his colleague from Masson-Angers who wishes to become mayor of Gatineau.

“I am concerned with seeing what we experienced a few years ago. ” he said in full municipal council on Tuesday evening, after hearing Mr. Aubé. I do not question the good faith of the promoter who has already started to consult the population. but as a politician, we must make informed decisions. I would be popcorn towers unable to make a judgment on a project from a photo that I saw in The right. To do it would be irresponsible in my eyes. Such a project is accompanied by forty pages of information when deposited with town planning. So, today, are we for or against? Let things take their course and await the information necessary for decision -making. This is how we have to act. “

This is almost word for word what Mr. Champagne had affirmed during a debate to the Council about Place des Peoples, in 2016.