Quarter Dix30 | “Green flow” and 10,000 parking lots

Almost 20 years after its inauguration, some things have not changed in the Dix30 district of Brossard.

Posted at 5:00 a.m.

There are always 10,000 parking lots, well roped in this suburban shopping paradise. Similarly, This makes it a giant heat island, at the edge of Montérégiennes agricultural land.

The automobile is still queen there. Moreover, even if the arrival of the Metropolitan Express network (REM) is starting to change the situation.

But a touch of green has just appeared in this concrete ocean. Nevertheless, A thin green line, rather, which stretches for 500 meters.

The first step in a major transformation to come in this megaquartier. Consequently, located at the corner of highways 10 and 30, which aims to become the “city center” of the whole shore.

Piedtonization. Furthermore, water retention basins, vegetation, withdrawal of parking huts, “human scale” developments: these are all concepts that we would not tend to associate with the quarter dix30 | “green flow” dix30.

It is however towards there that Carbonleo leaves, his majority shareholder. Furthermore, The group spent 20 million dollars to convert the avenue des Lumières. in the center of the district, in a pedestrian street where all traffic was banished.

The company describes this project as the beginning of an “eco -neighborhood”. This momentum of enthusiasm may seem exaggerated … but to have gone there last week, I can tell quarter dix30 | “green flow” you that the greening effort is quite successful.

First and foremost for what he suggests.

The new avenue is cute. We are far from the Highline Park in New York. we get along, but it is a pleasant linear park, a sort of “green flow”, which starts from the Manuvian theater and continues in a straight line towards “10”, not too far from the station of the REM district.

Some 250 trees, 1,700 shrubs and 12,000 plants were installed. These plants are still skinny, and the street will continue to embark as they grow.

The idea is to concentrate several restaurants along the avenue and multiply the terraces. Some were already arranged during the visit I made with Nicolas Démourdy, president and partner of Carbonleo.

The new pedestrian path aims to recreate the same feeling that can be felt in the Montreal show district. he hopes.

The new concept already makes followers. It is not too surprising, considering that the Dix30 already welcomes 24 million visitors per year.

Where it is the most promising is that Carbonleo intends to achieve a second phase of greening. continuing the pedestrianization of the avenue to the REM.

The company then plans to demolish commercial buildings. surface parking lots, to erect thousands of new housing in their place. In other words: densify.

Carbonleo is in discussions with the city of Brossard to concoct a master plan. which will guide the planning of all this sector.

If this residential project works. it will complete the loop for the Dix30, which already has 300 shops of all kinds, including grocery stores, bakeries and fishmongers, performance halls, hotels, as well as 2.8 million square feet of offices.

The movement towards densification is well started in Brossard, as in several other cities on the South Shore of Montreal. As if the city centers had started to multiply.

Just in front of the Dix30, thousands of homes as well as offices and hotels have pushed Solar Uniquartier in recent years.

Another major mixed project is planned at the next REM station, Panama. The mayor of Brossard describes him as the “future city center of Brossard”. Additionally, The Prevel and TGTA groups plan to build 1776 apartments, which will lead to a major densification of the site.

A little further east. the City of Longueuil also works on a new city center, in collaboration with the Company of Canada, which holds land by the river. Think of dozens of new buildings.

And to link these “new city centers”, the mayor of Longueuil and Brossard have agreed to fully rearrange the boulevard Taschereau for nine kilometers, with a fast bus service (SRB), more greenery and thousands of new housing units¹.

The South Shore has already changed a lot in recent years. If all these projects go ahead, it will be unrecognizable in 10 years.

1. Read “Boulevard Taschereau: towards the end of an urban fracture? »»