Montreal's Molson brewery to make way for new residential neighbourhood

The landmarkMolson brewery, a looming presence on Montreal's waterfront for more than two centuries,could soon be transformed into a neighbourhoodwith as many as 4,000 homes.

Mayor Valrie Plantecalled the proposed deal with a consortium of developers "historic."

Plante said the developers won't get the green lightwithout first ensuring space is set aside for a school, community centre, public park, waterfront promenadeand 200 social housing units.

"When we think about the city of the future, we want it like that, exactly like that," Plante said at Wednesday's meeting of the city's executive committee.

The sprawlingsite, the equivalent of nearly 11 CFL football fields, runs north of the St. Lawrence River toNotre-Dame Street, between Panet Street and Papineau Avenue.

It is part of what will be dubbed theQuartierdesfaubourgs, which also includes the newMaisonRadio-Canada building going up just north of theMolsonsiteand the existing tower, which is to be transformed into new offices and housing.

Under the agreement, the consortium of Groupe Slection and Groupe Montoni will acquire part of the land, while giving the rest to Montreal for development into public infrastructure.

The deal still needs to be approved by city council. Then, as with any construction project of such magnitude, it must go through a series of legal hurdles in the coming years before reaching fruition.

The estimated completion date is 2035.

Molson is in the process of moving from the site of Canada's oldest brewery to Longueuil over the next five years. Discussions between Molson-Coors and Groupe Slection began several months before Montreal got involved.

Nothing in thepresentation made to the city'sexecutive committeeindicates the section of the brewery that opened in 1786 will be preserved. City officials declined interview requests Wednesday.

Park with a waterfront view

Montreal will use a portion ofthe city's land for a new park with a view of the river,the city's director of institutional services, Benoit Dagenais, told the executive committee Wednesday.

Dagenais said the park will be larger than the minimum required by the bylaw governing new housing projects. It includes a half-kilometre-longlinear promenade that is toconnect Notre-Dame Street to the park.

By 2027, the city is also planning to purchase about half a hectare of the site for $6.7 million. Describing it as a "civic and habitation pole," this sectionwill be divided into two parts.

A portion of that land will be set aside for a school and other social uses,the document says, while the rest of that section will be used for social housing, to be managed by the SHDM, Montreal's housing corporation.