Devimco and Inerjys to rebuild Silo no. 5
Canada Lands Company (CLC) will sell Silo #5 and the Pointe du Moulin properties in the Port of Montreal to developer Devimco after a lengthy call for proposals.
Devimco President Serge Goulet confirmed the information during a press event on the future of the Bridge Bonaventure sector on Tuesday morning.
It’s not yesterday that we know the name of the future owner of the 7.3-acre property. La Presse announced the name of the winner of the tender in July 2019. However, the news was only confirmed on Tuesday by one of the interested parties.
Silo No. 5, half a kilometer long, has been idle since 1994. Projects and announcements about its development followed over the years. For example, in November 2010, the SIC announced that it would refurbish the silo in time for Montreal’s 375th anniversary in 2017. The maintenance costs for this behemoth at the time were around 500,000 US dollars per year.
This time, too, the project is ambitious. The point is to transform the silo into a vertical urban farm of 20,000 m2, heated in particular by a tidal turbine installed in the river behind Habitat 67.
The farm is sponsored by Stephan Ouaknine, CEO of the cleantech fund Inerjys. He is responsible for redesigning the silo interior to accommodate vertical greenhouses. The area is then leased to gardeners. “I’ve already signed agreements with producers,” says Mr. Ouaknine, who was present at the press event held at 331 rue Oak, in the heart of the industrial edge that stands out in the sector, Bridge Bonaventure.
“The Farm Silo No. 5 becomes a source of fresh produce for local shoppers, restaurants and visitors to the Old Port. It will be a local model of community empowerment through the integration of renewable energy,” the developer’s presentation document reads.
A public market will be set up on the ground floor of the neighboring building, while a restaurant and event space will welcome the public on the roof. “With its panoramic view of the city center, the roof of Silo No. 5 will quickly become an unmissable destination for tourists and residents of the Old Port,” we promise.
There is also talk of building a curvaceous $48 million Aboriginal culture and tourist embassy at the top of the peak. “This is a permanent infrastructure that will aim to provide a cultural and tourist experience,” explains Dave Laveau, general manager of Aboriginal Tourism Quebec, over the phone. The financial package is not yet complete. “We are in talks with the federal government and Quebec,” says Mr. Laveau. The City of Montreal has previously committed to paying 10% of the bill, he says.
Devimco undertakes to restore the grain conveyors at its own expense.
The point is to build about 2,000 housing units on Pointe-du-Moulin, a flexible number according to the City of Montreal’s vision.
Two visions collide
Last March, the City of Montreal unveiled its plan for the Pointe-du-Moulin sector, the Peel and Wellington basins and the Pointe-Saint-Charles triangle, which envisages 3,800 new housing units, including 1,270 social and affordable housing and 320 family units. The city is proposing 48 hectares of new public green space and five kilometers of shoreline along the river and Lachine Canal, as well as a dozen kilometers of cycle paths. The Vision Bridge-Bonaventure project offers more than 7,500 new housing units, including 1,400 family units and 20% public housing.