Devimco Buying Up Griffintown

Gazette article points out that Devimco owns (probably more than) 72% of Griffintown. While that probably is not illegal it certainly  reeks of something immoral. Devimco has been buying properties in Griffintown for 2 years or more. Surely they didn’t just go ahead with that in the hope that they might be able to develop a mega project there one day? Shouldn’t there be urban development/planning “Anti Trust” kind of laws? And what regulatory bodies, if any, does the City of Montreal have in place to say, whoa, a commercial real estate developer is buying up a whole district? Yes, it sure does look like one nice big sweet inside deal was worked out here.

The role of one time Mayor of Verdun, Georges Bosse as a lobbyist for the project is just so borderline corrupt it is amazing that something akin to a full scandal is not in the media. People would be screaming any where else. Um, no, It wouldn’t be that obvious any where else. Article here.

I find this part from the Gazette article humorous but like listening to someone who is veering off into total madness,

“The city has asked the developer to conserve the “Horse Palace,” a building that has been in continuous use as a stable since the 1800s. Goulet said the stable building will be preserved, but not to house horses.

“I could see it having a community use, such as a daycare,” he said.”

We are talking about people who cannot see the need for horses in Griffintown. Something very wrong there somewhere. These are the people who claim they now have a model of sustainable development in their project. These are big box developers, folks ( that means, among other things, cheap materials, quick labour). And, frankly, they will tell you anything to get their project approved. 8 years of construction is a long time and a lot of “Ooops” can happen. Doesn’t anyone think it s too much when they speak of creating lighting along the Canal, running trams to downtown, creating pedestrian underpasses, while making everything it touches golden green, and who knows what else? Ever been ripped off? Yea, it s always the nice guy who promises the sun, the moon and the stars, ain’t it? Letting one developer develop one whole district of the city is just plain not in any one’s best interest, and the too many balls in the air energy of this project is bound to end badly.