New condos, apts., retail, office on way at Quartier des lumières

It's part of the developer’s plan to build 2,200 condo units on the Quartier des lumières site just west of the Jacques Cartier Bridge and near the city’s downtown core. Meanwhile, developer Groupe Mach says it still plans to develop about 900,000 square feet of office space at Quartier des lumières, despite the current high vacancy rates in the city. Plans are being finalized for what Chiara says is “a huge demolition process.”While it’s unlikely office space will be required in the next couple of years in Montreal given current vacancy rates, “historically we’ve managed to absorb (office) space in Montreal over time,” Chiara says. In addition, Chiara maintains much of the city’s current vacant office space will be taken off the market because it is rundown and undesirable. The recently completed 418,822-square-foot Maison de Radio-Canada, on the eastern edge of Quartier des lumières and just east of CBC/Radio-Canada’s former headquarters, was built by Broccolini.