New bylaw goals to curb Notre-Dame St. W gentrification

Attracting foodies from throughout Montreal and all over the world, Notre Dame St. has develop into the place to exit to eat, with an explosion of eating places -- 16 new eateries have opened in 5 years, lots of them high-end scorching spots.

However a brand new bylaw has the Southwest borough is placing the brakes on new eating places, forcing them to be no less than 25 metres away from the closest one.

“Each second storefront shouldn't be a restaurant,” stated Southwest borough councillor Craig Sauve, a member of Projet Montreal.

“Perhaps get in some retail, grocery shops, bakeries. Get in some providers. That is what individuals within the neighbourhood actually need,” he stated.

The borough additionally needs to maintain hovering rental costs in examine.

Cafe St-Henri went public when its landlord tried to hike the lease from $23,000 to $63,000 per yr.

“There's St-Laurent St. proper round Sherbrooke that had the identical strain we need to keep away from right here within the Sud-Ouest. It’s not due to lack of making an attempt, it’s as a result of the lease is just too excessive,” he stated.

Some small enterprise house owners, nevertheless, say the borough ought to keep out of it.

“In the event you restrict eating places, one thing stays for lease longer,” stated Danielle Russell, proprietor of Botania, an area magnificence and residential merchandise store. “If eating places are what are needed, I've nothing towards extra eating places. It’s a troublesome state of affairs, since you need to let the market regulate itself.”

Actual property agent Sebastien Trottier stated the demand is from eating places, with most others already priced out.

“We have had cafes are available, and at these costs they can not afford the rents, they crunch the numbers they usually understand what they should promote in a yr to interrupt even. They will make presents, however their gives are one third to a half of what the landlords are asking,” he stated.

Thus the urgency to behave, stated Sauve, including that the borough is providing grants to assist small companies arrange store.

The Southwest borough will probably be holding a public assembly subsequent Thursday concerning the zoning bylaw, which is already in impact. It turns into everlasting in November.