Developer Carbonleo Real Estate Inc. has unveiled a concept drawing and started site work for an enclosed, gently curving footbridge over Hwy. 15 from its massive Royalmount mega-mall and mixed-use district to the nearby De la Savane Métro station.

In the announcement, Carbonleo announced it will invest over $25 million to construct the bridge, which it says will accommodate up to 10 million pedestrians annually.

Spanning more than 200 metres, the bridge, which will complete in 2024, will feature a green roof and be climate-controlled. A public square will also be built beside the Métro station to mark the entrance to the footbridge.

"The footbridge is a core component of the Royalmount project. It is essential to its success, given our goal to maximize active mobility and minimize car use,” said Claude Marcotte, Carbonleo’s executive vice-president and partner, in the announcement.

“This footbridge will be heated and/or air-conditioned, depending on the weather, and will allow users to cross directly from the Métro to Royalmount in complete comfort and safety.”

Sid Lee Architecture designed footbridge

The footbridge is designed by Montreal-based Sid Lee Architecture, which won a contest for the opportunity.

Carbonleo’s co-owner on the multi-billion-dollar Royalmount project is private equity firm L Catterton Real Estate.

Founded in 2012, Carbonleo has 150 employees and its other projects include Quartier DIX30 and the Four Seasons Montreal Hotel and Private Residences.

Carbonleo worked with the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, the Town of Mount Royal, the City of Montreal and the Société de transport de Montréal on the design.

Preparation of the site has already begun and will be followed by construction of the pillars.

The project will include prefabricated sections of the structure and Carbonleo says much of the work will be done at night and other non-peak times to minimize disruption along the busy transportation corridor.

Hwy. 15 is also known as the Décarie Expressway.

Royalmount district

The Royalmount development was first announced in 2015 for the former industrial site in the southeast corner of the Metropolitan and Décarie highway interchange.

When complete, Royalmount's retail component will feature more than 170 retailers, including 60 restaurants and attractions. In November, several upscale retailers announced plans for stores in the complex including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany and Co., and RH.

The first phase consists of an 824,000-square-foot, two-level retail and lifestyle complex and is under construction with occupancy expected in 2024.

The district will also house a three-kilometre linear park known as Le Champ Libre, an outdoor piazza, a hotel, commercial space and a residential component.

At full build-out, Royalmount is expected to have 3.5 million square feet of mixed-use space. The entire project is estimated to cost over $7 billion.

Current plans include 3,250 housing units, though that remains under discussion with municipal officials due to concerns about a strain on local infrastructure and other issues.

Carbonleo says the district will be one of only a few “100 per cent carbon-neutral mixed-use projects in Canada.”

To accomplish this goal, sustainability features include a 25 per cent reduction in energy consumption courtesy of a geothermal system, the inclusion of 450,000 trees on the site, harvesting 86 per cent of rainwater which falls on the property, extensive use of green spaces and green roofs.

The site will also benefit from Quebec’s largely hydroelectric grid and plans to offset seven per cent of emissions via carbon credits.