Groupe HD hopes to begin construction this fall to redevelop a former YMCA in downtown Montreal into a 30-storey apartment tower with over 400 units and ground-level retail. The project is a $200-million investment, according to the Montreal-based developer.

To be located at 1355 René-Lévesque Blvd. W, Groupe HD said the project will “contribute to the transformation of a strategic site and to the evolution of the surrounding area” in its Friday-morning announcement.

Groupe HD noted the stable land prices in the Golden Square Mile, once one of Canada’s most gilded neighbourhoods, which allows for the development of the rental project.

The developer’s aim is to make the project a flagship building in the Ville-Marie borough and contribute to the diversification of the financial and real estate assets of its partners.

"Downtown remains a key hub of Montreal. We believe in its capacity to evolve and in the importance of maintaining a high-quality residential offering,” Thomas Dufour, co-president of Groupe HD, said in the announcement.

A transit-oriented, downtown-revitalizing building

To commence the redevelopment, Groupe HD said it will demolish the existing YMCA building, which has been approved by the city due in part to the presence of asbestos and other contamination throughout the structure, according to published reports. The YMCA building is vacant after its operations were relocated to eastern Montreal in April 2025.

The site is already fully serviced.

Architecturally, Groupe HD plans to have the apartment tower match the streetscape, with a “commercial base integrated into the built environment and a residential tower set back above.” Such a plan would help optimize density, match the local culture and add to the liveliness of the neighbourhood, Groupe HD said.

The developer did not immediately provide further details about the commercial base.

As a transit-oriented development, Groupe HD noted the redevelopment will be close to the Lucien-L'Allier metro and train stations, a transit hub in downtown Montreal. The location of the project puts it within short reach of the offices of major financial institutions such as TD Bank and Laurentian Bank of Canada, hotels like Holiday Inn & Suites and Warwick Le Crystal, and Concordia University buildings.

Construction is scheduled to start in the fall.

"This project is built on strong fundamentals, including a central location and excellent accessibility, in a downtown area that continues to evolve,” said Alexandra Kau, the president of Capital Property Developments, a financial partner on the project.

The general contractor of the rental project is to be Construction Praxis, the construction division of Groupe HD.

Groupe HD's other projects

The new project follows similar themes that Groupe HD has emphasized in past developments.

For example, it acquired the 72,000-square-foot site of a former Volkswagen automotive dealership in LaSalle, Que. to build a 155-unit purpose-built rental apartment with its partner Fondaction in 2024.

In Montreal, the company has unveiled a series of other projects such as a six-storey residential and commercial complex of 380 rental units in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighbourhood, and another in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough to develop 1,200 homes with Fondaction.

Groupe HD said it is involved in over 20 projects, totalling more than 10,000 residential units across condos, rental buildings and private seniors' residences.