The Mellem Montréal development planned by Maître Carré. (Courtesy Maître Carré)

Housing developer Maître Carré, building on the success of its first Mellem rental housing development in Brossard, plans two additional purpose-built rentals under the brand in Montréal and Gatineau.

The firm hopes to have both of the new developments open for occupancy during 2024.

The first will be a 215-unit project in Montréal, on a former industrial site in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood in Ville-Marie. In addition to the apartments it will include a public space, accessible local shops, urban art, green spaces and community agriculture.

A 190-unit complex is in the early development stages for construction in the Manoir-des-Trembles-Val-Tétreau neighbourhood of Gatineau, across the Ottawa River from the City of Ottawa.

Occupancy begins at Mellem Brossard

The announcement this week coincides with the start of occupancy at Mellem Brossard, where Maître Carré says more than 60 per cent of the units have been rented as new residents begin moving in.

“We’ve also managed to bring people of all ages together in a neighbourhood where the population is primarily over 65, and that’s what we’re most proud of,” said Hugo Girard-Beauchamp, president and founder of Maître Carré, in the announcement. “We believe that a community can only be as dynamic and diverse as its residents.

“Our vision is neighbours from different cultures sharing recipes, or retirees helping the young family next door by babysitting their kids – we’re passionate about creating these kinds of communities.”

Residents at Mellem Brossard range in age from 18 years to 92.

Mellem Montréal development

The two new projects will be based on the same principles as Mellem Brossard, from biophilic design concepts to commodities that highlight buying local, urban farming and a Tesla car-sharing program.

In an exchange of emails with RENX, a Maître Carré spokesman provided additional details about the two new developments.

The Montréal property will be at 2820 rue Ontario East, comprised of two six-storey mid-rise buildings with a total of 215 apartments. It will be built in a single phase and the units are a mix of one- to three-bedroom apartments as well as two commercial spaces of 750 square feet apiece.

Gerpro Construction will build the project, which is valued at about $85 million.

The neighbourhood has a Walk Score of 80 and is within walking distance of the Frontenac Station on the city’s Green Line, which is six stations from downtown. It also has access to bike paths and Bixi stalls, shops, recreation and a community centre.

The development will replace an existing former storage building.

The Gatineau proposal

In Gatineau, the proposal is for a seven-storey mid-rise at 256 boul. Saint-Raymond. It will contain about 190 units spread between studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments. It will also include a commercial space of about 1,500 square feet.

The development is valued at about $75 million.

The Manoir-des-Trembles-Val-Tétreau District is a relatively quiet neighbourhood close to downtown Ottawa, Gatineau Park and the Outaouais River harbour.

It also has access to public bus transport and is near a future station on the proposed Gatineau LRT line.

Maître Carré said Gatineau also has one of the lowest residential rental vacancy rates in Quebec. At the end of 2020, the latest period for which CMHC data is available, it was reported at just 1.6 per cent compared to 2.7 per cent in Montreal.