Trois-Rivières’ ambitious and daring real estate development strategy based on the revitalization of abandoned or underused industrial and urban buildings has borne fruit.
In 2018, there were some 3 million square feet of these qualified buildings on the territory of the city. In four years, this area has been reduced by two-thirds, a performance that was highlighted at the 2022 Conference of the Union des municipalités du Québec a few weeks ago.
The City of Trois-Rivières, thanks to the work of Innovation and Economic Development (IDE) Trois-Rivières, which piloted the project, was awarded the Joseph-Beaubien Prize. This distinction, created this year in honor of the first president of the UMQ, aims in particular to highlight the ingenuity and perseverance of a municipality in terms of development.
During the presentation of the prize, the president of the UMQ and mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, indicated that “the jury considers that this project shows great originality compared to the usual practices of municipalities”.
PHOTO COURTESY / Innovation and Economic Development Trois-Rivières
In an interview, the mayor of Trois-Rivières, Jean Lamarche, indicated that it is important for the city to retain its character. “You don’t have to modernize just to be up to date. This can lead to the loss of noble materials. We don’t want to lose our identity. Trois-Rivières has grown in part thanks to the industrial environment.”
Among the revitalized buildings is the former Rousseau Funeral Center, located downtown, which now houses Espace 445, an infrastructure dedicated to companies wishing to grow through the development of new processes or new markets. Another example: the former Dayco factory, in the Hautes-Forges industrial park, which produced automobile parts and which has become Fabrique 9600, a complex dedicated to various industrial activities.
As part of this project, IDE Trois-Rivières has given new life to 11 sites, which now host 75 companies for which 600 people work. The real estate of the paramunicipal organization currently includes 15 buildings with a total value of $45 million.
According to the Chief Magistrate, several of the properties were located in locations that did not necessarily correlate with the population or the area in which they were located.
“The Germain & Frère company [une usine de fabrication d’équipements industriels et de ventilation] was located in the heart of downtown. It wasn’t necessarily adequate. The company settled in the industrial park [dans la Fabrique 9600] after the acquisition of IDE,” mentioned the mayor, giving an example of the relocation and harmonization work that has been done over the past four years.
A member of the UMQ jury for 11 years, Gérard Beaudet, full professor at the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at the Faculty of Planning at the University of Montreal, praised Trois- Rivers. “If a company is poorly housed in a building, that does not mean that the building is without interest. By giving it a little love we can put it back on the market.
Then, he pointed out that it is wrong to claim – as we often hear – that demolishing is more profitable than revamping. “When you look at the life cycle of sustainable buildings, the existing building is superior to the newer one. In addition, we must not forget that there are costs associated with demolition.
Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca