Located in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district and easily accessible from the city center by public transit, the L’Assomption Corridor is east-central Montreal’s next major redevelopment site. The project connects two residential neighbourhoods separated by a disaffected rail yard and an industrial zone. This act of urban consolidation completes the transformation of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve from a cloistered village cut off from its neighbours to an urban neighbourhood open to greater Montreal.
The corridor’s central spine, L’Assomption Boulevard, is a trucking route that links factories, manufacturing depots, and warehouses to expressways and off-island bridges. The corridor’s industries are an important source of employment for east-end Montreal. The project’s long-term vision imagines industrial uses relocated to the new suburban periphery to make way for residential development. The plan advocates a phased approach to implementation respectful of current occupants.
L’Assomption Boulevard is reconfigured as a pedestrian friendly environment by eliminating two vehicular lanes and replacing them with a central planted median and generous sidewalks. Separated by a landscaped buffer, two distinct zones interlock across the boulevard – an existing industrial employment area and a new residential sector. High-density mixed use buildings shape the boulevard’s new streetscape and a public space focussed on the L’Assomption subway station. Public open spaces throughout the project benefit from views of the downtown skyline, off-island mountains and monumental buildings such as the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Village.
