The borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension has given the green light to a new social housing development in Parc-Extension, while simultaneously tightening zoning rules to curb the loss of commercial space, signaling a dual approach to growth and neighborhood stability.
At a recent borough council meeting, elected officials approved plans for a three-storey residential building at 7965 boulevard de l’Acadie. The project will deliver 26 units of social housing and is being led by the Monde-Uni housing cooperative. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
The development is part of Quebec’s Affordable Housing Program administered by the Société d’habitation du Québec. According to borough documents, the building will be assembled using prefabricated modular components, a construction method increasingly used to accelerate delivery and control costs. Most of the units will be studio apartments, with the ground floor designed to be fully accessible for people with reduced mobility.
The site plan also emphasizes outdoor space. Nearly two-thirds of the property will be landscaped, including the planting of six new trees, a feature borough officials say aligns with broader objectives to improve urban greening and livability.
Alongside the housing approval, the borough adopted a temporary amendment to its zoning bylaw aimed at preserving local commercial activity. The new rule prohibits the conversion of commercial premises into residential units along several key corridors in Villeray-East and selected sectors of Parc-Extension and Saint-Michel.
Officials say the measure responds to growing concerns about storefront vacancies and the gradual erosion of neighborhood-scale commerce, trends that can weaken local services and street-level vitality if left unchecked.
The restriction is intended as an interim safeguard. It will remain in force until the completion of a commercial consolidation study scheduled for 2026, which will inform longer-term planning decisions on land use and economic development across the borough.
The decisions were adopted under the authority of the Arrondissement de Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, one of the administrative divisions of Montréal, as part of its ongoing efforts to balance housing needs with commercial resilience.
