Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

1 minute read

May 22, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Interior of Place Versailles in Montreal, Canada. | Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

A former mall in Montreal will soon gain new life as a mixed-use development with a “strong green vision,” reports Isaac Olson for CBC.

The site of Place Versailles, a 62-year-old shopping complex, will include roughly 6,000 housing units (including 1,000 social housing units), a school, and a hotel. The massive, $2.2 billion project will likely take as many as 25 years to complete.

Local residents worry about impacts on local infrastructure including the nearby Radisson Metro station, as well as the height of the proposed buildings (25 stories in a neighborhood where 2 stories is currently the norm). “In response, the city has indicated that the building heights along the residential streets of Pierre Corneille and du Trianon will be adjusted to eight and six floors, respectively.” Julien Hénault-Ratelle, a city councillor in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, pointed out that the proposal does not include “adapted or adaptable” units that would enhance accessibility.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 in CBC

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight