Local developer holds open house to present 99-unit apartment complex project to the public
Sophie Demers
A Chelsea-based development company, Cargo, held an open house on March 26 for residents to learn more about their plans to build an apartment complex at 8 Lattion Street. The project has not been submitted to the City of Gatineau yet, but the developer states that they wanted to speak with the public and hear their opinions before getting city approval.
This development is phase 1 of the company’s plan, which will later include more buildings on the land located from 2 to 6 Lattion Street that Cargo acquired from another developer. The plans include a portion of the building having six storeys while another portion of the building will have eight storeys. The building will have 99 units including 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, and 3 bedrooms.
The zoning for the lot allows for this height; therefore, Cargo will not need to request minor variances from the city. According to Cargo’s Director General Daniel Sévigny, they don’t anticipate any minor variances for this project.
The plans do not include affordable housing units. Cargo has yet to finalize plans for phase 2 so they cannot provide unit numbers or building height information at this time. Cargo has completed projects in Gatineau and Chelsea. This will be their first project in Aylmer.
“This open house is really important, especially for the neighbours beside our lot. They're used to not having anything in their backyard, so we think it's important to meet with them, to chat with them and hear their concerns. That's why we're doing this,” said Sévigny. “We are always available. If people have questions or concerns, they can communicate with us by email, and we are happy to meet with people. We want to hear what people have to say about our projects so we can work together. We might not be able to answer every request, but we will listen and take everything into consideration.”
The consultation was held at 35 Lattion Street, which Cargo recently acquired after the owner, a former leader in the heritage preservation community heard that they were purchasing property on the street. There is no concrete project for the lot just yet but Sévigny says that they are speaking with the Committee Consultatif d’Urbanisme (CCU) president Caroline Murray, other local councillors, and the Aylmer Heritage Association. They plan on consulting the public before planning a project for the lot. “It's a heritage house, so we aim to preserve it in future development,” said Sévigny.
