Quebec developer Groupe Devimco is a firm advocate of the philosophy that size matters.
Its latest project, breaking ground Feb. 21, is the Myral Condominiums in Longueuil. It’s valued at $230 million, with a 33-storey tower including 555 rental units, condominiums and ground-level retail.
On principle, Groupe Devimco vice-president Marco Fontaine explained recently, the firm sets minimum size guidelines for its projects. The reason is project control.
“This is the thinking of the president of Devimco (Serge Goulet). It’s very important for him to have a big, big property and a big project,” said Fontaine. “When we are outside of downtown Montreal, we would like to manage more a neighbourhood.
“So the minimum of units we are looking for with an outside Montreal project is going to be around 1,000 units…We prefer that because we are sure that we will get the control. We are sure that we will do it, because this is in the mentality of Devimco.”
Full ‘SWAT’ team takes on projects
Most of Devimco’s projects can be described with superlatives.
The $3-billion Solar Uniquartier community on the South Shore of Montreal is the largest mixed-use real estate development project in all of Quebec; the Maestria is the largest mixed-use residential project with the tallest residential tower in Montreal; and Montreal’s District Griffin, now 20 years in the making with an anticipated 6,000 to 8,000 units from diverse builders expected at buildout, is so transformative Devimco essentially created a new community identity, Griffintown.
Devimco employs a roster of three autonomous divisions on projects that include planners, designers, financial experts, engineers, constructors, sales and project marketers.
Fontaine said when he joined the firm in 2012 there might have been three staffers around a table making plans; now there is a full SWAT team, he said, especially since Devimco created its own construction division, Edyfic Construction, in 2015. It is now Quebec’s second largest construction firm.
“Why we are able to do it is because we have every professional inside of the company who can put energy on that,” he said. “We’ve got lawyers, a very good financial team, specialists in marketing and residential stuff, specialists in management and commercial, and we have a big, very good legal department.”
With District Griffin, for instance, not only has the firm rolled out 1,500 units in such varied projects as Wellington sur la Bassin, MaryRobert Condominiums, St. Ann Apartments and Hexagone Apartments, it has created community through a hotel, grocery store, pharmacy, liquor store, restaurants and more. And the MaryRobert’s features a 21-storey work of art.
The Myral Condominiums project is a partnership with Fonds immobilier de solidarite FTQ and it’s located directly above the Longueuil–Universite-de-Sherbrooke metro station.
Amenities include 20,000 square feet of common space, a lobby with co-working space and a lounge section, training room, Scandinavian spa circuit with dry sauna, wet sauna and hot and cold baths, art studio, outdoor pool with a barbecue, pergola, lounge and outdoor workout area, and an urban chalet and terrace.
Devimco is also working with Fonds immobilier de solidarite FTQ on Solar Uniquartier. More than $1 billion has been spent to date and nearly 2,600 residential units have already built, a good start towards an eventual total of 7,000 units.
The project also includes a business hub with office space, local services and shops, restaurants, a hotel and two educational facilities.
Square Children’s a downtown flagship
Other notable current or recent Devimco projects include:
Square Children’s is a flagship project at the west of Montreal’s downtown on the site of the former Montreal Children’s Hospital. Featured residences are the EstWest condominiums.
Devimco began construction on the MAA Condominiums & Penthouses on Peel Street in Montreal’s downtown core in 2020. It’s a residential tower project built around the revitalized, 45,000-square-foot MAA Sports Club.
The Auguste & Louis Condominiums were launched in 2021 as the first phase of the Quartier des lumieres project, located on the site of the former Maison Radio-Canada building.
Follow the author on X/Twitter @DonWall_DCN.
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed