Redevelopment of Royal Victoria | The McGill University project takes another step

The controversy over the former location of the Royal Victoria Hospital does not prevent Quebec from moving forward. McGill University’s $ 700 million project, which aims to establish a new university center on Earth, has just taken another step.

Mary-Eve Morasse
Tap

Called the “New Wick”, the project aims to relocate part of the former Royal Victoria Hospital buildings to the Glenn Campus in 2015. McGill University wants to bring professors and students together and create a center for sustainable development and innovation in public policy.

The Council of Ministers approved the case file, which will allow the project to move to the business case stage.

The project is valued at 700 million, and the government has set its maximum contribution at 475 million. Of this amount, McGill University has 4 20.4 million for handling the business case, as well as for the preparatory work to brighten the buildings.2 36.2 million.

The McGill University project targets six buildings of the former hospital complex. Of this number, three will be restored and the rest will be demolished as they are too dilapidated to be rehabilitated.

“These are heritage buildings that are deteriorating over time and it is important to see them there as soon as possible,” Higher Education Minister Daniel McCann said in an interview. Tap.

McGill University is the most dilapidated university in Quebec and has a significant space deficit, the minister said. The project will add more than 25,000 square meters to the existing premises.

Strong criticism

Last week, the future of the former Royal Victoria Hospital and adjoining land buildings on the slopes of Mount Royal provoked strong reactions in Quebec.

Pargi accuses the Cubacois Legalt government of turning McGill into a “dominant university in Montreal” that has become a “beautiful enclave”. […] There we speak English ”and part of the real estate on Mount Royal belongs to“ Rich University ”.

The party’s parliamentary leader, Pascal Burube, wondered why French – speaking universities or the CEGEP did not consider settling there.

An appeal was made to all Quebec universities, but only McGill University “raised its hand,” Minister McCann replied.

“We feel that the complexity of the sites and the cost of repairing heritage buildings is a break for some universities,” she continued, noting that it is not too late for other institutions ’higher education institutions to seek to establish themselves. Site.

The Society Cubacois des Infrastructure, which manages the entire site redevelopment project, is open to receive other proposals.

“We want it to be a knowledge site in Montreal,” said Daniel McCann. She assures us that the site’s profession is “amazing and full of potential”. “We do not want it to become private, we will build condos there,” the minister assured.