Dozens of gas stations have closed their doors in recent years in Montreal, the beginning of a wave that is unlikely to stop. For the capital, the stakes are high: Will these lands – often contaminated but very well located – be abandoned or redeveloped?
In the central areas of the capital, closures are occurring at a rapid pace.
“I had to spend $700,000 to change the tanks. It wasn’t worth it with electric cars and all that,” explained Michael Gamberis, who closed his gas station at the corner of Park and Van Horn last June, after 37 years in business. .
He continued: “It is certain that during the next five or six years, there will be many stations in the city that will close their doors.” Few people buy gas stations to operate them, Mr. Gambiris says.
Press charts
The numbers prove his words correct. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of gas stations will rise from 399 to 375 in Montreal, according to Statistics Canada. However, a systemic change that occurred last year makes comparisons difficult.
“Gas stations are all locations that have real estate development potential,” explained Simon Boyer, head of the real estate brokerage firm Specializing in Landers Lands. “Most of them are destined to change, so I think this trend will continue.”
Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I can confirm that there are several gas stations that would like to close the land and sell it for development, but are unable to do so because the cost of decontamination is too high.
Simon Boyer, president of the real estate brokerage specializing in land Landerz
Mr. Boyer points to environmental regulations that now require rapid decontamination after activities cease.
“There is no need to go very, very far” from the central neighborhoods to find gas stations whose land value is less than the disinfection costs, he said.
“Building the city on itself”
The City of Montreal’s Department of Communications indicated that it does not track gas stations located on its territory.
The fact remains that this trend is of great interest to Robert Beaudry, the elected head of city planning on Valéry Plante’s executive committee. In his view, this terrain represents both challenges and opportunities.
These lands are often very well located, but are often very polluted. We want to develop these lands.
Robert Beaudry, Elected Head of City Planning on Valéry Plante’s Executive Committee
Like vacant lots and surface parking lots, old gas stations represent “an opportunity to build the city on itself,” he continued. Thanks to their often large size, these lands “enable the development of public infrastructure such as parks or encourage real estate development.”
In the first scenario, Mr. Baudry cites in particular the flood-prone Fleurs-de-Macadam garden, on rue du Mont-Royal, installed on the grounds of the former gas pump of the family of singer Jean-Pierre Verland.
Photo by Patrick Sunfaun, Press
Place des Fleurs-de-Macadam, Rue du Mont-Royal, is equipped with rainwater detention basins.
But the city doesn’t want (and can’t) get all of those lots. He confirms that hence his desire to support developers who wish to acquire it for social housing or other projects.
The goal: to prevent old, sometimes contaminated, service stations from remaining unused for many years. “It destroys the dynamism of the street,” he added. “We have tools: we have already double-taxed the vacant lot that is served” and the city wants to persuade Quebec to let it increase the bill further.
“We bought dozens of them.”
One of these long-dormant plots is located at the corner of Rue Saint-Denis and Rue des Pins, in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, where the Esso station closed a decade ago. After years lying fallow, work is underway on the construction site: developer Mondev is constructing a building of 33 apartments. The same company is also developing another plot of the same type at the corner of St. Catherine Street and Papineau Street.
“We’ve bought dozens” of old gas stations over the past 30 years, explains Michael Owen, co-owner of Mondev.
The businessman likes the fact that these places are often very well located and that their location at intersections often makes it possible to build at a higher and more accessible height than elsewhere, according to city planning rules.
Mr. Owen is not concerned about the legacy of gas tanks, which often leak fuel underground for years.
He said: “Gas stations belonging to oil companies are disinfected before being sold.” I’m not used to being afraid just for the sake of being afraid. A site that has been properly cleared by experts and monitored by experts and engineers, I have no concerns. Anyway, we do our own checks. »
“Music guru. Incurable web practitioner. Thinker. Lifelong zombie junkie. Tv buff. Typical organizer. Evil beer scholar.”
