Public Consultation on the Montréal General Hospital Expansion Project

Montréal, April 30, 2008 – The Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) announced today a public consultation on the Montréal General Hospital expansion project that is part of the redeployment of activities of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The project encompasses the building located between Cedar and Pine Avenues and Côte-des-Neiges Road. The OCPM has been mandated by municipal council at its March 31st meeting to proceed with a public consultation.

The proposed expansion includes four components. A new nine-story building is planned in front of the existing façade on Pine Avenue. The Hospital’s main entrance is to be located in the new building. An underground parking would be constructed in the west yard next to a new four-story building housing the surgery department. The main building would be extended by seven stories with two mechanical structures added to the roof.

The project includes exceptions to the urban planning by-law of the Borough of Ville-Marie. The proposed by-law before consultation includes provisions pertaining to building height, layout, volume measurement and parking spaces. Incidentally, the consultation will examine the impact of the project on the proposed by-law under study which amends the urban plan appendix in order to allow the implementation of the Mount Royal protection and enhancement plan. As the hospital in located within the limits of the historic and natural sector of Mount Royal, the proposed by-law could be subject to approval by referendum.
The consultation will take place in two phases. The information meeting which will include the presentation of the project and a question period where citizens can ask for further details on the project will be held on Tuesday, May 13^th, at 7 p.m. at OCPM offices located at 1550 Metcalfe Street, 14^th floor (Peel Métro). The presentation of briefs will be held at the same place on Monday, June 9th, at 7 p.m.

All available information concerning this consultation is available for study at the OCPM offices, at the city clerk’s office located at 275 Notre-Dame Street East and at the Ville-Marie Borough office located at 888 de Maisonneuve Street East, on the 5^th floor. This documentation is also available on the OCPM Website at www.ocpm.qc.ca. For further information, please call 514 872-8510.

Created by Montreal’s City Charter in 2002, the OCPM has held more than 70 consultations and 250 public meetings attended by more than 20,000 citizens. You may obtain complete information on the Office by visiting the OCPM website at www.ocpm.qc.ca.

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Luc Doray
Telephone: 514 872-3568
Cell phone: 514 977-8365