Viger DMC International

Everything old is new againAs Keith Regan learns, for Viger DMC InternationalÔÇÖs director, a million-square-foot redevelopment project in Old Montr├®al is a labor of love and a way to connect the cityÔÇÖs rich past with its promising future. Multiple elements of CanadaÔÇÖs storied history come together on a single parcel of property in Montr├®al.  The property, once part of a walled inner city fortress that recalls Montr├®alÔÇÖs time as a key military defense post for both the French and the British at different times, also held one of the cityÔÇÖs oldest railroad station hotels and was long a center of commerce in the historic city.This majestic Ch├óteau Viger railroad hotel was designed in 1896 by the famous architect Bruce Price, who also created the most photographed hotel in the world, Ch├óteau Frontenac in Qu├®bec City. Ch├óteau Viger welcomed its first guests in August 1898. The ground floor was dedicated to many services for passengers; the first floor housed a restaurant and a wide terrace, and the 88 guest rooms were spread over the upper floors. Philip OÔÇÖBrien, director of Viger DMC International and a longtime property developer in Montr├®al, had long seen potential in the 5.5-acre parcel poised on the eastern edge of the old city and was quick to move when the opportunity came about to redevelop the site. Viger DMC International plans a 1-million-square-foot project that will preserve and recall the most important elements of that history while creating a new urban village featuring a hotel, upscale residences, retail and commercial components that knits into the existing surrounding neighborhoods. ÔÇ£I had my eye on this site for a long time,ÔÇØ OÔÇÖBrien says. As a young man first cutting his teeth in the development business, he worked on projects inside Old Montr├®alÔÇöthe walls of which, unlike those in Old Qu├®bec City to the north, have all since been razed. He later oversaw the development of the Montr├®al World Trade Center and the InterContinental Hotel. He also has a personal connection to the area. His Irish ancestors worked at the Windsor, one of the cityÔÇÖs stately old hotels, while his French-Canadian ancestors had a connection to the old Ch├óteau Viger that closed in the 1930s. ÔÇ£Growing up, I always heard stories about what was the best hotel, so I have a personal interest in the history of the city as well.ÔÇØIn addition to the railroad hotel history (the first transcontinental trains connecting Montr├®al to the cities in the West departed from the adjacent Dalhousie Station on the site) OÔÇÖBrien notes that the military history is rich as well. There was once a hill within the property that historians say was a second walled fortress that essentially represented a last line of defense. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a very powerful historical site. I enjoy preserving and enhancing those types of sites, but it also has great business potential,ÔÇØ OÔÇÖBrien declares. Viger DMC international took control of the property about two and a half years ago and spent more than a year creating a master plan for the site, a process that included extensive public input. That plan calls for the old chateau-style hotel to be restored and a new hotel added. Approximately 250,000 square feet of commercial, restaurant and retail space will be added, along with 206 residential units. A parcel that lies just outside the once-walled inner city may become additional residential or commercial space. Viger DMC International is working with Houston-based Hines Interests on the property, which has a price tag of about $450 million. VigerÔÇÖs main investors and partners include Homburg Invest Inc., based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Telemedia Ventures Inc. of Montr├®al, and SNS Property Finance, a Netherlands-based banker.The design of the ÔÇ£urban resortÔÇØ area is meant to give pedestrians the feel of being in a village, with the first 30 to 40 feet of buildings scaled down to create a more intimate setting for retail, restaurants and other shops that recall the areaÔÇÖs mercantile history as well. Above that will rise the taller parts of the structures that will contain the bulk of the residential space, which will appeal to a number of different markets. The site is near numerous outdoor restaurants and other amenities and across the street from a marina. Traffic will be directed into the underground parking facilities, helping to minimize congestion on surrounding streets and give the area a more pedestrian-friendly feel.┬á The city has approved the master plan, which is also subject to a possible public referendum vote. That would take place no later than October and is not expected to affect the scheduled solicitation of construction bids early in 2009 and the start of excavation work on the site in mid-2009. In the meantime, Viger is rounding out its architectural team, interviewing firms from around the world interested in working from the master plan, which was conceived by Jerde Partnership, based in Los Angeles, and Montr├®al-based consortium Arcop-Cardinal Hardy. ÔÇ£Our intention is to get all the schematics and designs in place ahead of time so there are no surprises and no changes once we get moving,ÔÇØ OÔÇÖBrien says. Still, there will be challenges in working with the site, including the need to restore some of the historic structures, which suffered from years of neglect. The developers are also working to incorporate a local circus troupe, known as Cirque EloiseÔÇöwhich is currently housed in the Dalhousie railway stationÔÇöas an element of street performance. All the renovation and restoration work will be coordinated with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, which has ÔÇ£total and final jurisdictionÔÇØ over work within the old city boundaries. The work will also seek to incorporate a reminder of the hill on the property, with similar areas in other walled cities, such as Qu├®bec City, visited to foster ideas. OÔÇÖBrien is satisfied with the pace of the project to date and believes work will move smoothly and quickly once all the final permits are in place and the design finalized. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs fun work,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£I believe strongly in the importance of preserving and drawing out the local history, and with my personal connection, that makes it even more special.ÔÇØ┬á