LETTER

 

--------  Residential tower in a heritage neighbourhood? 

 

Regarding the April 7 article "Four-storey housing project near the marina to open in fall 2022", your newspaper should be ashamed of contributing to what appears to be a marketing operation to try to convince the population of Aylmer that the construction of a residential tower in a heritage neighbourhood is something other than a simple operation to generate profits for the real estate developer with no regard for the long-term consequences for the population's quality of life.  

It is obvious that, contrary to what the developer claims, the building will not "harmonize" perfectly with the surrounding environment.  The surrounding environment is made up mostly of historic buildings that could not be more different from an apartment block that, if we rely on the material provided by the developer himself, will offer absolutely no architectural value to its environment.  As for the argument provided by the developer, and repeated by Councillor Mike Duggan, that what Aylmer's historic downtown needs is more visitors, I suggest that the erection of a high-rise apartment building that will disfigure Main Street will have exactly the opposite effect.  If the downtown area needs to be saved from being "underpopulated", 20 housing units will not make a difference.  Turning Old Aylmer into a new version of the Plateau may suit the developers and their allies on City Council, but the result will inevitably be the destruction of what makes Aylmer a real community and not a sterile suburb.  

Finally, it would be nice to stop mentioning, every time a real estate development faces opposition from concerned citizens, that the developer "waited long enough" before finally starting work.  We heard the same thing when the development at the corner of Chemin Vanier and Boulevard du Plateau was approved by the City.  The fact that a project takes years to get off the ground only confirms that there are serious problems with the project in question and the eventual decision to proceed with construction may be a good deal for the developer but not so much for the rest of the population.  (Translated)

Guillaume Legros 

Aylmer