A new home for borough administration

The project aims to bring together the borough's administration, sports and recreation department, borough clerk, and social-development offices.

"The citizens can, in one visit, get a permit, ask all their questions and talk to an elected official," said borough director Éric Lachapelle.

Lachapelle promised the new digs would improve accessibility for handicapped residents, increase available space and boast a larger number of parking spaces, to name but a few advantages of the lease agreement, which will cost the borough $18 million over the next 15 years plus an extra $2.5 million loan needed immediately for updates to the building. If all follows according to plan, elected officials and staff should be able to move in by December.

The $1 270 669 annual rent involves a $395,000 increase in borough real-estate costs, which Eloyan said is unjustified, especially since no other options were presented. “Would it be cheaper to buy a building or have it built? Is Chabanel the best place for our headquarters? The Beaudoin administration didn’t bother answering that” she said.

Borough resident Claude Landry said he was disgusted by the undemocratic nature of the situation.

"We're being pushed around. We're going to spend $18 millions and we'll never even own it. We have to ask ourselves why the decision was made. Who will benefit? Certainly not taxpayers," he said, adding he feels citizens are well served by the current facilities.

Residents opposed to the project still have one recourse: sign a register at the borough hall. Any citizen or business owner in Ahuntsic/Cartierville can sign to signify his or her opposition to the $2.7-million expenditure necessary to update the new building. If, during the four days where it will be open, 2,323 (2.5 percent of the borough’s population) citizens sign the register, the project will be subjected to a referendum.

The register will be open from July 23 to 26 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 10794 Lajeunesse Street.