Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously approved the city’s position on a third addendum to its promise to buy land from École Maïmonide for a bike path. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. City staff say the goal is to keep the purchase possible and let site work begin before the city owns the land.
- The land is about 1,077.8 square metres at Bourdon and Tait streets in Saint-Laurent.
- The price remains $318,900, plus applicable taxes.
- City staff describe the addendum as extending the promise to December 31, 2025, and allowing the city to start site work before the purchase is complete.
- The seller still has conditions to meet, including registering the land and obtaining mortgage releases.
What it means for you#
- Residents and people using the future bike path: The purchase is for a bike path, but this decision does not itself build the path or guarantee when it will open.
- The city and École Maïmonide: The addendum would allow the city to begin site work before it becomes the land’s owner. The sale remains conditional on the seller meeting its outstanding obligations.
- Taxpayers: The acquisition is to be funded by the agglomeration, not directly charged to residents through this decision.
Money#
The stated purchase price is $318,900 plus applicable taxes; the maximum acquisition cost is $334,805.14 net of tax rebates.
- City staff say the cost is already reserved and is funded 100% by the agglomeration through borrowing bylaw RCG-18006.
- The budget is listed in the city’s 2025–2034 capital program for the Réseau express vélo and cycling-network development project.
What is unclear#
- The addendum’s full text is not included, so the exact terms for work before the purchase and who bears related risks are not available.
- The seller had not completed all its obligations. The materials do not say whether, or when, those conditions will be met.
- The materials do not give a schedule or cost for the site work or the bike path.
Case for#
- City staff say the land is needed for a bike path and that a slope must be built first to allow safe construction beside the railway.
- Extending the promise while allowing work to start could help keep the purchase and planned work moving despite the seller’s unfinished obligations.
Case against#
- The seller had already missed obligations, including registering the land and obtaining mortgage releases. Extending the promise leaves the purchase dependent on those steps being completed.
- Allowing work before the city owns the land may create risks or costs if the purchase does not go ahead; the materials do not explain how those would be handled.