Montreal drivers to take back seat in new Dix30 green revitalization project

A section of the popular Dix30 shopping center is getting a new, green facelift over the summer.

Project developers Carbonleo, in a video rendering of the concept, promise to inject new life and business into the bustling South Shore hub.

“We have plenty of new restaurants and new retailers that will come and join us. We want this to be the destination,” Carbonleo president Nicolas Désourdy said.

Construction crews have begun ripping up concrete and asphalt to make way for Mother Nature along Avenue des Lumiere in Brossard.

The street has been shut down since May for the green revitalization project.

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The $20 million overhaul will see the two-way street replaced with greenery, pedestrian pathways and some 200 trees as a linear park will be taking root.

“We already feel the Dix30 is the downtown of the South Shore but we want to make it an extra destination,” Désourdy said.

The 18-year-old sector of the South Shore mall is catching up with the times and clientele demands according to developers.

The green space which will be lined with shops will only be accessible by foot creating a pedestrianized strip for shoppers.

The concept of taking one’s car to get around has taken a back seat in the redesign.

Drivers will have to leave the vehicle in one of the 1,500 available spaces in that area.

“A complete separation from the car. People feel calmer and safer,” when walking in a safe pedestrian space, Désourdy said.

With the introduction of the REM Light rail network, the Carbonleo president says the potential for growth in limitless.

The company and its partners, while tight-lipped have grand plans for the Dix30 including more rise residential projects to come.

Patrons will continue to have access to store fronts throughout the projects construction.

Work is expected to be completed and inaugurated some time in the early fall.