Laval buys high-rise for municipal services

Desjardins sells 30-year-old building for $1 million less

Laval buys high-rise for municipal services

(TLN) Laval city council recently took out a loan of nearly $30 million to buy a building at 1200 Chomedey Blvd. According to the city, the purpose of the acquisition is to create more space for municipal administration departments in an area where Laval already has two other office buildings.

Seen as a good deal

According to Mayor Marc Demers who explained the purchase at the last city council meeting, city administrators jumped at the opportunity to purchase the building from Desjardins Sécurité Financière, which had offered it at around $1million less than its estimated value.

Located near city hall, the nine-storey building constructed more than three decades ago already contained City of Laval offices, although they were leased from the owner. City offices currently located in the building include the multi-service counter, dog and cat licensing, as well as the departments of urban planning and engineering.

Purchase criticized

During the council meeting, opposition city councillor Claude Larochelle wondered how the city could absorb the purchase expense without impacting Laval’s overall debt load, as the administration insists it won’t.

He noted that in his own district of Fabreville, vital resources for sports and municipal administration are lacking, while the city invests in its centralized administration. Executive-committee member (and city councillor for Sainte-Rose) Virginie Dufour insisted the investment will save the city money in the long run.