The heritage interest of this building lies in its typical industrial architecture; the website of the Mouvement citoyen de Chambly accurately describes these characteristics: “The firm Pringle and Son was known for its efficient use of reinforced concrete for the structure and was distinguished by its more traditional architectural style, characterized by geometric entrances and the use of brick. Its interest also lies in the fact that it is the last witness of the industrial past of Chambly and the Richelieu Valley, which makes it all the more important, because industrial heritage is often disliked and misunderstood, while it contributes to the richness of the built environment and the development of the localities in which it is located. And the Bennett Fleet is no exception. It should also be noted that it is the last factory in North America to manufacture footwear components.
However, the site is currently being coveted by the Selection Group, which wants to build two residential buildings on the site, including a seniors’ residence and family housing, on a piece of land that is wedged between the two waterways and Route 112, the only major road access. Furthermore, the Bennett site is far from the village core of Chambly, distant from all essential services and not served by local public transit, which will force future residents to be dependent on the automobile and which will add pressure on an already stressed road network. Traffic congestion is one of the concerns of the 1,300 citizens who signed a petition asking the City for a second opinion and received it.
In addition, the developer wishes to demolish the entire Bennett industrial complex in order to build his project, including the original 1918 building, which is listed in the inventory of buildings of heritage interest in Chambly and the Richelieu Valley MRC. The reasons evoked to justify such a demolition are the great complexity of building an underground parking lot if the original building is maintained and the potential deterioration of the structure, which would be incompatible for residential use because of the presence of too much mold.
The counter-expertise commissioned by the City clearly demonstrates that the reinforced concrete structure of the original building would not only be in good condition, but could be decontaminated easily enough to allow residential use as proposed by the developer, Groupe Sélection. In addition, this study presents numerous precedents for the reuse of industrial buildings for housing, but unfortunately, the developer rejected the experts’ proposals because of the high costs associated with decontaminating the site and upgrading the building’s structure, which, according to them, is in too poor a condition to ensure the profitability of the project.
Thus, the Chambly demolition committee authorized the demolition request submitted by Groupe Sélection on April 13, 2021. Under the Act respecting land use planning and development, it was still possible to express opposition to the committee’s decision by writing to the City Clerk’s Office before May 12, 2021. After receiving at least one request to appeal the demolition committee’s decision, City Council had to decide the matter. The majority of Council voted against the decision, thereby cancelling the demolition permit previously granted. If Groupe Sélection or another developer wishes to submit a new project for the site, the process will have to start over again.
