According to a report, an official with the City of Montreal yesterday said that the site of the now defunct Hippodrome de Montreal should be turned into a green residential

enclave.

An article by The Montreal Gazette cites Michael Applebaum, mayor of the Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace borough, as saying that he would expect the government to help finance some of the infrastructure, like a community centre and parks, along with support for up to one-third of the units that would be used for social and affordable housing.

The article states that the City of Montreal has a strong interest in the development of the land, even though the site is currently owned by the Quebec government racing agency SONACC. The piece goes on to explain that the city has the right of first refusal, and more importantly, would have to agree to change the zoning from 'entertainment' to 'residential' to allow for the building of new condos.

"We want to work in partnership with the provincial government," Applebaum was quoted as saying. "I'm sure we'll be able to come up with a project that meets the needs of the citizens of this area and for the Quebec government to get a fair price."

(With files from The Montreal Gazette)