The Borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce will not hold a referendum on the creation of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce SDC

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 23, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - After consulting with representatives of Biz NDG, the Mayor of the Borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, has decided not to hold a referendum on the creation of a Société de développement commercial (SDC).

Last June, the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Borough Council accepted a request from Biz NDG to create a new SDC for 441 merchants on parts of Sherbrooke Street and Monkland Avenue.

On July 6, the borough allowed merchants opposed to the project to sign a register to request a referendum. In all, 120 merchants signed, a sufficient amount of signatures to allow a referendum to be held.

A concerted decision

The Mayor of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Gracia Kasoki Katahwa; Borough representatives and members of the Biz NDG Board of Directors have held meetings in recent weeks to analyze the situation and determine the next steps to be taken in this matter. "We realize that many merchants, particularly those on Sherbrooke Street, did not want the SDC project in its current form, and we acknowledge this," said Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa.

"I would like to thank Biz NDG for its efforts to mobilize Sherbrooke and Monkland merchants in a project that would have allowed them to access new public funding sources exclusively reserved for SDCs. I remain convinced of the relevance of SDCs to support commercial development, and I will welcome other initiatives if they emerge in the borough," she added.

Evelyne Shannon-Drouin, president of the board of directors of Biz NDG, believes that the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough has made the right decision in this matter.

"Considering the results of the register, the volunteer members of the Board of Directors believe it's better to continue discussions to find a more suitable initiative for NDG merchants. In the meantime, Biz NDG is committed to continuing its mission to revitalize and develop the economy of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. We will continue to listen to the concerns of the businesses in our territory," said Evelyne Shannon-Drouin.

The withdrawal of the request to create the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce SDC will be submitted to the borough council on September 6, 2022.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Côte-des-Neiges - Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

For more details: Nancy Caouette, Mayor of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce special advisor, Cellulaire : 438-864-4678, [email protected]; Francis Blouin, Project manager, Biz NDG, [email protected]