Initiatives to speed up housing construction in Edmundston are going well

Mar 18, 2025

As part of the City Council's monthly public meeting, the City of Edmundston's Housing Coordinator, Isabelle Laplante, provided an update on one of the calls for projects launched last fall, namely for the lot located at 35, 34th Avenue.

As no projects were received for this site, a second round of calls for projects was issued by invitation to developers in the region. In the end, an innovative project developed by Von Garten Estates of Edmundston, owned by Daniel Desjardins, was selected. Construction is due to start in the spring, with new tenants arriving in September.

The project in question is a three-storey building. Each floor has a four-bedroom 'co-living' flat. Each bedroom has a full private bathroom, while the living room and kitchen are large open spaces to encourage interaction and dynamic living. These areas, as well as the lobby/staircase, are maintained by the owner. Each resident is responsible only for the upkeep of his or her bedroom/bathroom. "This is a truly different project, which, given its proximity, will appeal to the student population at UMCE and CCNB. What's more, the project looks great and will be a nice addition to the neighbourhood," explains municipal housing coordinator Isabelle Laplante.

A call for projects is currently under way for the large plot of land at the intersection of Canada Road and De l'Église Street. Full details can be found by CLICKING HERE. According to the criteria, the project should have a minimum of five storeys and include commercial space on the ground floor. Over 3,000m² of land is being offered free of charge to the best project, which could see up to 60 new housing units.

"So far, we're extremely pleased with the results of our initiatives to accelerate housing. There is a lot of interest from developers from here and elsewhere. We can see that our city and our geography offer unique potential for residential development, and that there are some fine vacant lots that can accommodate the much-needed future housing units," explained Mayor Eric Marquis.

Thanks to the support of the federal and provincial governments, the City of Edmundston is providing $5.2 million in funding to facilitate housing construction, of which nearly $2 million is in the form of direct incentives. The remainder will be used for infrastructure work, site acquisition and preparation, and other initiatives related to this unprecedented program.

The Mayor pointed out that all projects are subject to the same process, i.e. the municipal team:

• carries out geotechnical studies (soil surveys) as needed
• applies the municipal zoning by-law
• controls construction/renovation via the municipal building by-law
• prioritizes development in areas served by water and sewer infrastructure
• requires development plans and surface water management plans for major new projects
• re-evaluates all these good practices on a regular basis to ensure that they evolve in line with the realities of our city.

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CONTACT: Isabelle Laplante, Senior Coordinator, Economic Development and Housing, 506.739.2080, isabelle.laplante@edmundston.ca