Griffintown and Downtown: The Heart of Montreal's Rental Construction Boom

No part of Montreal has more cranes in the sky than Griffintown. Since roughly 2022, a wave of residential towers has been announced or broken ground in the neighbourhood, and the wider downtown core — from Peter-McGill to Faubourg Québec — is now following the same pattern. City planning estimates put the eventual total at close to 16,000 new units across the Griffintown district alone. Here's a detailed inventory of the rental projects reshaping this area, including several lower-profile ones that don't show up in the usual roundups.

Griffintown: density as the answer to the housing crisis

Griffin Square — the largest rental project in the area

Developed by Mondev in partnership with Hillpark Capital, and designed by architecture firm ACDF, Griffin Square sits at the corner of Peel and Ottawa streets, facing a planned future park. The project consists of two towers — one 16 storeys, one 19 — connected by a glass walkway above a commercial plaza, for a total of 409 rental units, ranging from studios to penthouses. Shared amenities on the second floor include coworking space, a lounge, a gym, pools, and landscaped terraces facing the future park.

Hexagone Apartments — Devimco's largest rental building in the neighbourhood

Located at 101 Rue Murray, just steps from the REM's Central Station and the Lucien-L'Allier metro stop, Hexagone Apartments now offers 577 rental units — from studios up to 5½ — according to the developer's current figures. The building features two pool terraces (one on the 15th floor, one on the 23rd) and an all-inclusive lease covering electricity, heating, air conditioning, and high-speed internet. It's a good example of Devimco's shift toward rental after years when condos dominated development in the neighbourhood.

McCord Condo Rentals — Mondev's other rental project

At the corner of William and Chatham streets, McCord Condo Rentals, also developed by Mondev, offers 154 modern units ranging from studios to 3 bedrooms, with a rooftop terrace, elevated pool, and fitness centre.

UTILE Griffintown — the organization's largest student housing project

UTILE Griffintown remains the most socially significant project in the area: an 18-storey building with 285 units for students, 236 of which are permanently affordable. Located at the intersection of Saint-Maurice and de l'Inspecteur streets, the building incorporates the heritage Sainte-Hélène presbytery, built in 1923 — though its exterior is being deconstructed as part of the work, a point that's sparked some discussion among heritage-minded observers on the Agora Montréal urban development forum. Total investment reaches $87.7 million, with support from the Société d'habitation du Québec ($15.2M) and the City of Montreal ($6.1M). Delivery is expected in summer 2027.

300 Young — a smaller-scale rental project

Developed by Omnia Technologies, 300 Young will add 67 rental units across eight storeys, with a rooftop terrace, for a $21 million investment — an example of the smaller projects filling in alongside the neighbourhood's larger towers.

Place Griffintown — the social housing piece

Less publicized than the private towers, Place Griffintown is a project led by the City of Montreal itself, which purchased a lot on Rue Barré to build 54 social and community housing units. The city will resell the land to the organization responsible for construction — a model that's showing up increasingly often in the area's recent projects.

The wider downtown core: the trend reaches Ville-Marie

Long concentrated in Griffintown, rental development is now spreading toward the downtown core proper and the Peter-McGill sector.

1355 René-Lévesque West — a landmark project on the former YWCA site

Announced in April 2026 by Groupe HD, this project will transform the site of the former YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) building into a rental residential tower of more than 400 units across 30 storeys, with commercial space at ground level. The investment exceeds $200 million, and demolition of the existing building is already approved, allowing construction to begin as early as fall 2026. The developer frames the choice as a bet on downtown's structuring role, at a time when most major projects are concentrated in outlying areas.

Le Méridien — UTILE's third student housing project in Montreal

At the corner of Ontario and Saint-Laurent, Le Méridien will add 168 affordable student apartments downtown. Total investment reaches $53.1 million, funded in part by a $1.5 million donation from the McGill University students' association to the student housing community fund. The first cohort of tenants was expected for the 2026 school year.

The former Gare Viger sector

A 704-unit project is set to move forward on a lot adjacent to the old Gare Viger, made possible by expanded powers recently granted to Quebec municipalities around housing. In exchange for approval, the developer committed to building 52 below-market units, constructed and managed by a non-profit organization — a concrete example of how new regulatory tools are starting to shape negotiations between cities and developers.

750 Rue Peel — Cadillac Fairview builds a residential tower

According to the Commission de la construction du Québec's (CCQ) list of major active construction projects, Cadillac Fairview has begun construction of a residential tower at 750 Rue Peel — a less publicized project than the big residential developers' announcements, but one that illustrates growing interest from institutional landlords historically associated with retail in downtown rental development.

Boulevard Bonaventure

Also per CCQ data, the first phase of a rental tower is under construction along Boulevard Bonaventure, part of the broader redevelopment of this key corridor between Old Montreal and the business district — a project representing an investment in the range of $300 million.

What this means for renters

Griffintown remains, by a wide margin, the area absorbing the most new rental supply on the island of Montreal — but it's worth separating genuine rental projects from condos sometimes lumped into the same category, as is the case with Wellington sur le Bassin. For anyone considering a lease in one of these new buildings, one useful reminder: buildings constructed five years ago or less don't come with the usual right to refuse a rent increase and stay put, a nuance covered in our guide to the 2026 rent increase rules and the TAL. For a look at rental development in other Montreal neighbourhoods, see our overview of the city's major rental projects.

Where to find images and renderings

• Griffin Square — technical sheet and architect's images: ACDF Architecture
• Hexagone Apartments — official site with photos: devimco.com
• UTILE Griffintown — construction photos and renderings: Portail Constructo and an ongoing thread with recent photos on the Agora Montréal forum
• 1355 René-Lévesque West — press release with project rendering: Newswire / Groupe HD
• Le Méridien (UTILE) — official announcement: utile.org
• Place Griffintown — discussion thread and municipal documents: Agora Montréal forum
• Area overview — interactive map of Griffintown's redevelopment and per-project threads: Agora Montréal — Griffintown

As with the other projects covered on this blog, developer renderings remain their property — check terms before reusing. Construction photos shared on urban development forums like Agora Montréal are generally taken by local urbanism enthusiasts; it's good practice to credit the thread author or photographer where possible.

Bottom line

Griffintown isn't done densifying, and the wider downtown core is visibly starting to follow the same path, helped along by the new powers granted to municipalities to fast-track certain projects. Between Mondev and Devimco's large rental towers, UTILE's student housing projects, and smaller initiatives like Place Griffintown, the entire spectrum — from social housing to high-end rental — is being built simultaneously in this part of the city.