Haleco

Haleco is an award-winning 21-storey, 327-unit tower on the banks of the Lachine Canal south of downtown Montreal. The building provides a range of affordable options. Of the 327 rental units, 65 are priced with below-market rents and 40 are dedicated social housing units, which provides housing for low-income tenants.

The building is one of the most climate-friendly in Canada, which is reflected in its LEED Platinum certification.

Its embodied emissions were dramatically cut through the use of low-carbon concrete for the building’s structure as well as the capture of carbon emissions during the construction process.

The units themselves are highly energy efficient, which reduces energy costs for tenants, and the entire building is fueled by 100% renewable electricity.

As well as being situated for easy access to Montreal’s public transit system, the building provides 30 electric vehicle charging stations and over 200 bicycle parking spaces.

Replicability

Haleco shows how large urban infill can deliver on high density, affordability targets (including community housing), and climate performance. The approach is transferable to redevelopment or brownfield sites where zoning allows mixed use and partners can align on stringent sustainability standards and community amenities (e.g., market hall/circular-economy uses) to anchor public support.

Where zoning, financing tools, and public-benefit programs align, municipalities and mission-driven developers can scale this model to deliver larger all-electric, mixed-income communities. .