Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said she will not seek a third term in the November 2025 election, putting an end to a reign that has sparked sharp criticism from the local real estate development community.
Plante, 50, said at a press conference Wednesday that she is “unable to guarantee Montrealers the same level of energy for four more years,” and that she will continue her duties until the next election next fall.
The mayor faced criticism this year for a sharp rise in average delays for construction permits issued by the city as average wait times increase to 18 months in 2023 from seven months in 2019. In her defense, Plante said in an interview with Radio Canada that the city planned to accelerate the process through a special committee of developers and other interested parties. She also pointed out that the boroughs in the city each have a high level of autonomy and that the low levels of builds were partially caused by higher interest rates.
Some real estate professionals have expressed impatience that large scale development projects such as the Blue Bonnets and Bridge-Bonaventure projects have failed to advance under her reign.
Opponents have criticized her administration for purchasing properties to build social housing and then leaving them vacant due to lack of funds, such as the Voyageur block, where a recent proposal was recently rejected.
Plante’s stewardship is perhaps best known to real estate developers for its 20-20-20 bylaw, passed in April 2021, that compelled developers to include less-profitable elements in their projects. New residential developments are now required to include 20% social housing, or residential units owned by the city ,and 20% affordable housing, where rents are kept below the local market average Another 20% of the units were required to include family housing with three bedrooms or more.
The 20-20-20 system proved unpopular with developers as a majority chose to exercise the option of paying a fee in lieu of complying with the rules.
Real estate voices critical of Plante's reign include high-profile South Shore real estate developer Luc Poirier, who has mused about running for the office in 2025. Meanwhile other developers such as Mélanie Robitaille, the new president of Montreal-based developer Rachel Julien told La Presse newspaper earlier this week that it is “very complex to undertake projects,” in the City of Montreal.
Plante, who blocked comments on her X social media platform feed this year, faces a personal lawsuit from developer Sarto Fournier, whose proposed downtown residential tower was put on hold after Plante’s administration lowered the height zoning to four floors.
Fourner told CoStar News in an interview that he will not accept any settlement and plans to go to court.
Plante first came to power after beating incumbent Denis Coderre 51% to 45% in 2017. She won a second mandate over Coderre in 2021, winning 52% to 38%. Coderre, a longtime federal cabinet minister seen as a friendly face to real estate developers, previously served four years in the post from 2013.