City of Québec to Expropriate Land for Tramway Expansion
Québec City, March 5, 2026 – The City of Québec is set to expropriate portions of land belonging to IKEA and Decathlon to secure necessary easements for the construction of the TramCité tramway project. Details of the plan were revealed in a decision summary released by the executive committee on Thursday.
The city aims to acquire eight parcels of land in total. According to the summary, “In certain areas, the realization of the TramCité project requires the relocation of various conduits and public utility networks. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire [these easements] for municipal purposes.”
Previous Agreements and the Need for Expropriation
Discussions with both IKEA and Decathlon’s property owners had previously resulted in agreements authorized by the city council in September. However, “due to certain operational issues, expropriation procedures must be initiated to ensure the timely release of the required land,” the city stated.
Land Details and Valuation
The expropriation request concerning IKEA involves four parcels ranging in size from 8 to 206 square meters, totaling 355.5 square meters. IKEA’s land is currently assessed at $17.7 million by the municipal assessment roll, equating to $183 per square meter.
For Decathlon, owned by Simard Immobilier, the city seeks to expropriate four parcels ranging from 13 to 1817 square meters, totaling 2725.6 square meters. The entire Decathlon property is valued at $26.2 million, or $152 per square meter.
Flexibility and Future Considerations
The city has included a provision allowing for the abandonment of the expropriation procedures should the TramCité project no longer require the easements. “Should the needs of the TramCité project no longer justify, in whole or in part, the acquisition of the easements, it would also be appropriate to authorize the Legal Affairs Department to withdraw from the expropriation procedures,” the document states.
Impact on the Chaudière Sector
The Chaudière sector, where these properties are located, will be significantly impacted by the tramway project. It will house the tramway garage and serve as the primary construction zone for the extension of Mendel Street, which will include a viaduct over the railway and escarpment, connecting to Versant-Nord Boulevard and the Pie-XII sector.
Source: Journal de Québec
