Located at 7300 Saint-Jacques Street in Montreal, Exal NDG offers 207 rental apartments in the heart of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. The project was developed and built by Construgep, under the direction of its founder and president, Stéphane L'Espérance.
Open since fall 2025, the building already has an occupancy rate of over 60% at the time of writing this article.
The Real Estate Project:
Exal NDG marks the official launch of the Exal rental brand, initiated by Construgep. Completed in a single phase, the project includes five floors, 207 residential units, and an underground parking level.
Different housing typologies are offered, from studios to five-and-a-half rooms. The building, structured in concrete and masonry, is organized around a landscaped interior courtyard and extends to a furnished rooftop terrace.
At the time of publication, more than half of the 207 units had already found tenants, with studios fully occupied. For this project, Construgep is targeting dual LEED Gold and WELL certification.
Detailed Location
Located at 7300 Saint-Jacques Street, Exal NDG is situated in a rapidly evolving sector of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, south of Highway 20 and on the edge of the Saint-Jacques escarpment.
"It's a 1940s-50s area that is gradually transforming, with a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential. We acquired a former factory with contaminated land to build housing, which contributes to this neighborhood revitalization," explains Stéphane L'Espérance.
Exal NDG is thus part of an urban requalification movement, offering contemporary architecture that dialogues with its environment.
Its elevated position, at the top of the Saint-Jacques escarpment, is one of the project's distinctive assets. The units and rooftop terrace offer unobstructed views of the Montreal skyline.
"Our location, at the top of the Saint-Jacques escarpment, offers us a breathtaking view of Montreal, especially in the evening with the city lights," he emphasizes.
Developer Presentation
Stéphane L'Espérance founded Construgep in 1997, following an unconventional path in the industry. As a teenager, he learned welding alongside his father. At 18, he obtained his journeyman steelworker card, then his journeyman carpenter card. He then completed a bachelor's degree in architecture at the University of Montreal, a master's degree in planning, accompanied by an ACDI scholarship that led him to manage prefabricated housing projects in Latin America, as well as a graduate diploma in project management at HEC Montreal. He is now a member of the Ordre des architectes du Québec.
Construgep first cut its teeth in public contracts and social housing, a demanding environment that shaped its rigor and efficiency. "It's an excellent school for learning to build efficiently with tight budgets," he emphasizes.
The company now relies on a vertically integrated multidisciplinary team, bringing together about sixty professionals—engineers, architects, urban planners, and managers—and controls the entire life cycle of a project: land acquisition, design, construction, financing, marketing, stabilization, and operation. This integrated structure allows for greater control over quality, costs, and schedules.
In total, Construgep currently has more than 1,400 units under construction and more than 1,500 others in planning, demonstrating the company's sustained growth and large-scale execution capacity.
This approach has earned it several distinctions, including Gold mention in the Master Builder category (Abritat, 2012), Project of the Year at the Domus Awards (2015), and an AA rating from the Residential Construction Guarantee (GCR) in 2019.
Energy performance also runs throughout the company's history. "I remember my first Novoclimat project, it was in 2001-2002," recalls Stéphane L'Espérance. Construgep also claims to have completed one of the first LEED-certified eight-story mid-rise buildings in Montreal, the transformation of Bellechasse Hospital.
The Exal brand, launched in NDG, is already expanding to other markets, notably in Laval and Longueuil, with deliveries scheduled for summer 2026, and in Drummondville for summer 2027.
Architecture and Materials
The exterior envelope combines brick and metal cladding in a contemporary style. The materials were chosen for their durability and weather resistance, to ensure the building's longevity and limit long-term maintenance.
Two elevators serve the building's five floors. Nine-foot ceilings accentuate the sense of space, while generous fenestration maximizes natural light. Each unit has a private balcony of approximately five feet by ten, equipped with glass railings. The landscaped interior courtyard structures the heart of the project and creates a true breathing space in the center of the building.
Inside, the finishes focus on a refined and contemporary palette: quartz countertops, full-height laminated kitchen cabinets (eight feet), and laminate wood flooring.
Each unit is equipped with a central heat pump providing heating and air conditioning in all rooms, complemented by an air exchanger for optimal comfort in all seasons. The entire system runs on electricity.
Two units per building are fully adapted for people with reduced mobility: switches positioned at accessible height, redesigned kitchens, eliminated door thresholds, barrier-free showers. "These are truly adapted units, not simply adaptable," specifies Stéphane L'Espérance, emphasizing the rarity of this type of offering on the market. The very first tenant of the Exal brand was actually a person with a disability.
The building also integrates a complete set of security features: sprinklers, fire alarm system, emergency generator, surveillance cameras, and electronic access controls.
Rental Terms
Exal projects were designed to meet the needs of today's tenants, focusing on quality of life and creating a true living environment. Common spaces thus occupy a central place in the concept.
At Exal NDG, amenities include a lounge, a telework space, a yoga studio equipped with a reformer, a reception room with private lounge, a gym, a landscaped interior courtyard, and a rooftop terrace with BBQ. Smart delivery lockers, concierge service, a car wash space, and a bike repair workshop complete the offering.
On the roof, a community garden is maintained by a professional gardener as part of an urban agriculture program, allowing residents to enjoy the harvests. Individual gardening plots are gradually added according to demand. "The goal is to create an environment where people truly feel at home," emphasizes Stéphane L'Espérance.
True to its social commitment, the developer plans that at least 20% of the units in each Exal building be offered at affordable rents, in accordance with current agreements.
Wi-Fi covers all common areas and a security service ensures continuous presence in the building.
Community Life and Common Spaces
Exal projects were designed to meet the needs of today's tenants, focusing on quality of life and creating a true living environment. Common spaces thus occupy a central place in the concept.
At Exal NDG, amenities include a lounge, a telework space, a yoga studio equipped with a reformer, a reception room with private lounge, a gym, a landscaped interior courtyard, and a rooftop terrace with BBQ. Smart delivery lockers, concierge service, a car wash space, and a bike repair workshop complete the offering.
On the roof, a community garden is maintained by a professional gardener as part of an urban agriculture program, allowing residents to enjoy the harvests. Individual gardening plots are gradually added according to demand.
True to its social commitment, the developer plans that 20% of the units in each Exal building be offered at affordable rents, in accordance with current agreements.
A traveling community workshop program—gardening, tax returns, relaxation—will circulate between the different buildings of the brand to encourage exchanges between residents. "The goal is to create an environment where people truly feel at home," emphasizes Stéphane L'Espérance.
Wi-Fi covers all common areas and a security service ensures continuous presence in the building.
Energy Performance
Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of the project. It was integrated from the design phase, not added at the end.
According to the developer, the building's energy performance would be 43% superior to Building Code requirements. Exal NDG is actually targeting dual certification: LEED Gold and WELL.
Mechanical systems—notably heat pumps and centralized air distribution—were chosen to optimize energy consumption and offer better comfort to residents, while helping to reduce operating costs compared to a conventional building.
Mobility and Daily Life
The project benefits from excellent accessibility. Montreal-West station is located approximately 550 meters away, less than ten minutes on foot, allowing you to reach downtown in about twenty minutes by train. The bus 90 stop, located 39 meters from the entrance, connects directly to Vendôme metro in about 15 minutes. Lines 123 and 356 also serve the area.
Several local services are accessible within walking distance, including a Réno-Dépôt, a bakery, a fruit market, a park, and the Westhaven Elmhurst Community Recreation Association. Concordia University's Loyola campus is also about ten minutes away on foot.
Indoor parking and electric charging stations are offered for an additional fee. For residents wishing to limit the use of a personal vehicle, an electric car-sharing service integrated into the building can meet occasional transportation needs.
Target Clientele
Exal NDG addresses a varied clientele, in line with the new realities of urban life. The project particularly attracts young professionals sensitive to the quality of spaces, strategic location, and environmental performance of the building.
Its proximity to the Loyola campus and public transit also makes it a natural choice for students and workers commuting downtown.
The project also meets the expectations of couples who favor the flexibility of renting, newcomers to Montreal, and mobile professionals seeking a complete residential solution without compromise.
In a spirit of inclusion, the rental offering also integrates fully adapted housing, helping to expand access to quality units within the Montreal rental market.
Key Takeaways
• 207 rental units delivered in fall 2025 at 7300 Saint-Jacques Street, in NDG.
• A project targeting LEED Gold and WELL certifications, with announced energy performance 43% superior to Building Code requirements.
• Complete common spaces (gym, yoga studio, lounge, telework, terrace, community garden) designed for current lifestyles.
• 20% of units offered at affordable rents and housing fully adapted for people with reduced mobility.
• Construgep, an integrated developer that controls the entire cycle: acquisition, design, construction and management, is simultaneously deploying the Exal brand in three cities.
Practical Summary
Address: 7300 Saint-Jacques Street, Montreal (QC) H4B 0A7
Developer / Builder: Construgep (Stéphane L'Espérance, founder and president)
Architect: Geiger Huot
Interior Designer: Frédéric Clairoux
Status: delivered in fall 2025 | approximately 60% occupied
Number of Units: 207 (3½, 4½, 5½)
Number of Floors: 5 floors + 1 underground parking level
Phases: 1
Inclusions: hot water, five appliances, Wi-Fi in common areas
Additional: indoor parking, storage, charging stations
Minimum Lease: 1 year
Ceilings: 9 feet
Finishes: laminate wood flooring, quartz countertops
Mechanical System: heat pump with centralized air distribution
Target Certifications: LEED Gold, WELL
Affordable Units: 20%
Adapted Housing: 2 per building
Transportation:
Bus 90 at 39 m
Montreal-West Station at 550 m (less than 10 min on foot)
Vendôme Metro approximately 15 min by bus
Visits: by appointment
|
