Press Release
Transformation of the Bonaventure Expressway:
The Société du Havre de Montréal stays on course for 2009
Montréal, May 21, 2008 At the annual general assembly of members of the Société du Havre de Montréal, held on May 20, 2008, Société directors reported on the progress of the advancement of planning studies for the transformation of the Bonaventure Expressway, and reaffirmed their will to implement the proposed Vision 2025 for the harbourfront.
I want to express my pride for the diligent work carried out over the past few months. Thanks to the expertise of our team and that of our experienced collaborators, all of the studies in the detailed pre-project phase remain on schedule and within budget. This autumn, we will be in a position to announce the results, and we remain on course for work to begin in the winter of 2009, declared the President of the board of directors of the Société du Havre de Montréal and President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Isabelle Hudon.
Indeed, following the conclusion of the detailed pre-project studies, the City of Montréal should give the Société du Havre the mandate to carry out the final plans and specifications in anticipation of the start of the work in 2009. Staying on schedule will give Montrealers a prestigious new gateway to the city as early as 2012.
By going further with the analyses and delving deeper, we are ensuring that this project of extraordinary potential will be carried out not only in an ambitious way but also in a responsible one. With the transformation of the Bonaventure Expressway, Montréal has a unique opportunity to provide itself with a prestigious gateway that will also serve as a catalyst for the development of neighbouring areas. And I am convinced that we are taking each step in such a manner as to guarantee our success, continued Isabelle Hudon.
The President and CEO of the Société, Gaëtan Rainville, also recalled that the project calls for the demolition of the elevated structure of the Bonaventure Expressway for its transformation into an urban artery with central blocks that will be comprised of new buildings and public spaces. The transformation of Phases 2 and 3, which are located between Champlain Bridge and the Lachine Canal and which include land belonging to the Government of Canada, will require special agreements with the federal government. In addition, the Société supports the advancement and implementation of several projects that touch on its territory including the harbourfront tramway, the Griffintown project, and the old Viger Train Station and collaborates on the initiatives of the Old Port of Montréal Corporation and the Canada Lands Company, in charge of the development of a large portion of the spaces to be improved in the harbourfront area.
The Société du Havre is confident that with the announcement of the beginning of work on the first phase, all levels of government will deliver their respective part of the project's financing in order for all three phases of the project to be carried out.
The Société du Havre de Montréal (Montréal Harbourfront Corporation) is a non-profit organization created in response to the recommendations expressed at the Montréal Summit in 2002. Participants in this Summit identified the harbourfront as an area deserving special attention, due to its unique potential for development from both an urban and economic standpoint. The challenge for the SHM is to reconcile competing public and private interests around a mobilizing and unifying plan of action, a plan inspired by a comprehensive vision of the area that would allow the various stakeholders to work within a coherent overall development scheme.
-30-
Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca