PIERREFONDS EMBARKS ON PLAN FOR MARINA
Pierrefonds Mayor Jim Beis says a plan to upgrade the Port de Plaisance Marina is back on, albeit in a reduced form. The borough is putting out tenders for the refurbishment of the park and the courtesy boat dock.
It was off and now it’s on again. The transformation of the scruffy Port de Plaisance Marina in Pierrefonds is back on the front burner, albeit in a reduced capacity.
Last week Mayor Jim Beis said the tender process was being launched a second time — but this time for the refurbishment of only the park and the waterfront. The chalet makeover has been put on hold, for now.
In its current state, Port de Plaisance Marina is a ramshackle affair. The rickety wooden dock has been removed leaving a slab of cracked concrete sloping down to the water in its place and the shabby green space has no sense of purpose.
The transformation of the marina into a recreational hub was part of Pierrefonds-Roxboro’s three-year strategic plan and was scheduled to be completed in time for Montreal’s 375th birthday in 2017, but just as it was about to get started last month, Beis pulled the plug.
The $3.1-million budget had ballooned to $4.3 million before the work had even begun.
“I couldn’t in good conscience go ahead with a project that was more than $700,000 over budget before it even began,” Beis said last week.
The original plan included renovating the park’s chalet, rebuilding the dock, upgrading the bike path and installing new picnic and play areas.
Beis is determined to move forward, even if it means doing the work in stages.
“It is really important to revitalize the park,” Beis said. “It’s not conducive to families or members of our aging population who like to take walks down by the water. We want the marina and park to be a safe and clean place to be.”
Beis said the makeover of the chalet, which he described as a jewel in the rough, won’t be happening anytime soon, but down the road he’d like to see it renovated to include meeting rooms.
He said the original $3.1-million budget remains in play for the park and waterfront makeover and if bids come in too high, “we’ll rethink the project one more time.”
The reboot of the project would include the construction of what he called a “courtesy dock” for motor boats, a space for canoes and kayaks, a play structure, new benches and picnic tables and a section to play beach volleyball.
Beis said the plan also involved transforming the portion of the street fronting the marina into a roundabout which would fit better with the park atmosphere while helping manage traffic flow.