MONTREAL, Jan. 24, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Société du Havre de Montréal
(SHM) is not surprised by the decision announced today by Mayor
Applebaum to transfer to the City the mandates entrusted to it for the
Quartier Bonaventure project and the updating of Vision 2025.
Jacques Coté, Chair of the Board of Directors of the SHM, said: "the
City's decision to take charge of all aspects of the Quartier
Bonaventure project is the logical culmination of the process begun in
2007 at the request of Mayor Gérald Tremblay". He noted that, during
this period, the SHM had conducted the detailed design of the Quartier
Bonaventure project, carried out public consultation hearings on it and
amended the project to reflect comments received from stakeholders,
including those affecting the bus route from the South Shore.
From 2011, the SHM undertook to transfer its expertise to the City's
professionals through the creation of the Bonaventure Mixed Project
Office. It also completed the preparation of a substantial portion of
the plans and specifications required to execute the project. "The time
has come, said Mr. Coté, to permanently transfer to the City the
responsibility to complete the development of the prestigious city
gateway envisioned by the SHM in the Havre's Vision 2025."
The SHM is however a little disappointed with the City's decision to
transfer, at the same time, the mandate that it had just entrusted to
the SHM in October 2012 to update Vision 2025, to promote it and to
renew the consultation process with key partners. Mr. Coté said: "The
SHM is particularly well qualified to fulfil this mandate as shown in
the document that the SHM submitted January 15, 2013 to Transport
Canada on the possibility of integrating the project of creating a
river-side park between the Champlain and Victoria bridges with the
planning for a new bridge over the St. Lawrence." The SHM recognizes,
however, that it is perfectly legitimate for the City of Montreal to
turn to its own resources to achieve the same goals.
The SHM will, in the coming weeks, conduct an orderly transfer of the
Bonaventure project to the City and prepare its final report.
SOURCE: SOCIETE DU HAVRE DE MONTREAL
