BEACONSFIELD, QC, Feb. 25, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Mayor Georges Bourelle and the members of City Council are pleased to announce an initiative aimed at generating community support for the creation of Centennial Place as part of the Reimagining SPACE revitalization project.
In June 2019, the project's Steering Committee issued a series of recommendations for the City's largest waterfront park, including the integration of the Lord Reading property with Centennial Park, the redevelopment of Centennial Park to respect its natural character, and the establishment of a multipurpose cultural centre as an anchor for the community to appreciate this undervalued and unique waterfront space.
"This major project has created consensus with regard to cultural and recreational needs as well as to community events. It is a magnificent project that requires the mobilization of all citizens to ensure its quality and realization", explained Mayor Bourelle.
The project has become necessary because the current facilities are insufficient to satisfy the needs of the population, which has been the case for some years now. According to a study conducted in 2015, the surface area of the library is 26% less than the minimum standard level for Beaconsfield's population, compared to the national standards for public libraries. Also, the number of seated places in the library is 21% lower than required by the minimum standards. Yet the community's most popular services are those offered by the Beaconsfield library; it is the municipal facility that receives the greatest number of visits annually.
A new committee for the Centennial Place Centre will focus on engaging citizens in this project. It is composed of three City representatives and five residents who have been selected to encourage the expression of a citizen's voice leading to the development of a vision of the new centre for the benefit of the community. The citizens who have accepted this mandate are Jacques Duval, Geoffrey Kelley, Gabriella Musacchio, James Orr, and Caroline Tison.
"On my own personal behalf and on behalf of City Council, the residents, the management and staff of the City of Beaconsfield, I would like to thank the members of this new committee for their civic engagement. Through this committee, the citizens' voice will be represented to provide a platform for residents to participate in the project, contribute to its realization, and take ownership of this landmark community initiative," said Mayor Georges Bourelle.
The City is calling on the federal and provincial governments for significant financial assistance with the project in order to substantially reduce the municipal financial contribution for this project estimated at 21.5 million dollars. Public and private contributions are essential to respect the taxpayers' capacity to pay, while enabling the realization of a quality project. Once the financial support from government authorities is confirmed, an architectural contest will be held in 2022. The call for tenders for its execution will then determine the final budget for this project.
SOURCE City of Beaconsfield
City of Beaconsfield, [email protected], beaconsfield.ca
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