October 24, 2023 – 06:00
Redevelopment of the René-St-Germain stadium
With or without subsidy: a makeover of at least $3.9 million
By: Alexandre Brouillard
It’s cast in concrete, the René-St-Germain stadium will be entitled to a makeover in the coming years. It remains to be determined the scale of the project, which will be decided by whether or not a grant is obtained.
In the three-year capital expenditure program (PTI) for 2024, 2025 and 2026, a sum of $4,250,000 is planned for the plans and development of the baseball stadium, or $350,000 in 2025 and $3.9 million in 2026. The first amount planned will make it possible to obtain the plans and quotes.
The mayor of Sorel-Tracy, Patrick Péloquin, told the newspaper The 2 Banks that the scale of the project is conditional on obtaining a grant. The City will submit the stadium project to the Financial Assistance Program for Recreational, Sports and Outdoor Infrastructure (PAFIRSPA). Remember that the new aquatic complex benefits from a $20 million subsidy from this program, i.e. $10 million from the federal government and $10 million from the provincial government.
“We are really hopeful of obtaining a grant. If we don’t have it, it’s certain that it will affect the final project. Obviously, we won’t be able to afford an all-star stadium without help. We still have $3.9 million of money reserved for that. This is considerable! », explains the mayor.
Concerning the first shovelful of earth, Patrick Péloquin admitted that it is still too early to know when it will take place. “There are still too many elements that are beyond our control,” he said.
For comparison, the City of Drummondville approved a loan regulation of $6.4 million in September to finance the construction of a new baseball stadium, which will accommodate locker rooms, spaces intended for catering, stadium stands, more than 800 places, shelters for players as well as common, sanitary and service areas. However, the land will not be transformed.
Link the surroundings to the project
A few days ago, concerned citizens received an email entitled “Funding request for the City of Sorel-Tracy project: community mobilization”.
The City’s objective is to mobilize local organizations, including minor and senior baseball, and obtain their support through letters of support to promote its funding request.
Said email reveals that Sorel-Tracy not only wishes to redevelop the René-St-Germain stadium, but also revitalize the Parc sous les Pins and the Robidoux outdoor swimming pool.
“The project basically consists of renovating the baseball stadium, building two new swimming pools, creating a completely new recreational space including play modules, street furniture and aquatic installations, the development of a pavilion, without count the creation of new green spaces,” we can read.
In an interview, Patrick Péloquin confided that the City wants to maximize its infrastructure. “If we have to work on the Robidoux swimming pool and we are talking about buildings and changing rooms, we could combine. For the moment, nothing is set in stone. […] We have to see the swimming pool, the park and the stadium as a whole, but of course the big part is the stadium. So, we are using the renovation of the stadium to see how we could maximize our spaces,” concluded the mayor.
2023-10-24 10:02:28
#grant #makeover..
