New MRC headquarters to give Harwood revitalization a boost

Vaudreuil-Dorion’s revitalization project for Harwood Blvd. along the Highway 20 corridor in old Dorion was given a major boost recently when the regional municipal county announced it would be building its new head offices and establish a service hub in the area.

The Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC plans to relocate its head office to a new three-storey building on that strip of Harwood Blvd., hoping the project sets the tone for the city’s revitalization project. The new office building will also house the regional municipal court and the region’s Centre local de développement under one roof. The MRC’s head offices are currently located on St-Charles Ave. but have become cramped, while the court and CLD are housed in different locations.

Construction of the building will begin in November and the three consolidated regional services should be able to move in by the end of 2016.

The new building will fit in with the overall Harwood Blvd. revitalization scheme and will encourage other projects to take shape, MRC officials stated.

Since the project was just an- nounced, the exact floor size of the building still hasn’t been determined, said MRC spokesman Simon Richard.

“In terms of costs for the project, we cannot comment at this time as we are still calling for tenders,” he said. “However, this investment will come at no cost to the citizens and member municipalities.”

He said the construction will be covered by the funds currently used to rent office space for the CLD and the MRC. As well, no provincial grants are coming to the MRC for the construction project, he added.

Meanwhile, Vaudreuil-Dorion also unveiled its “On Harwood” logo to promote the revitalization project.

“The Dorion sector is at a crossroads and we want to bring to it a new life that’s more modern and adapted to the realities of today,” stated Mayor Guy Pilon.

The city held hearings on its Harwood Blvd. revitalization project in February after launching a consultation process last fall. It hopes to revise the sector in order to attract families and new businesses over a three-kilometre section of Harwood Blvd. and part of Lotbinière Street and Chicoine Street.

It is anticipated a final special planning program for the sector is to be tabled by city council this fall.