Community eyes land for possible new city hall and pool
A new civic complex may be in the works for Vaudreuil-Dorion that could incorporate an aquatic centre or other recreational amenities on the same site as a new city hall. The city announced late last week that council has decided to reserve a plot of land for public use on Elmer-Lach St., behind the municipal multisports centre near the Vaudreuil train station. Few details of the project have been released, but Mayor Guy Pilon confirmed city council is considering the possibility of building a municipal centre that would include an aquatic complex. Although there is already a public indoor pool in VaudreuilDorion, use of the facility is split with the Cité-des-Jeunes secondary school. Public swim times and lessons can only be held outside of school hours, Pilon noted, yet VaudreuilDorion and surrounding areas have many elderly people and young families who would prefer to swim on weekdays. “With 40,000 citizens (in our city) and more than that around us, I think it’s time to do something,” said Pilon. The city of Vaudreuil-Dorion is also under pressure to move forward with construction of a new city hall. The lease on the rented office space used by the town expires in 2019. Council purchased a $1.1-million waterfront site at 405 St.-Charles Ave. last April, intended for the new city hall, but pulled back on plans to build on the site after water levels climbed alarmingly high last spring. Pilon said the project on ElmerLach St. would be much more than just a “Plan B” for a city hall. He said council is assessing the pros and cons of incorporating other amenities in addition to an aquatic centre into a town hall project, though he said he was not ready to share details of what those other features might be. The reserve is not a commitment to purchase the land, but it does prevent the private owner of the land from developing or selling it for up to two years while the city evaluates whether to expropriate. At the end of two years, the municipality has the option to extend the reserve for a second two-year term. “We plan to make a decision soon,” Pilon said. “Before summer we plan to decide whether to proceed on that site.” Pilon said the location is an attractive one for this kind of project because of the proximity to public transportation, higher-density housing and the existing sports centre.