Condo promoter sets sights on iconic bar
Developer Gregory Koegl thinks of himself as “the guinea pig.”
Koegl purchased the Pioneer bar and restaurant plus its adjacent parking lot and is working on the design for a condo project for the combined 26,000 square feet of land.
It’s not just any old condo development slated for any old piece of land.
This project will test the city’s recently adopted and rigorous Pointe-Claire Village Code. It is also a project that will replace a much-loved watering hole in the heart of the village. People are watching closely.
The bar’s distinct, wooden structure has been part of the fabric of the village since it opened as an inn in the early 1900s. It became the Pioneer, then Clydes, then the Pioneer and along the way it gained the reputation as a place to gather with friends to listen to bold music, share some pub fare and drink until the wee hours.
“Yes, I’m the guinea pig, whiskers and all,” Koegl said with a laugh during a recent interview.
It has been confirmed that owner Diane Marois has sold the building at the corner of Lakeshore Rd. and Ste-Anne Ave., but the process to obtain approval for a new build is ongoing.
Koegl said he and architect Karl Fischer have worked closely with the city, adhering to the strict code every step of the way. It was both a challenge for the developer and Fischer and a way for the city to prove its code would work, in practical terms.
“We didn’t have a lot of latitude. We just followed the (code’s) guidelines to a ‘T’,” Koegl said.
Local reaction has been mixed. Some fear the new build will tarnish the charm of the street. Others say the Pioneer is looking tired and a new construction might rejuvenate the neighbourhood.
Pointe-Claire heritage society president Claude Arsenault said he is waiting to see if the developer’s demolition request is approved before voicing his concerns.
If and when a demolition permit is approved, a public consultation will be held and citizens may voice their concerns or put them in writing. Because the necessary zoning changes are already in place, a referendum is not possible.
The heritage of the Pointe-Claire Village sector is one of its biggest assets and respecting that history and the look which accompanies it is a priority.
Koegl said the Pioneer’s designation is one “of historic interest”, a lesser designation than “historic heritage.” The process involved in obtaining a demolition permit required that he hire an architect with a specialty in heritage conservation to analyze The Pioneer’s structure. The report will be presented to the city’s demolition committee. Koegl cannot obtain a building permit until he has been approved for a demolition permit.
Any new construction must comply with the minutiae in the village code which divides the village into 10 zones, each accompanied by a detailed description of what is and isn’t allowed in any particular sector, from building height to architectural style to parking requirements. Even paint colours are recommended. The code awaits approval from Montreal before it can come into force.
The project, called The Charlevoix, would feature 15 condo units, three town homes and four commercial spaces. There would be underground parking and the lane accessing the park behind the property will remain.