City of Laval buys large plot of land to create urban park

MONTREAL -- The City of Laval announced on Tuesday evening the acquisition of a vast pice of land to develop an urban park. 

The green space, purchased for $6.84 million, includes nearly 28,000 sq. metres -- or about 17 ice rinks -- 320 metres of which is shoreline along Riviere-des-Prairies. 

The acquisition is in line with the pursuit of a strategic vision, which aims to consolidate the development of parks, urban paths and banks in the area. 

[Conseil municipal �� ] La Ville annonce l’acquisition d’un vaste terrain de 27 715 mètres carrés, incluant 320 mètres de berge en bordure de la rivière des Prairies, qui permettra d’aménager un parc urbain accessible à tous les Lavallois.
➡ https://t.co/heg7mqJ9eN pic.twitter.com/ykprgdW2CR

— Ville de Laval (@villedelavalqc) December 2, 2020

As part of the same transaction, the city has also acquired the heritage building located at 520 des Prairies Blvd.

The city had been trying to buy the property for years in order to build a seniors' home to meet the local demand for health-care. 

A bilateral promise of sale and purchase was concluded on Nov. 18 between the city, the CISSS and the National Institute for Scientific Research, who owns the land.

The overall transaction, the cost of which is $15.34 million, therefore includes the portion sold to the city as well as that sold to the Laval CISSS. 

This is the fourth recent acquisition of land on the shore for park, green space or conservation purposes.

It's in addition to the purchase of the wooded land adjacent to the Baigneurs shore in Sainte-Rose, to that of the two large islands, as well as to the Le Commodore marina.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2020.