There will soon be a brand new 65,000-seat concert hall on Ile-Sainte-Helene, but it comes at a cost.

While it's being built, the Gilles Villeneuve racetrack and the aquatic complex will both off limits.

Protesters opposed to the closures rode around the racetrack Monday afternoon before rallying outside Montreal City Hall, where Projet Montreal delivered a petition demanding the cycling path stay open this summer.

“The use of the island to people who pay taxes and actually enjoy the island is being shut down for the benefit of the private industry,” said Projet Montreal councillor Alain Vaillancourt.

Plenty of Montrealers, including the opposition party at city hall, were outraged to learn Friday that the Jean Drapeau Park Society is closing a large part of the racetrack from May 8 until September 4.

The organization that controls the parks on Ile Notre Dame and Ile-Sainte-Helene said the closure is necessary because dozens of heavy trucks will use part of the roadway every day as construction work takes place on the western tip of Ile-Sainte-Helene to build an amphitheatre that Evenko will use for outdoor concerts.

The city says, ultimately, the new concert venue will mean Montreal could hold larger events year round.

“These events offer great visibility to Montreal, it's also a source of revenue for the park which allows us after to invest in free activities to Montrealers such as Fete des Neiges, Weekend du Monde,” said Genevieve Boyer of the Jean Drapeau Park Society.

Festivals that normally take place in the park will also be moved to other sections of the racetrack.

The announcement of the closure comes weeks after the announcement that the aquatic complex will be closed for 2017.

Cyclist Uros Vokov is protesting the closures, saying he’s angry the city never consulted with any athletic clubs that use the track or pool.

“It's probably one of the most important training grounds for many, many athletes, be it runners, triathletes, rowers and cyclists,” he said.

Coderre said the $70-million project will result in a better park for years to come, even if it means a disappointing summer for some in 2017. The city added that it will do its best to ensure the track and the pools are open to the public in summer 2018, but can’t make any guarantees.

The Park Society said that Jean Doré beach will be open this summer, from June 21 to Sept. 4, although getting there will require some changes, as beachgoers who take the bus will have to enter through a new entrance on the north side of the artificial lake.

People who drive to the beach will continue to have access to the P4 parking lot and the south side entrance, although the route to that parking lot will be changed.

"Normally it's a scenic route to the parking lot. Instead it's going to be a two-way path that drivers will share with buses on the other side of the park," said Boyer.

Part of the northwestern section of the racetrack will open to cyclists all day every day so riders can go between the Pont de la Concorde and Saint Lambert.

A 2.5 km of the racetrack will also be available for three hours every evening, including most of the straightaway.

In a move that is sure to displease Saint Lambert residents, concerts that normally take place in St. Helen's Island will be even closer to the South Shore this summer.

On July 19 Metallica will perform on the western tip of the island on a stage to be constructed near the starting line for the racetrack.

That location will also be used on August 19 as Guns N' Roses plays for their fans.

The eastern section of the racetrack and the surrounding area will be used for at least five weekend events this summer, including multiple stages for Osheaga and Ile Soniq, and for Week-ends du Monde and the Colour Run.