Delivered four years ago with water infiltration problems, the new paddocks of the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit should really start generating rental income this year.
Leakage issues “limited our ability to take full advantage of the new space in prior years,” explained in an email to the Duty Jessica Gaulin, spokesperson for the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD), site manager. Now that the water infiltration problems have “almost all been resolved”, we now feel that we are “well positioned to offer a diversified clientele [ce lieu] unique of international caliber”.
Inaugurated in May 2019, the elegant three-storey building housing the boxes, terraces, press room and offices above the garages of the Formula 1 teams during the Canadian Grand Prix, on Île Notre-Dame, in Montreal , was also meant to serve as rental space for meetings, cocktail parties, banquets and other private corporate events 10 months a year.
However, the facilities quickly experienced significant water infiltration and drainage problems, we learned last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has also been there, even transforming the place into a vaccination clinic on occasion.
Built at a cost of 60 million dollars, what is called Espace Paddock was also the subject of a dispute between the contractor, the Geyser Group, and the SPJD. The case was settled last fall by an amicable agreement that cost the City of Montreal $6 million more.
Water infiltration problems, “there remains [aujourd’hui] just a few minor patches to complete, which will be completed over the summer,” reported Jessica Gaulin. Also, the SPJD is expected to earn rental income this year, without wanting to specify the amount. “We have confirmed rentals for major events during the summer and fall season, and we anticipate this will be a sought-after space this winter during the holiday season. In addition, the green terrace of the Espace Paddock will become Le Belvédère and will be available for rental from mid-July to mid-September, thus offering a unique outdoor event space near the Olympic basin. »
The location would also be of interest to film production houses. An American shoot was even held there last year.
Orange cones on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit
People who want to get to the Espace Paddock by bike will have to rack their brains. Indeed, the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve bike path will be closed for much of the summer and fall after this weekend’s Grand Prix.
It is that the race track has not been completely resurfaced since 2005, underlined in a telephone interview with Duty the promoter of the event, François Dumontier, President and CEO of the Octane Racing Group. It will also be necessary to improve the drainage of certain curves in order to correct water accumulation problems that have appeared in recent years.
But the biggest work will involve lowering just over a quarter of the 4.4km race track to bring it up to new F1 standards. It is that the clearance under the bridge of the Concorde, which passes above the circuit, is a little too low and uneven, which in particular makes us fear the worst if a collision were to project a racing car into the air.
To correct the situation, the track will be lowered by one meter over a distance of 1.2 km, between the former Canadian pavilion at Expo 67 and the exit from the bridge. The SPJD will finance all the work and will benefit from it in particular to improve the lighting in certain areas. Divided into two phases, the closure of the cycle path for the works must take place from July 10 to 1er September, then from September 25 to November 24.