“I cannot believe the city is going to let a hotel be built in the centre of a prestigious park. “Parc Jean-Drapeau is a jewel that deserves to be developed further, but not by adding a luxury hotel,” said Sauvé, who sits as an independent. The project was met with opposition by Montreal city councillor Craig Sauvé, who said he strongly denounces this “privatization of public space.”
The casino was built in 1993 in the former France pavilion of Man and His World for Expo 67. Plante said she expects the design of the hotel to complement the casino’s iconic architectural image. Plante said the plan will ensure the protection of the surrounding environment and will fit in with a major overhaul of the public park planned for 2030, which is supposed to provide more green spaces, enhance accessibility to the St. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx were on hand to welcome the project, saying it would enhance Montreal’s visibility on the world stage. “Its location at the heart of Parc Jean-Drapeau will put this hotel in a class by itself. “The Casino de Montréal has been a landmark in this city for 30 years,” he said.
