Now that the Town of LaSalle owns the property north of Gil Maure Park on Front Road, it is looking for a grant to "reanimate and expand" its waterfront.
The town is in the process of buying up four other properties next to the old Westport Marina for its "LaSalle Small Coast Waterfront Experience" project.
It has applied for a grant from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which funds projects providing long-term economic growth, supporting a low carbon economy, and building sustainable communities. If its application is successful, the federal government will pick up 40 per cent of the cost, while the province pays 33.3 per cent. LaSalle will have to pay the remaining 26.6 per cent.
Mayor Marc Bondy said he expects fierce competition for the grant.
"I was told there is $1 billion available across Canada. You divide that by $50 million and the big cities like Toronto and Ottawa are applying for multiple grants," he explained. "Hopefully, we'll get something down here."
An artist's rendering of LaSalle's Small Coast Waterfront Experience project. (courtesy of the Town of LaSalle)
Even if it can not buy all the properties it wants to, or the grant does not come through, parts of the project will still go ahead over the next several years.
LaSalle wants to build a $50 million year-round hub showcasing its Indigenous, French, and English history, providing recreational activities, and using energy-efficient designs.
"The old marina storage building is 35,000 square feet," said Bondy. "We'll have farmers markets. It'll be multi-purpose, maybe arts, possibly even a music theatre, recreation area or sports zone area."
The town said the public would be consulted about the project, and that process could start in early to mid-2020.
The name of the project comes from the original name of the town, Petite Cote, or "Small Coast." It was renamed LaSalle after the French explorer, Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who sailed extensively through the Great Lakes.