CORNWALL – A Hawkesbury construction company presented its condominium idea to the city’s planning advisory committee Thursday night.
The $25 million project would see 108 condo units wrap around Marina 200.
Charles Clement of C.H. Clement Construction told PAC that the city would stand to reap about $375,000 in taxes every year when the condos were fully developed.
But the development would come with some sacrifices – namely moving a portion of the waterfront trail and sacrificing one baseball diamond, which will be moved.
Clement said his project would give back to those displaced, by including a facilities building for the baseball club and also a “lookout” wooden gazebo for the City of Cornwall at the east end of the 2.9 acre site, connecting to the boardwalk.
It’s important to note this is being proposed as a “conceptual idea” and that there is no formal application nor does Clement Construction or the city own the land.
The buildings with three-season balconies would sell for around $250,000. They would be built in three phases: 28 units, 24 units and 24 units.
Depending on the setup, each building would have 8-12 units and some would be indoor parking, Clement said.
Clement talked about having Cornwall capitalize on a new trend – condos around a marina – and suggested other municipalities would follow suit if Cornwall paved the way.
PAC member Bernadette Clement emphasized the city will be “treading carefully” because these are considered sacred lands.
During his presentation, Charles Clement added that the idea first came to him from hockey legend Guy Lafleur, who pitching it to Clement after boating in Cornwall.