I recently attended a meeting of the Côte-Saint-Luc Tennis Committee, at which time the subject of Rembrandt Park was on the agenda. More than a year ago we were looking into adding new tennis courts at Rembrandt. The matter was discussed at a public District 2 meeting and followed up by months of consultations. There was a definite discomfort with the plan. For that reason, plus the fact that quotations for the expansion came in way over budget, we put the project on hold.
As you can read on Councillor Glenn J. Nashen's blog, the city has entered an agreement with the English Montreal School Board to bring the courts at the former Wagar High School back to life. That will occur next year and address the issue of adding more courts in the
At the Tennis Committee we came up with some new proposals regarding Rembrandt. My hope is to have a special placemaking session, whereby some area residents will be invited to be part of the process. New lighting will be part of any proposal that comes forward.
Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-able improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them.
Stay tuned for more information.