New park at Kruger plant

[zzptichka]

NCC is about to give Kruger a new lease until 2053 (sigh) and in return they will build this park.
Looks like another boring and dead greenspace without anything interesting. What are you even supposed to do here? Walk in circles? At least throw in some cool industrial artifacts to celebrate your paper and pulp industry or something. But it appears all we get is a plaque.

Construction is anticipated to begin in May 2025 and be completed in the Fall of 2026.

PDF

[pattherat]

God I wish they would stop renewing their lease. An industrial paper plant is such a blight on the shoreline.

[J.OT13]

I guess I'm the only one who's not offended by the plant. It provides blue collar jobs Downtown, produces products we need and heats the Zibi district. It's just about as useful as it can be.

The park is certainly uninspiring. I agree some industrial artifacts, maybe pieces of the Alexandra Bridge (once it comes down) or Indigenous art would help.

End of the day, it beats a parking lot (though it seems they'll expand another).

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

End of the day, it beats a parking lot (though it seems they'll expand another).

They already built a new lot last year.

[urbanforest]

When was the previous lease set to expire? I had thought their lease went well into the 2070s or something crazy like that.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by urbanforest

When was the previous lease set to expire? I had thought their lease went well into the 2070s or something crazy like that.

From PDF:

Background
Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the 2017 Letter of Intent, Kruger Products Inc.,
previously known as Kruger Products L.P. (“Kruger”) has submitted to the NCC a proposal
to construct a new park on a part of the site at 20 Rue Laurier in Gatineau. The site is
located on the north shore of the Ottawa River.
Currently, the lands in question are subject to usufruct (split ownership). In Quebec,
property ownership is split into three parts: the title, the usus (the right of use) and the
fructus (the right to generate and retain revenues). For this property, the NCC owns the
title while the Weston company holds the usufruct and is currently leasing to Kruger. Due
to the usufruct, this is not currently considered a federal property in a legal sense, and it
is therefore not subject to the federal approvals process under Section 12 of the National
Capital Act. As such, a Board endorsement for these works is being sought.
In 2028, full land ownership will be transferred to the NCC and Kruger will continue to
lease the land for its operations directly from the NCC. As part of the real estate agreement
for Kruger to obtain a new 25-year lease staring in 2028, plans for exterior improvements
were requested and negotiated by the NCC. This includes the development of a new public
park on the west side of the property which provides shoreline access, improvements to
the Plant lands (and its visual presence) and a historical photo exhibit on Rue Laurier

[J.OT13]

Un nouveau parc sur le terrain de l’usine Kruger

Par Ani-Rose Deschatelets, Le Droit
11 juin 2025 à 04h00

Un nouveau parc donnant accès aux berges de la rivière des Outaouais sera aménagé sur le terrain de l’usine Produits Kruger, au centre-ville de Gatineau

Le conseil municipal de Gatineau a autorisé, mardi soir, lors de la séance du conseil municipal, des travaux de déboisement. Ces travaux permettront d’effectuer les travaux de décontamination et d’aménagement du parc.

L’entreprise Produits Kruger avait conclu, dans le cadre d’une entente immobilière avec la Commission de la capitale nationale en 2017, qu’elle financerait la conception et l’aménagement du parc.

Dix des vingt arbres qui doivent être coupés dans le cadre des opérations de déboisement sont situés dans un boisé de protection intégration. L’autorisation du conseil municipal était donc nécessaire.

D’autant plus, précise le règlement, que les seuls arbres à couper sont ceux situés dans le périmètre des travaux de décontamination et ceux qui sont en conflit avec l’aménagement proposé par la CCN. De plus, le futur parc doit impliquer une plantation estimée de 312 arbres feuillus, 19 conifères et 496 arbustes.
«Une meilleure utilisation de cet espace-là c’est aussi de pouvoir donner accès aux berges», a avancé le conseiller municipal du district de Hull-Wright, Steve Moran. «On plante plein d’arbres, c’est super intéressant. On utilise mieux notre territoire collectivement. On veut donner un meilleur accès à l’eau aux citoyens et je pense qu’on réussit petit à petit.»

La CCN estime que l’ouverture du parc devrait se faire en 2026.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/actua...usine-kruger-BKBIVYEXEBCHJKZB6H5E5XFS2A/

[zzptichka]

[zzptichka]

[SL123]

Looks almost done and looking great!