The question of what to do with the old Blue Bonnets race track site has community members, city officials and a company owner weighing in.
The company has plans for a new gaming hall. The community wants it for social housing.
The story
Since last June the company running the Montreal hippodrome, Attraction Hippiques, has been under bankruptcy protection.
However, the owner of the company has plans for the location,and will present them to the government in March. The owner, Paul Massicotte, wants a gaming hall that includes 300-video lottery terminals and off-track betting.
He is also a Liberal senator.
"The choice is one of society. We allow people to gamble if they so wish, we allow people to use their spare time as they so wish," said Massicotte. "[It's] not our choice, it's a choice of society, but so far the rules permit it and we do it in a responsible way."
However, the borough of Cote-Des-Neiges wants to turn the site into community housing with up to 10,000 housing units, businesses and day care.
"Where else is there a huge piece of land right in the centre of the city that can be so easily redeveloped?" said Marvin Rotrand, a city councilor.
Forty per cent of Cote-des-Neiges residents are from low income families, and some object to the Attractions Hippiques plan for that reason.
"There aren't that many citizens in this borough who aren't going to object to this so-called plan," said one woman.
