Could Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante mark the end of baseball’s return to Montreal? Without his consent, it would be difficult to go any further, says the Minister for Economic Affairs, Pierre Fitzgibbon, who is responsible for the files.
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“Does the City of Montreal see this project as structuring its sustainable development? That is the basic point. Ms. Plante, in other words the city, can decide that no, we want to build a hospital, ”said Mr. Fitzgibbon in an interview with The newspaper.
Everything could therefore be decided in the next few hours as the city’s first elected official meets with the Montreal Baseball Group today, led by Stephen Bronfman, son of billionaire Charles Bronfman.
It all depends on the mayor
Because for those in favor of the return of baseball, the risk is real. While Ms. Plante was never publicly against it, she wouldn’t be as hot about the project privately, especially given the construction of a stadium in the Peel Basin, according to a knowledgeable source.
Contacted by The newspaper, the mayor’s office did not respond to our inquiries.
“If the mayor says no for valid reasons, it will be difficult for the organizer. […] You’re going to want to quit anyway, ”Fitzgibbon believes.
Not a penny from Quebec
However, he claims not to know the intentions of the mayor, who in his opinion does not yet have all the information necessary for the decision. “I honestly do not know. I speak to the mayor regularly about the various economic projects in Montreal. We talked about that very briefly, ”said the Minister.
But one thing is clear to him: Quebec will not invest a penny in financing a new stadium.
“The answer is no,” hammered Mr Fitzgibbon, repeating what Prime Minister François Legault said last week.
Quebec, on the other hand, could invest “at zero cost” in the ecosystem surrounding a stadium for taxpayers. The Claridge Group, owned by Mr. Bronfman, and other real estate companies like Devimco have already purchased several lots in the area.
Invest in the area
“When it comes to pure real estate, we have no real commitment on the Investissement Québec side. […] But can we build on an innovation zone? There are several things to look at, ”said Fitzgibbon.
The real estate division of the Caisse de dépôt et Placement du Québec, Ivanhoé Cambridge, had already expressed interest in participating financially in the project.
Quebec will therefore follow the next steps, particularly the decision by Major Baseball and the City of Tampa, but “it is not up to the government to encourage this”.
“I may be the baseball secretary, but I’m here as a catcher, not a thrower,” said Mr. Fitzgibbon.
