Walkley Community Centre

By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

The city is renewing and extending its lease on the Walkley Community Centre in NDG.

The borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre–Dame-de-Grâce has approved a new draft agreement that covers a period of five years starting October 1, 2023, for the building at 6650 Côte-Saint-Luc Road, which the city has rented since 1999. The total expenditure is $1,287,165.36, taxes included.

The city rents the 9,358-sq.-ft.-space to offer year-round activities for citizens and particularly youth in Loyola district. This lease expired on September 30, 2023, but negotiations between the parties took longer than expected, resulting in the delay presenting the file to the borough council for approval. The new agreement expires in October 2028 and provides for one two-year renewal option as well as an option to terminate as of October 1, 2026.

The city will pay gross rent of $22.44/ sq. ft. as well as all energy and maintenance costs. The landlord will carry out some work on the premises, at a cost of $79,965.11, paid for by the borough from its operating surplus.

Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa said it was “an extremely important contract,” adding, “we were able to ask for improvements with the renewal of the lease… This kind of investment allows us to take better care of our population, in their entirety, according to the different needs.” n