The Quartier des Spectacles is getting a new skating rink

A part of Montreal is about to get a touch more spectacular as the Quartier des Spectacles is going to become home to a new public square that will double as a skating rink.

The 5,000-square-metre square, dubbed L’Esplanade Tranquille, will include a large urban terrace in the summer and a refrigerated outdoor rink in the winter.

The $74 million dollar square will be on the corner of Ste. Catherine and Clark Street and pays tribute to Henri Tranquille, a famous Montreal bookstore owner and chess player.

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“Designed like a backyard with a chalet, an ice rink and unique furniture, the Esplanade Tranquille will be a fun and friendly gathering place where everyone can celebrate its culture,” says Mayor Valérie Plante, in a French release. “The square will embody the  Quartier des Spectacles’ new development vision which is to live, create, learn, and be entertained in the centre of our city.”

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The new square comes with the following elements, according to the Quartier des Spectacles website:

• An entrance along Ste. Catherine Street with two lines of trees
• An urban furnished and grassy area with the capacity to host “marquee” events
• A restaurant located on the ground floor
• A multifunctional room, available to skaters during the winter period (cloakroom, lockers, skate rental)

L’Esplanade Tranquille is expected to be completed by next summer.