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Businesses and property-owners hope to see an infusion of new blood along the iconic strip.
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With a longtime restaurant up for sale and a vacated former eatery undergoing extensive renovations, the iconic boardwalk strip in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue is looking for an infusion of new blood.
Peter’s Cape Cod, with a terrasse facing the historic Ste-Anne canal, is listed for about $1.5 million. The two-storey building was constructed in 1987 and rests on a 7,091-square-foot lot (658.8 square metres).
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While a few people have expressed some interest, a deal hasn’t been reached, said owner Alex Elali, who purchased it in 2015 from original owner Peter Vlachos, who still regularly pops in.
Elali said it’s been challenging running the business since the COVID-19 pandemic, including the hiring of staff. “It’s been a difficult two years and I decided to get out,” he said.
“This year was a bit slower than usual, probably due to two factors: the economy is not doing that well and, this is very important, the weather. We did not have a good summer at all. It rained — or they announced rain — almost every day,” he said.
People flock to Ste-Anne village during the summer to watch boats pass through the canal, walk along the boardwalk and, hopefully, grab something to eat, Elali said.
The seafood restaurant closed for the season post-Thanksgiving, and is not scheduled to reopen until April, which has been a routine for decades, Elali said.
The reopening might depend on the plans of a potential new owner, Elali said. He hopes a new restauranteur will take over, no matter what cuisine might be on the menu, who will safeguard the expansive terrasse that offers visitors a magnificent view of the waterfront.
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Meanwhile, the building that once housed Dundees Bar and Grill is undergoing renovations, including a new roof. Exterior work will be completed within a month. The property was purchased last year and the new owner will soon be seeking tenants. The final interior renovations will be completed and tailored to meet the tenants’ needs.
“We’re trying to bring the building back to par and then we’re going to put it up for rent,” said co-owner Gabriel Simard.
“We’re hoping it won’t be a restaurant going in there because it’s a hard place to make money for a restaurant. We’re hoping that something else like a professional will go in there, a doctor, dentist … or rehabilitation centre,” he said of potential tenants. “There’s absolutely no traffic there during the winter (for a restaurant). We’re going to be a little selective as far as finding tenants.”
Simard won’t completely rule out a restaurant, but said it should be a restauranteur with a track record. His aim is to land businesses that are stable year-round: “A destination place or specialized place.”
Cunningham’s Pub owner Jim Beauchamp, who sits on the board of the local merchants’ association, said he welcomes any new eateries setting up shop in Ste-Anne village, noting a few spots have already changed hands in recent years.
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“I think it’s positive that new blood and new entrepreneurs are coming into Ste-Anne’s and putting money into the community,” he stated.
“You don’t need quantity, you need quality,” he added. “A couple of new restaurants have opened that are particularly good. It only helps the town.”
Beauchamp said the Peter’s Cape Cod property is a prime location along the boardwalk for a new restaurant to operate year-round, like his pub on the north side of Ste-Anne St., or for a retail outlet that could draw people into the town of 5,000 residents, which also houses John Abbott College and McGill University’s Macdonald campus.
Beauchamp looks forward to the city revamping the Lalonde Park area, where a farmers’ market is hosted Saturdays from May to October. He said there are several scheduled outdoor events, such as concerts and line-dancing in the summer along the boardwalk, but noted these activities are not held during winter when nearby businesses really need help attracting visitors.
While the city struck a $500,000 deal with a promoter last spring to acquire the property that formally housed Marco’s restaurant, it won’t pursue the Peter’s Cape Cod property due to unavailable finances and because the circumstances are different, Mayor Paola Hawa said. The dilapidated Marco Bar & Grill building, which was gutted by a blaze in 2019, had become an eyesore and was demolished. The promoter’s proposal to erect a three-storey condo building didn’t meet the city’s zoning for the boardwalk area, she said. The city transformed the lot into a public green space.
Hawa said zoning for the village strip advocates for commercial activity. She advised people to double check with the city before purchasing a property to make sure their plans meet zoning bylaws.
“Don’t think we are going to change the zoning,” she said.
Before any new businesses move in, they would require an occupancy permit, the mayor said.
Ste-Anne hopes to update its master urban plan and launch a consultation process in the new year, and the village strip will be a part of it, Hawa said.
akrambergerwestisland@gmail.com
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