Construction work started yesterday on Montreal’s latest piece of cultural infrastructure: a giant terrace/winter skating rink in the heart of downtown. 

The project, dubbed “Esplanade Clark” as it will be built between Sainte-Catherine and De Maisonneuve along Clark, is being described as Montreal’s version of New York City’s Rockefeller Center. 

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A full 5,000 square metres in size, the project will provide Montrealers with a public skating rink in the winter (November to March), then turning into a lush terrace once it’s warm enough. 

Montreal’s Mayor Denis Coderre was on-site to break ground yesterday, praising the project and saying how it will create a multitude of employment opportunities, reports CTV. 

With a price tag of $67.1 million, Esplanade Clark will be made into a more laid back and relaxed alternative to the busy nature of Place des Festivals; a space where families can relax and couples can have one of those classically cute moments that only happen when ice skating. 

A terrace will be set up right alongside the ice rink, which will be attached to a restaurant and an indoor public space.

Here, visitors of Esplanade Clark will be able to buy food and (more importantly) alcoholic drinks. The City of Montreal says that people can also bring their own food and beverages (probably not the alcoholic kind), too. 

During the warmer months, all of the aformentioned amenities will be open, with the skating rink converted into a huge terrace. Plenty of public seating will be added, as will grassy areas and tons of plants to create a fresh and vibrant vibe. 

Esplanade Clark is set to be finished by fall 2019.