A ‘milestone for LaSalle’

By: Matt Weingarden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter

Calling it ‘a milestone’ is how LaSalle CAO Peter Marra describes the recent concrete pour of the new skate trail at LaSalle Landing

Marra says it’s a unique project.

“When you pour something like this, you really want to start and stop and not have a joint where you join two sections of concrete,” says Marra. “So, this was done in a continuous pour to eliminate those unforeseen joints. The continuous pour started at a single point, moving in opposite directions meeting in the middle.”

According to Marra, 400 cubic meters of concrete was supplemented by 31 metric tonnes of reinforcing steel.

There will also be 21,000 metres of refrigeration piping installed on site.

The process started at 6 a.m. and will took approximately 12 hours to complete. The $9-million project includes an outdoor skate trail along with a water feature.

“Concrete started to be delivered at about 6:30 in the morning and about 42 trucks came, delivered the concrete,” said Marra.  “Concrete placement crew worked until around noon and then after that the rest of the crew came in and did the finishing work until about midnight.”

“One of the next major milestones will be the refrigeration plant and we’re in good shape with that particular building,” he says.  “We’re about 85 per cent complete.  A lot of the equipment has been installed, so once we get that building completed and that plant commissioned, it really will bring the site to life.”

Marra says the town hopes to have the winter loop completed by the end of December.

The Town of LaSalle is proud to announce a sponsorship from the Rotary Club of LaSalle – Centennial for a water feature that will be located near the ice trail providing this area with additional warm weather activities. The Rotary Club has pledged $132,000 in support of the project, and this will be used to enhance the design of the features. The water feature will have benches, ground-orientated water jets with areas to relax and enjoy water play, and for summertime cooling on hot and humid days.

The entire LaSalle Landing waterfront project is roughly estimated at $50-million and brings together the current Gil Maure Park, Front Road Park and Riverdance Park into one 60-acre site along the Detroit River at Front Road.