Rebranding Park Avenue

Parc Avenue is set for a major makeover that will  include an eventual rebranding of the area along the lines of Little Italy and Chinatown.

The Plateau Mont Royal borough is investing fifty thousand dollars this spring towards new benches, garbage cans, bicycle parking spots and a whole new look with a distinctly Greek theme: flowers and banners in the same blue and white of the national flag, some  banners that read Avenue du Parc in a font resembling the Greek alphabet.

But  some merchants like Jimmy Zoubris of Zoubris Stationary say it's not much to show for two years so far of studies and discussion.

"It's just a cosmetic thing they're doing on Parc Avenue, very nice, at least they came to Parc Avenue and they did the signs. I have to congratulate them on that because they really haven't done anything else."

Parc Ex councillor Mary Deros insists it's a first step,  adding the actual rebranding and marketing of the area still needs consultation.

"The branding end has to be, a common consensus among everybody. And I understand his passion, and I understand some of the merchants, because they've waited a long time for this."

Helen Fotopoulos is mayor of the borough. She says these things take time and is adamant that the project will forge ahead.

"You ask about budgets, there are budgets. What we need is consensus as to where it's going to go and how it's going to go."

There is a special fund for business initiatives and to fix up storefronts but officials couldn't say how much of the 11.6-million dollar budget would go towards the rebranding plan.