The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to play its first performance at the new hall, named L'Adresse Symphonique (French for "Symphonic Address"), in September 2011. At that time, a 27-year maintenance and operation concession will begin, during which Groupe Immobilier will receive annual availability payments from the Ministry of Culture and Communication.
But that's not all. Unlike many PPPs in Canada, L'Adresse Symphonique will be a revenue-generating asset. Concert-goers will pay for tickets, cloak rooms and refreshments. Putting the "partnership" in PPP, the public sector won't keep all these earnings: Groupe Immobilier will get to keep all the revenues from the bars and cloakrooms.
They will also get additional payments for special events held at the symphony, such as corporate gatherings. The more events, the more payments they receive: another reason why even though it was the fourth PPP procured by Québec, it will always be the first of its kind.■
| "It's certainly a different animal, but in terms of delivery we thought it was very relevant to consider the PPP mode" |