It's likely years away, but Groupe Renaissance wants to create a tourist draw in an area of Cornwall's waterfront in dire need of a facelift.
If the group gets its way, the harbour will evolve into an area where cyclists, boaters and foodies will congregate.
As it stands now, the harbour is a place many cyclists love to hate as they are trying to get from the ball diamonds near Marina 200 to St. Lawrence College, or vice versa, along the waterfront trail.
Renaissance is collecting data from the public before heading to city hall with a laundry list of items it wants to see incorporated into Cornwall's waterfront and economic development plans.
Introducing amenities like boat slips, bicycle rentals, ice cream vendors and flea markets are already being considered, said Groupe Renaissance president Chuck Charlebois.
"This is long-term," he warned. "The first thing is to listen to what the public has to say.
"We want to make sure everyone has a voice."
If city hall likes what it sees, the next step would be for the city to enter into negotiations with the federal government about leasing the property - another facet of the project that won't happen overnight.
"We took one of the toughest projects," said Charlebois.
But it's one area of the city's waterfront that needs some help, said Groupe Renaissance's marketing co-ordinator Ron Elderbroom.
"It's really a diamond in the rough," he said. "There are all kinds of possibilities for this piece of land.
"What we're trying to do is get the city to see that this is a good idea.
"And we want people to make it the place where people want to visit and bring their family."
Groupe Renaissance received a $5,000 donation from RMP Construction and Development Limited, along with $2,000 from Caisse Populaire de Cornwall at its annual general meeting this week.
The money will go towards holding a public meeting and updating materials, Charlebois said.
