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MONTREAL – The land of the old Hippodrome race track sits empty with snow covered fields and overgrown weeds – but that’s not how it’s supposed to be.

After 137 years of operation, the abandoned horse racing track and casino was closed in October 2009 and left in a derelict state.

Work should already be underway to convert the sprawling land – the equivalent of more than 60 football fields – into a desirable new neighbourhood with thousands of homes, parks and schools.

However, a dispute between the City of Montreal and the Quebec government has delayed the project.

The land is owned by the province and a planned transfer to to the city still hasn’t happened.

The demolition of the race track building should have already occurred, but that hasn’t happened either.

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“The ball really should be in the city’s court to get the file resolved,” Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand told Global News.

The councillor recently wrote to the city’s point man in charge of finance, Pierre Desrochers, to find out what’s happening.

Rotrand said he received assurances from Desrochers that he would have an update between now and June.

“The problem is the government of Quebec wants to renegotiate the deal,” he said.

Almost four years ago, the City of Montreal touted the massive new residential and commercial project for the site just west of the Decarie expressway, but it appears to have fallen off the radar or at best, put on the back burner.

“[I’m] disappointed that it’s taken such a long time, but determined that it’s going to happen,” Jennifer Auchinleck, a social housing activist, told Global News.

Auchinleck would like up to 2,500 low income housing units to be built.

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“Our vision is for a mixed development so we want to see something that is really inclusive that is reflective of the diversity of Côte-des-Neiges,” she said.