The CBC reports that a massive shopping centre is proposed for a site on the Island of Montreal. The 3-million square foot, $1.6 billion centre would feature retail stores, restaurants, green space, a cinema, and possibly a concert hall.
The new centre would be located in the affluent Town of Mount Royal, located at the southwest corner of Autoroute 15 and Highway 40 (see maps below). Its developer is Carbonleo, which also built the popular Quartier DIX30 in nearby Brossard.
According to the CBC, the Town of Mount Royal supports the project, having already passed several zoning bylaws to help pave the way for the new complex. Construction could begin later this year. The developer is expected to provide council with the project’s final design this spring.
Montreal has a number of large shopping malls, several of them which are struggling and a handful which are doing well. Neighbouring Centre Rockland, for example, once housed a 25,000 square foot Holt Renfrew, as well as a variety of other upscale tenants which have closed over the years. Fairview Pointe Claire, to the west, also once housed Holt Renfrew and a number of premium retailers. Some malls have seen updates, including Galeries d’Anjou (which added La Maison Simons as an anchor in the summer of 2013) while Carrefour Laval continues to expand and thrive. Another large mall could negatively affect sales at these and other centres.
Spanning almost 2.75 million square feet, Quartier DIX30 is a commercial lifestyle centre which attempts to emulate an urban/downtown shopping experience. It opened in 2006 and is considered to be Canada’s first lifestyle centre. It features hundreds of stores, including one of only two locations for Holt Renfrew’s off-price hr2.
If built, the new Montreal Island mega-mall would be one of Canada’s largest. West Edmonton Mall, as a comparison, spans about 5.3 million square feet, with 3.8 million square feet of retail space. Toronto Eaton Centre boasts just over 2 million square feet (including an adjacent Hudson’s Bay/Saks flagship) and Burnaby BC’s Metropolis at Metrotown measures almost 1.8 million square feet.
We’ll report more on this story as it develops.
I’m sorry, but the area you have outlined is the south EAST corner if the 40&15, not southwest.
Hi, to add to Maria’s comment, the area where this will be built is southwest of the intersection of the 15 (Decarie Expressway) and 40 . You have indicated the intersection of the 15 (Laurentian Highway) and the 40.
The location of the mega-mall is to the south-west immediately across the Decarie from Namur and de la Savane metro stations and near the developing Triangle neighbourhood and the planned large-scale redevelopment of the Hippodrome site.
This is the area in question: http://goo.gl/maps/QM3eY
Thank you Lucas, Maria and Craig. We’ve updated the maps in the article. We apologize – we lack details and are completely unfamiliar with that area of Montreal. Again, thank you everyone.
Lucas’s info is correct re: the location!
What stores would go there? How many Aldo’s, how many La Senza, Dollarama, La Source, Ardene, etc etc etc do we need in the same area? Rockland mall is already dying, stores closing left and right. The Marche Central is a mess to navigate. Decarie, and the 40 and the 15 North is always congested. I would never go there. I will stick to Carrefour Laval.
Excellent point, Bruce. There is a lot of retail space in the area, and another major project could harm already struggling centres. Carrefour Laval will maintain substantial market share, especially if a rumoured Saks Fifth Avenue materializes.
As if Montreal really needs a new mall
Urban planners and environmentalists are trying to figure out ways to convert these kind of mega malls into better urban residential spaces. It’s therefore frustrating that while they are trying to think of solutions, the developers continue to build the problem.
I tink we have a lot of the same stores in the region of Montréal. This new mall should give a whole new experience in the retail field. Bring new stores like: Club Monaco, Joe Fresh boutique , Saks off the Fifth, Pull and Bear, West Elm, Express, Uniqlo, Muji, Marshall’s, let’s wait and see…..
No way! We don’t need that awful mall.
Traffic in that area is bad enough, this will just make it worse.
Place Vertu is close by, Marche Central as is. As was mentioned Rockland center isn’t doing all that well already. Point is we really don’t need another mall – or "lifestyle centre", nor do I think our economy can really support it right now, not without causing casualties in other areas, and screwing up traffic more than it already is.
What a waste of money and space… How about opening up a homeless shelter for all those people in Montreal that have or are going to loss their jobs… People especially the rich are so out of touch with the real world… Rockland Center will be wiped off the map…
Will the Orange Julip be affected?
Why not. TMR could use some family restaurants and let’s hope there will be new stores…ie Nordstroms, Marshalls, Saks!!
Hey everyone! With all these big retail stores going bankrupt let’s open a Mega Mall!! Who’s in?? lol We are just gross with our own consumption.
Seriously let’s get creative with the space. A museum shop, a travel shop, build a skating rink instead of a fountain… spaces can be used for other things other than just more clothing retailers. We don’t need more clothes, we have already! Enough is enough, times are changing, consumerism is changing, we want to see innovation. Let’s be smart and build something they talk about in Sweden and Australia!
I also agree with the restaurants needed. Something nice would be fun for the area.
maybe now they will open up Cavendish
We need more parks and greenspaces, not more shopping malls of the same clothes stores that I can buy downtown, in laval, in rockland, at fairview, etc!!!
Yet another Montreal mall that is too far to walk to from the metro. 🙁
Why don’t they make Rockland Shopping Center bigger and have a metro stop right there? That would be a better project.