In complete discretion, Apple is completely renovating a heritage building in downtown Montreal to relocate its flagship store in the metropolis, we have learned The Press.
The American company will only move a few dozen meters east to establish itself at 1255 Sainte-Catherine Street West, according to three sources including a real estate broker in the sector. The century-old three-story building, at the corner of rue de la Montagne, is currently the subject of a major renovation project.
The move will represent a major expansion for the downtown Apple Store, currently located at 1321 Sainte-Catherine Street West. The 9,000 square feet of this space are already available for rent on the website of property manager Cogir.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The move will represent a major expansion for the downtown Apple Store, currently located at 1321 Sainte-Catherine Street West.
On Wednesday, Apple did not call back The Press.
The building is owned by New York billionaires, the Gindi family, through the company De La Montagne Canadian Venture Inc. “I can’t speak to their business,” said Harvey Sands, a Montreal accountant who is a director of the company.
The work at 1255 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest is being carried out by SAJO inc., a construction company from Mount Royal. Reached by telephone, the executive vice-president, Michel Khouday, did not want to comment on the matter.
“SAJO has been building Apple stores in North America and Europe for nearly twenty years,” the company states on its website. “These joint projects have resulted in a strong partnership between the parties and an ongoing working relationship. » SAJO, which has offices in London, Miami and Florence, has notably built Apple stores in New York, Brooklyn and Nashville. She has also built stores for luxury companies like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Loro Piana.
“We have no comment to make,” said Glenn Castanheira, from downtown Montreal.
The current Apple store opened in 2008, in a purpose-built building. The company also has stores in Laval, Pointe-Claire, Brossard and Quebec.
A “completely changed” section
Real estate broker Christopher Rundle, of CBRE, represents owners on the same stretch of Sainte-Catherine Street. He says he is “100% certain” that Apple will settle at the corner of Sainte-Catherine and de la Montagne.
For him, this arrival is part of a general renovation of this sector, which will “completely change” it.
“Apple is coming, Alo Yoga (competitor of Lululemon) is opening a flagship store on the other side of Sainte-Catherine, its first in Quebec,” he said. There is the Cour du Roi building which has a new owner and will be completely renovated. We are currently in negotiations to fill the entire 14,000 square feet of commercial space with four different tenants. »
Adidas and Lululemon stores are not going to disappear anytime soon, he assured. “These high-end retailers trust this sector,” the broker continued.
“We are informed that despite the economic situation, there are major investments being made in this quadrilateral,” rejoiced Glenn Castanheira, from downtown Montreal.
reference: www.lapresse.ca