Site of the former Molson brewery | Towards the first stones of a new district

Groupe Montoni will launch the much-anticipated construction work on the site of the former Molson brewery this year, promises its president and founder, Dario Montoni.

“We will start in 2024,” he assures. Since 2022, the silos and buildings behind the heritage part have been demolished. The site doesn’t look at all like what it used to be. We’re ready to get started. »

This will be a signature project for the developer who has the rare opportunity to redesign the southeast entrance to downtown Montreal, on the riverfront to boot. “It’s an honor for us,” insists Mr. Montoni.

The first phase of the project will consist of restoring the heritage building south of Notre-Dame which will house the Montreal administrative offices of Molson Coors, those of the Molson family foundation as well as a place of culture, history and entertainment, to specify Mr. Montoni.

In collaboration with the FTQ Real Estate Solidarity Fund, Groupe Montoni promises to build a new neighborhood for Montreal which will include buildings with a total surface area of ​​6 million square feet on a plot of land of 1.1 million square feet, including more 1500 feet on the river. Nearly 5,000 residential units are planned, and local businesses totaling 200,000 sq. ft.² of surface area.

In addition, we will see an economic business hub focused on innovation, a civic hub including a school, the return to the city of Sohmer Park land, a riverside green space offering a breathtaking view of the St. Lawrence River.

As for the emblematic sign and clock, these two visual landmarks will be saved. “We will first dismantle them, because the building where the two are located will be increased by 20 more floors,” specifies the developer. Then, we will replace the sign and the clock in the same places, but higher. »

Despite the scale of the challenge, Dario Montoni is confident of succeeding in completing the redevelopment of this strategic site within seven to ten years.

Some 1,000 jobs in Mascouche

Molson will not be the only project that will keep Montoni busy in 2024. The developer is completing the conversion of the Mascouche aerodrome into an industrial park, begun less than four years ago. At CentreOparc, the real estate company has built nearly 3 million square feet in three phases for a total investment of nearly 400 million. Nearly 1,000 positions were created with employers such as Quilicot, St-Hubert, Desjardins and Mondou.

In 2022, Montoni acquired some 6 million square feet of land in Bromont, where Quebec hopes to attract major global players in the power electronics industry in the coming years. “We are going to start digging this summer,” says Dario Montoni, without wanting to identify the future occupants.

At the time of the acquisition, Montoni planned to build up to 16 industrial buildings which will meet the LEED standard and which will integrate with nature according to the criteria of biophilia.

Post-pandemic offices according to Montoni

Located at the Espace Montmorency complex in Laval, Maison Montoni, the new head office of the integrated real estate company, wants to set an example in terms of offices adapted to the post-pandemic reality.

The result stems from a reflection between Montoni and Sid Lee Architecture (SLA) which spanned almost eight years and which required around twenty iterations.

“When we sat down with Mr. (Jean Pelland, architect and senior partner of SLA), we wanted to design the offices of the future,” explains Dario Montoni, president of the company, during the site visit by The Press. We wanted to thank our staff for the first 25 years of the company. At the same time, we want to give them a home in which their well-being will be taken into consideration. »

From entertainment to socialization

Unlike the poorly shod shoemaker, the integrated design-construction company for real estate projects offers its 250 employees and its clients a summary of the fashionable trends in office design in this post-pandemic era.

Among the strong points of Maison Montoni, note generous and illuminated common spaces arranged in the corners of the floor, two floating staircases surrounded by glass connecting the two floors (42,000 square feet in total) together, a huge balcony -private terrace of 12,000 square feet and no less than eight working modes: agora equipped with modular furniture, conference room, training room, workshop, cubicle, common work table of different heights, individual space with work table adjustable height, etc.

The day and the night

The new Montoni house has nothing to do with the group’s previous home. “We were in an industrial building for 25 years, where we expanded over the years from 4,000 square feet to 28,000 square feet,” remembers Dario Montoni.

“What we see is representative of what Montoni is,” adds Mr. Pelland. Montoni could have chosen to occupy the 16^e and top floor of the tower. Instead, the company occupies the 2^e and 3^e floors with direct connection to urban activity. »

Beneficial effect of the move, current employees are no longer asked to work in the office. “We see that employees come to the office four or five days a week,” confides Mr. Montoni. As for future employees, he adds, “when they arrive at reception, we want them to say: I want to work for you! “.

Espace Montmorency

Ambitious project of the consortium formed by Montoni and the FTQ Real Estate Solidarity Fund, Espace Montmorency is a set of 4 towers with an area of ​​1.3 million square feet of offices, commercial premises, a 118-room hotel and of 700 housing units connected underground to the Montmorency metro station.

First announced in November 2015, the project worth more than 450 million became reality in June 2019. The project therefore took place in the middle of a pandemic. When COVID-19 hit, there were evenings where we didn’t sleep, remembers Dario Montoni. We didn’t know what to do anymore. Do we work in the office? Are we converting? Are we doing anything else? But we believed in the project. »

Espace Montmorency suffered in addition to the financial setbacks of its partner Groupe Sélection, Réal Bouclin. In May 2023, an entity from the Solidarity Fund purchased the shares of Sélection.

Today, Dario Montoni can say “mission accomplished”. Leasing is going well, including in the 420,000 sq. ft. office tower²90% leased by prestigious tenants such as Deloitte, Intact/Bélair Direct and others.

No small feat, considering that the availability rate of Laval offices stood at 23% at the end of 2023, according to the most recent Avison Young study.