Place Montreal Trust
 | |
| Location |
1500, avenue McGill College Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 3J5 |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 1988 |
| Management | Ivanhoé Cambridge |
| Owner | Ivanhoé Cambridge |
| No. of floors | 5 |
| Website | www.placemontrealtrust.com |
Place Montreal Trust is a shopping mall in Downtown Montreal, located west of the Eaton Centre, at the corner of Saint Catherine Street and McGill College Avenue. With over 320,000 square feet (29,729 m2) of stores and services, Place Montreal Trust attracts 14 million visitors each year. Its indoor water fountain has the highest water spout in North America at 30 meters in height.[1] Place Montreal Trust is linked to the Underground City of Montreal.
The Bell Media Tower is part of the Place Montreal Trust complex.
Anchors
History
Place Montreal Trust was originally proposed to house a concert hall, in the mall's mezzanine and basement level. However, this design called for an office tower that would partially obstruct the view of Mount Royal from McGill College Street. The plan encountered public opposition, including from architectural activist Phyllis Lambert, a member of the board of directors of Cadillac Fairview, who participated in protests against her own company's plan. This idea of a concert hall on McGill College was abandoned in favour of a design for Place Montreal Trust with a wider setback, as part of a redesign of McGill College Street as a widened scenic avenue.[2]
The shopping mall of Place Montreal Trust was opened by Cadillac Fairview in 1988. At the time, Cadillac Fairview dubbed the mall as one its five (self-titled) "fashion centres" that also included Promenades Saint-Bruno, Fairview Pointe-Claire, Carrefour Laval and Galeries d'Anjou. Cadillac Fairview still use the "fashion centre" branding to this day, but not on Place Montreal Trust as it no longer owns the mall.
Ivanhoe Inc assumed the management of the shopping mall in August 1995, while Cadillac Fairview continued to manage the office building.
On July 7, 1999, Ivanhoe acquired 100% of Place Montreal Trust as part of a 20 million dollar package intended to position Place Montreal Trust a major player in the Downtown Montreal revitalization plan.
Place Montreal Trust is the only shopping centre in Downtown Montreal with five major retailers under its roof, including Zara, Indigo Books and Music, Winners, DeSerres and Mexx. Recently, a new investment of 15 million dollars enabled the complete renovation of the food court and the first level of the shopping centre.
In 1998, Place Montreal Trust was home to Montreal's Planet Hollywood restaurant. The restaurant did brisk business for the first year, but closed two years later. The entrance to the restaurant was on the North/West corner of the Ste. Catherine Street as well as the third floor of the mall. It has since been converted back to retail space.
Atrium and fountain
Place Montreal Trust's atrium allows maximum use of natural light and features a large indoor water fountain. Its 30-metre water spout is the highest in North America. During the holiday season, a giant illuminated Christmas tree filled with animated storybook characters stands just as tall. The mall spreads out over 320,000 square feet (29,729 m2) and attracts 14 million visitors a year.
References
- ↑ "Place Montreal Trust - About Us". Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ↑ Kolber, Leo; L. Ian MacDonald (2003). Leo, a life. Montreal, Que.: McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 163–164. ISBN 978-0-7735-2634-1. Retrieved 5 January 2012.