As shoppers flock to Montreal’s newest megamall, traffic and housing concerns remain
Global News
Royalmount welcomed throngs of shoppers and curious visitors, but questions swirl about even more traffic in the area and a lack of housing at the site.
Montreal’s newest megamall has finally opened its doors to the public, much to the delight of the throngs of shoppers and curious visitors, but concerns remain about even more traffic in the area and a lack of housing at the site.
Stephanie Jance was among the first of those who came to the opening day of Royalmount on Thursday. In the past few weeks, she had seen the final touches put on the sprawling centre, which sits at the corner of highways 15 and 40.
“We’re happy now to see it,” Jance said. “I live across (from it), so it will be very practical for me as a new mom.”
Royalmount boasts enough space for 170 stores, including more than 60 restaurants and coffee shops, as part of its first phase. The centre spans over 824,000 square feet and is decked out with more than 60 pieces of art in the form of murals, sculptures and photos. It also has an outdoor space.
Andrew Lufty, the CEO of developer Carbonleo and lead investor of Royalmount, described it as “one of the most exciting places to visit in Montreal for all generations” in a statement ahead of opening day.
For now, visitors have access to a retail section that has more than 50 stores in operation, with the rest expected to open in the next 10 months. Royalmount is a mix of luxury brands, such as Versace and Louis Vuitton, and more affordable options like Dynamite.
The shopping mall section is just the first step of what could be as many as 20 developments on the site. When developer Carbonleo presented its plans to city officials in 2018, the vision included hotels, office buildings, an aquarium and housing.
The developer’s original plan of building 6,000 housing units was then reduced to a proposed 4,500 units. But so far, the Town of Mount Royal has yet to sign off on the residential section of the project — a major sticking point for the centre city.
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