Pandemic or not, Allied Property is continuing the ambitious transformation of the former Bell building in the city center into a working environment in tune with its times.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
“Our goal is to create an environment that will enhance organizations’ ability to attract, motivate and retain the super talented men and women who have propelled their business,” CEO Michael Emory said as he took the floor Thursday noon in front of the Canadian Club of Montreal.
The Toronto-based company, the largest office manager in Montreal with nearly 650,000 m2 under management, invests at least 80 million in the renovation of the tower which was called 700 De la Gauchetière and which is now called 1001 Robert-Bourassa.
“One of the most important aspects of this project is its location in an amenity-rich, mixed-use urban neighborhood,” said the business leader.
Montreal is full of mixed-use, service-rich urban neighborhoods. This is the main reason why it works. We then have to transform the building, but it is the presence in these neighborhoods that is really the basis of success.
Michael Emory, CEO of Allied Property
Allied paid $322.5 million for the asset in 2019. At the time, it was 96% leased, with Hydro-Quebec and National Bank (BN) as major tenants. The BN must leave as soon as its head office is delivered.
Built in 1983 for Bell Canada, the tower has nearly 100,000 m2has a floor area of 3500 m2 and ceiling heights varying from 3 to 4 m. The tower also offers nearly 700 underground parking spaces.
Release natural light
As the first site, Allied tackled the ground floor. “The ground floor, in its original form, repelled people rather than attracted them,” Mr. Emory lamented. Once inside the building, people were drowned in a massive, bland surface and they were drawn into dead ends, which effectively colored their perception negatively even before they got to their workstations, which which is pretty much the worst thing imaginable.
“We have redesigned the ground floor of the building and have now created a large open environment, rich in contrasts and inviting.
“The intention is to facilitate worker arrival, work, breaks, gatherings and departures in a stimulating way. »
The ultimate intention is to enhance occupant engagement, not restrict it. The number of entrances has been reduced, dead ends eliminated and the various assembly areas better defined.
Michael Emory, CEO of Allied Property
The company works in particular with Moment Factory.
Photo Martin Chamberland, La Presse archives
1001 Robert Bourassa
Allied is now attacking floors. “The building’s original working space has been spoiled by low ceilings, heavy partitions, the trapping of natural light and the overlapping of structures. In many ways, the beauty of the base building had been concealed. We have completely redesigned the floor, removing the suspended ceilings, freeing up natural light and exposing a truly magnificent steel structure. »
The pandemic: a hiatus
At a time when the outlook for the office is bleak with an expected upturn in availability in the coming years, Mr. Emory is staying the course like a captain in the storm.
“Our Canadian cities are sustainable primarily because they enrich the lives of human beings in ways no other form of human organization can,” he told his audience. They experienced a hiatus during the pandemic. But they continue to evolve and intensify at an unprecedented rate.
“People are going to continue doing what they were doing before the pandemic rather than fundamentally changing their lifestyle, which shouldn’t come as a big surprise, especially considering history. »