The former premises of the legendary Archambault store on rue Berri could come back to life in 2024. The duty has learned that the company Empire Sports, which sells clothing and items related to skateboarding and snowboarding, is seriously considering relocating its downtown Montreal store there.
Founded in 1999, the company currently operates around ten points of sale and an online store. Its Montreal store, located on Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, is currently closed.
The owner of Empire, Philippe Grisé, told the Duty be waiting for a permit to carry out work on this premises, but he specifies that the lease has still not been signed. Archambault’s former premises are among three locations being considered for his Montreal store, which he hopes to open next fall or winter. The Alfid Group, which manages the building, for its part indicated that it was the ground floor which found a buyer, the second floor still being available.
The oldest store of the Archambault Group, located since 1930 at the corner of Sainte-Catherine Est and Berri streets, closed its doors in June 2023. The premises have therefore been unoccupied for almost a year.
This newcomer could breathe a little life into a devitalized sector, where homelessness is omnipresent. Archambault had blamed construction sites and “the evolution of the urban fabric” to justify his departure.
Hope for the neighborhood
The general director of the Village’s Commercial Development Company (SDC), Gabrielle Rondy, welcomed the possible commercial occupation of these large premises located at the entrance to the district. Archambault’s high-profile departure harmed the Village’s image, she admits. Furthermore, sports and outdoor stores are of interest to residents and visitors to the area, according to a study carried out by the organization in December regarding its economic development potential.
Ms. Rondy believes that now is the right time to invest in the neighborhood. She emphasizes that a real estate project of 176 housing units should see the light of day in the coming years right next to the building in question. “The more diversified businesses we have, the more we will be able to meet the needs of people who currently live in the Village, but also who are coming,” says the representative of this local business group.
The Village remains a destination very visited by tourists, she adds, in addition to being located near metro stations, the Jacques-Cartier bridge and the Ville-Marie highway.
“There is also all the work that UQAM is doing with the new vice-rector for the revival of the Latin Quarter. This store is a stone’s throw from students, who are a really valuable customer base,” she said.