There’s nothing inherently special about a downtown building with Starbucks, Quiznos Subs and Zyng Noodlery on its ground floor. In fact, that’s exactly the kind of generic chainscape we’d probably do best to avoid. But look beyond the surface and you’ll see something interesting: a once-hostile steetscape that has been opened up thanks to a simple and profitable renovation.
Until 2006, Le Chatel, a 30-storey apartment tower built in 1967, met the corner of Guy and de Maisonneuve with cold indifference: its ground floor consisted of barren planters and a blank concrete wall. It made no sense in one of the busiest parts of downtown, right across from Guy metro and in the midst of the Concordia campus. After the building was sold to a new owner, though, the ground floor was carved into three retail spaces, and the planter was converted into a large terrace.
Say what you will about Starbucks, but plenty of people love it, and the location that opened in Le Chatel is no different. It generates a lot of pedestrian traffic, complimenting the activity generated by the metro entrance, school buildings and other high-traffic retail outlets nearby, many of which are open 24 hours. Whenever I walk by in the warm months, the terrace is full of people. Instead of acting as a dead space on a busy corner, Le Chatel contributes to Guy and de Maisonneuve’s constant animation.
This is the kind of transformation that needs to take place in other parts of Montreal where big buildings, usually built in the 1960s and 70s, meet the street with blank walls.
13 comments
I was delighted when I noticed that change and while I don’t love Starbucks, something needed to happen there. There are a few very dull concrete towers in that area so all the more reason to decorate at street level.
I love Starbucks — even though I drink Santropol coffee at home — if only for the fact that they have displaced all the really bad, dirty cafés that used to exist in this town. They’re clean, safe, friendly, and I’m addicted to venti iced Americanos now.
I’m really glad that this streetcorner has sprung to life and the terrace is a great addition. Once the John Molson building and the refurbishment of Norman Bethune Park are completed, I hope we have a real lively public space, and not a pigeon-specked traffic island…the more terraces and storefronts that face DeMaisonneuve, the better.
On that note, further east just past de la Montagne, where the new luxury condo towers have arisen, the street has a definite upscale quality, with several luxury goods boutiques, a high-end kitchen store and a very swanky new seafood restaurant called Pois Penché. It sounds ripe for a photoshoot, Chris :)
I used to live across from that building, and could say that it was not a blank concrete wall that fronted the street but windows that looked into L’Oreal’s test salon. The new businesses are for sure a plus to the area, but three very large trees were cut down to make that space for the terrasse. They provided much-needed shade on the sidewalk in an area where there are hardly any trees (mainly to the east). The funny thing is that those terrasses have many shade-umbrellas! Couldn’t a compromise have been made where one tree was left standing to not only create an interesting terrasse but also provide the shade that people need?
Jon, it looks like you’re right. But the row of tinted windows (with blinds, no less) might as well have been a concrete wall for all they did to engage the street.
This area reminds me so much of the Upper West Side of Manhattan around columbus Circle- also strewn with non-descript, hostile apartment buildings built in the same period. It is defined by its pedestrian life supported by the retail outlets and restaurants. This example of reinvention at Le Chatel is exactly what Montreal needs in a lot of places so, I could not agree with you more. It usually takes property owners with a little vision and sense of urbanism to get it done.
Forgot about the trees and you do make an excellent point! I would like to think that it would be harder to cut down a tree on such a street beyond a technicality like getting a permit.
I have to say that the area west of Guy is one of the saddest parts. Despite having both “density” and “diversity” (both positive things as per Jane Jacobs), it fails to impress because most buildings are so damn ugly. Take the buildings on the narrow block of Lincoln Ave between Guy and St-Mathieu. Who in their right mind would build THAT?
There are only a few exceptions worth mentioning – the stately Haddon Hall
http://www.montrealbits.com/apartments/haddon_hall_apartments.html
some houses on rue Fort
http://www.montrealbits.com/photos/rue_fort_1.html
and some apartment buildings on Rue St-Marc
http://www.montrealbits.com/photos/claridge_1.html
Ok, there are a few interesting buildings on Ave Lincoln (even on Maisonneuve) as well, but they seem very much neglected.
The rest of the area? Damn UGLY! The worst thing, once one of those rental monstrosities goes up, nothing can be done any more.
The highrises apartments give the area a density that is unique in Montreal. I actually like it a lot, but I agree that many of the concrete apartment blocks are hideous. Personally, I think their ugliness should be embraced and they should be painted in bright colours Brazil-style.
Chris,
Like I said, I am totally in agreement with you on density. It is unique in Montreal and I appreciate that (as well as a curious mix of students and immigrants that populate the area).
I just think that it’s utterly depressing to live in those concrete boxes – in fact, I’ve visited a few and they’re not pretty inside either (btw, good idea on coloring them!)
It should be utterly illegal to cut down a tree, especially a mature tree, in a city centre for business reasons. Businesses should have to work with existing trees. On the street where I used to live (Alma) a promoter got a permit to cut down a couple of mature trees to build an entrance to underground parking he was putting in a new block of flats. A double-pollution whammy!
I hate Starbucks – overpriced, bad-quality coffee and an obscene quantity of sugar and fat in their “coffee drinks”. But then, I live in la Petite Italie… Agree on the benefit of ground-floor businesses rather than blank walls, but can nothing be done to encourage independent businesses rather than huge chains?
The concrete walls are a huge scar. I understand that sides have to be windowless in order to allow for buildings on neighboring lots, but this is usually confined to the lowest 4-10 floors. The fact that these concrete side walls climb up to 30 floors on some buildings is an absolute oddity.
Another problem is that they are all the same in terms of height and proportions. It’d be nice to see a few new, better designed towers sprinkled in the midst to help alleviate this ugliness.
lagatta – i am with you on Starbucks. I just don’t get it. Why can’t a decent café be successful in that area? I think Concordia students would love a stylish, comfortable place with good coffee, so why are all the crap places on Guy?
BTW, only a year ago the situation was somewhat similar around University/Sherbrooke – one crappy Tim Horton’s and that was it. One year later, we have the Java U (which is at the very least marginally better than either TH or Starbucks) and Art Java (which is a lot better, but somewhat pricey). The block is certainly more lively now that it’s encircled by 3 cafés.
I’ve heard rumours that two good cafés (possibly third-wave coffee houses, like Art Java) are looking for space downtown. Concordia or at least the area around de Maisonneuve/Stanley would be a natural choice of location.