Apple Store in Downtown Montréal Reportedly Moving to 125-Year-Old Heritage Building

[thomsonr]

If you're visiting this existing store be aware there are no public washrooms. Ask the security guard nicely though and he will probably let you in the bathroom they have out back.

 

[DailySlow]

Good move. Ste. Catherine’s Street is unique.

 

[Boing123]

Still not very well located. It's too far to the west. Would be nice more central near McGill College and near Eaton Centre.

Students shouldn’t be lazy!

 

[Reason077]

Does Apple own or lease these stores in historic buildings?

Can't say for sure about Montreal, but in the UK they are typically leased. Apple carried out the renovations but presumably has some kind of deal with the owners to share the renovation costs.

The London Regent Street store (in fact, most of Regent Street) is owned by the Crown Estate [1], and the Covent Garden store by Shaftesbury Capital [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Estate
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaftesbury_Capital

 

[Reason077]

The City of Montreal has destroyed downtown shopping. St. Catherine St is nothing like it was 50 years ago.

Montreal's downtown has fared much better than many other North American cities in the past 50 years.

 

[svish]

Good to know. Seems like a nice location.

 

[bodhisattva]

Yes, tipster who sent in the La Presse article.

Well in that case.... thanks Kevin! Great article.

 

[Blackstick]

If you're visiting this existing store be aware there are no public washrooms. Ask the security guard nicely though and he will probably let you in the bathroom they have out back.

Like, in the back alley? 😆

 

[acorntoy]

This is sad... a soulless corporate entity taking over a beautiful building only to ram a bunch of brand cheerleaders gawking over shiny iphones like sheep just to fill the pockets of a THREE TRILLION DOLLAR COMPANY.

Ugh.

Apple actually does amazing jobs restoring these historic buildings (and often has to agree to restore them to original spec to get the lease in these historic locations). The tower theatre was struggling for years before being restored. For all the things Apple throws/burns its endless money at (Looking at you Apple Tv) the restoration of these buildings is actually a worthy cause (imo). Even if Apple magically goes bankrupt the historic buildings will be in much better shape and actually usable rather than if they had not been leased- which is why these cities in many cases give them the lease.
This store could've/would've been demolished and become an basic building housing American Eagle or something similar to compete with the mass fashion stores like Urban Outfitters and Nike directly around it, but it was leased by Apple and restored as a historical building.

Ugh.

Downtown L.A.’s First Talkie Theater Becomes a Spectacular Apple Store, and Preservationists Are Talking It Up

The 94-old Tower Theatre in L.A., dark for 33 years, has been renovated into an Apple Store, and preservationists are cheering the redesign.

variety.com

 

[acorntoy]

Like, in the back alley? 😆