Montreal merchants say Royalmount mega-mall could hurt downtown's vitality

An enormous shopping complex planned forthe Town of Mount Royal will hurt businesses in Montreal and sap its cultural vitality, a city hallplanning committee heard Wednesday.

The controversial development project, known asRoyalmount, is slated to open in 2022.

Wednesday's hearings beforeMontreal'scommittee on economic, urban and housing development was the first opportunity for many stakeholder to express their views on the project.

CarolineTessier, who represents16,000 Montreal merchants, said commercial vacancy rates are already high in the city; Royalmount will compound that problem.

"We think it's a little bit too much for a city which, right now, has issues about its economic development," saidTessier, who headsMontreal's association of commercial development (ASDCM).

Construction has already begun on the $1.7-billion mega-mall, which is being built in TMR's industrial sector at the junction of Highways 15 and 40.

It will span an area larger than 40 football fields, with enough space for 200 merchants.

'We need to attract people'

The ASDCM suggested Montreal offer financial compensation to store owners onmajor commercial arteriesincluding St-Denis and Ste-Catherine streets and Mont-Royal Avenuein order to offset lost sales caused byRoyalmount.

The money would go toward developing new economic projects, such as the Mural Festival on St-Laurent Boulevard, Tessier said.

"What we can do is make big projects, plan ahead and revitalize our streets andthe consumer experience," Tessier said.

"We need to attract people in Montreal where the history and the authenticity of Montreal is."

Representatives of the downtown cultural industry are also concerned about the impact of the mega-mall, whose design includestwo concert halls.

"It's better to have fewer halls that are full, than many halls that are half empty," saidJacquesPrimeau, speaking for the Quartierdesspectacles.

"If Royalmountattracts1.5 million spectators, that would potentially be a catastrophe for the halls in the Quartierdesspectacles, and the metropolitan area."