Fairview Pointe-Claire, located at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Saint-Jean Boulevard, was inaugurated in 1965. When it first opened it was actually a single level mall except for Simpsons, Eaton’s and Pascal’s which had two floors at the time, and some may remember other stores like Ogilvy’s and Woolworth’s. It was also was the first enclosed shopping mall in the West Island. The mall has undergone several changes over the years – and is now about to undergo a major transformation.
Last December, real estate giant Cadillac Fairview and partner Ivanhoe Cambridge revealed their plans for a $30-million renovation of Fairview Pointe Claire that should be completed sometime in 2020. Not only will the mall be upgraded, they are also working on a plan that will see the area transformed with another $60 million project. They acquired a 50-acre site just to the west of the mall several years ago and want to develop it into an area that would include over four million square feet of office spaces, residential units – including town houses and condos as well as entertainment centers and restaurants. It is expected to take at least 10 years to complete.
The interior of the mall will see popular fashion retailer Simons take over the second and third floors of the space Sears occupied but was closed in December of 2017. The ground floor will be converted to a new food court and the old food court will be torn down and see new retail stores take over the area. The interior of the shopping mall will be upgraded with a sleek, more modern look with new lighting, floors, balustrades and exterior entrances.
There will also be the new REM light-rail system, with a station located along Fairview Avenue, just next to the mall. Work on the station began last autumn with a 3,000-square-metre forested area near the corner of Highway 40 being cut down. A cry went up by some West Island residents at the time, who were upset after seeing the devastation of the green area and the impact it would have on the quality of life for residents living nearby. A representative from the Caisse de Depot who is building the REM said they needed the area to build the foundation as it had to be grounded into the rock below. It is not the only area seeing greenery cut down as close to 200,000 square meters is being cut for the system around the island. Nonetheless, between the Fairview projects and the REM, big change is coming to the area and hopefully the future will be bright.
