Alexis Nihon Complex

Alexis Nihon Complex (French: Complexe Alexis Nihon) is a 223,000 m2 (2,400,000 sq ft) building complex in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada (on the border with Westmount), consisting of a shopping centre, two office towers, and a residential building. It is named after the inventor and businessman Alexis Nihon. The shopping mall is directly connected to the Atwater metro station, which joins the building by a short tunnel with the adjacent Dawson College, and by a longer one adjoins nearby Westmount Square. The original complex was designed by the Montreal architect Harold Ship,[1] and its architectural plans are housed at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.[2]

Alexis Nihon Complex
Place Alexis Nihon
Location1500, rue Atwater
Montreal, Quebec
H3Z 1X5
Coordinates45°29′20″N 73°35′9″W
Opening date1967
DeveloperAlexis Nihon Group (REIT)
ManagementCominar REIT
OwnerCominar REIT
ArchitectHarold Ship, master concept and plaza design, Dimitri Dimakopoulos, office building design
No. of stores and services100+
No. of anchor tenants6
Total retail floor area37,200 m2 (400,420 sq ft).
No. of floors3
Parking1,100 vehicles
Public transit access at Atwater
Terminus Atwater
WebsiteAlexis Nihon
The Complex's skylight

On October 26, 1986, a major fire heavily damaged its 16-story office building and is still considered the city's biggest fire in a skyscraper. At least six stories were destroyed in the blaze. In 2002, the service de sécurité incendie de Montréal was heavily blamed for negligence and incompetence according to the Cour d'Appel du Québec.[3] The federal government, who was tenant of the building when the fire occurred, sued on August 18, 1988 the then-owner of the building for 585,000$ dollars, accusing them of being negligent and careless in the maintenance of the Alexis Nihon Complex.[4] Two office towers, taller than the originals, have since been added atop the shopping complex at 3400 and 3500 De Maisonneuve Boulevard West.

During the Dawson shooting incident on September 13, 2006, the building was fully evacuated.[5]

On April 5, 2017, a minor fire broke out near the roof of the food court. Minor damage occurred as a result.

The shopping mall portion is anchored by Canadian Tire, IGA, Sports Experts, Winners and Pharmaprix.

The block now containing the mall was once the site of Atwater Park, home of the Montreal Royals baseball team through 1927.

Directions
The residential tower.

Alexis Nihon, at the corner of Atwater Avenue and Ste-Catherine Street West, is accessible:

  • By Metro: Green line, Atwater Station. This station directly connects to Alexis Nihon Plaza.
  • By Bus: Bus lines 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 356 and 360.
  • By Car: A-720/Ville-Marie Expressway, Exit 2 - Atwater Avenue.
  • By Bicycle: Bicycle stations levels P1 and P3 of the parking.
  • By BIXI: BIXI Station De Maisonneuve Boulevard West at the corner of Atwater.
  • By Taxi: Waiting area Atwater Avenue at the corner of de Maisonneuve Boulevard West.

Stores
Exterior of Alexis Nihon Plaza.

The complex is directly connected to the Atwater Metro station and offers numerous services, a variety of shops and superstores, and a food court with over 25 restaurants. From 1982 until 1986, it housed Montreal's an IKEA Store, which due to a lack of space, moved out to a new location.[6] Alexis Nihon also previously housed Miracle Mart (later becoming an M-Store, a three-screen cinema operated by Cineplex Odeon, Zellers and Steinberg's supermarket. When the complex first opened in 1967 the French department store Au Printemps opened it first location outside France.

See also

References
  1. Fitterman, Lisa (22 September 2013). "Architect Harold Ship spent decades making a mark on Montreal". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  2. "Harold Ship Alexis Nihon Plaza and Nuns' Island Master Plan project records". Canadian Centre for Architecture. 15 June 2020.
  3. "Nihon fires holds lessons". Montreal Gazette. Montreal. September 6, 2002. p. B2.
  4. "Nihon sued for $585,000". Montreal Gazette. Montreal. August 19, 1988. p. B16.
  5. "Gunman opens fire in Montreal college, wounding 12, then shoots himself". Gainesville Sun.
  6. "IKEA advertisement page". Montreal Gazette. Montreal. April 19, 1986. p. A9.
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