Today, at the official launch of the Saint-Denis Street recovery plan, the Société de développement commercial (SDC) rue Saint-Denis, its merchants, the City of Montreal and the borough of Plateau-Mont-Royal unveiled the first activities of the Saint-Denis Street recovery plan and the new promotional campaign for the commercial artery:" A small revolution for a big street - Saint-Denis has a date with you this summer!"
In the summer of 2019, the borough of Plateau-Mont-Royal and the City of Montreal launched consultations to outline a future recovery plan to help revitalize Saint-Denis Street, which is located in the heart of one of the most densely populated boroughs in Montreal.
A recovery plan planned out in concert with our partners
The $1.2 million recovery plan budget is divided into five envelopes, namely the artery's influence and attractiveness, events and animation, structuring projects, which include street furniture, greening and works of art, support for merchants to develop their business model and their commercial offer, as well as an envelope dedicated to successful businesses.
This plan, which begins today, will continue over the next few years in partnership with the SDC Saint-Denis Street, PME MTL Downtown, the borough of Plateau-Mont-Royal and the City of Montreal.
"Today, we are celebrating Saint-Denis Street, its revival, its dynamism and its newfound vitality. For too long, the merchants of this mythical Montreal thoroughfare have been neglected. We are proud to have been able to turn things around. In the spring of 2019, a complete action plan for the revival of Saint-Denis Street was presented in order to give it a new impetus. In order to bring this artery back to life, we had to think outside the box. And it paid off. Today, Saint-Denis is once again a vibrant, dynamic and inviting street. Montreal is in the midst of a revival, and so too is Saint-Denis Street. I invite Montrealers to come and take advantage of all that it has to offer and to encourage its many merchants," said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
"Saint-Denis Street has an important place in the history of Montreal and the Plateau-Mont-Royal. The status quo that prevailed there for years had greatly affected its vitality, but that is now a thing of the past. The development of the Réseau Express Vélo (REV), the addition of mid-block crossings, the improvement of green spaces, the calming of traffic, all contributed to making Saint-Denis Street a friendly commercial artery. The implementation of its revitalization plan will make it even more dynamic and improve the experience. We believe in this street and we want to give it every opportunity to succeed. I would like to thank the Société de développement commercial rue Saint-Denis, the merchants and my colleagues from the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough for their openness, their dedication and their ideas. Today, Saint-Denis Street is reborn," added Luc Rabouin, Mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal and responsible for economic and commercial development on the Executive Committee.
A new DNA on Saint-Denis
For a long time, Saint-Denis Street has been a must-see street in Montreal and has an important history. The arrival of the Réseau Express Vélo (REV) offers a unique opportunity for the recovery of this emblematic commercial artery of Quebec.
"Saint-Denis Street is a destination that benefits from an important reputation throughout Quebec despite the fact that the last few years have been difficult for many merchants. It's time to turn the page and move on," said Jean-François Gagnon, president of the board of directors of the SDC Saint-Denis Street and independent pharmacist of Pharmacie Jean-François Gagnon. "With the arrival of the REV and the other revitalization measures undertaken, we have this opportunity to help you discover the new DNA of Saint-Denis, one that offers a unique destination experience, composed of its welcoming living environment, its heritage buildings, its many cultural assets, its commercial mix and a range of accessibility and mobility options for all.
A first event to discover the gastronomy of Saint-Denis starts with the Week-Ends Gourmands
The SDC Saint-Denis Street, in collaboration with its restaurant owners (bar, café and food), are proud to invite you to discover or rediscover the gastronomy of Saint-Denis during the Week-Ends Gourmands which will take place once a month until September. The first of the series of four will be held on Saturday.
In addition, there will be other events, art installations, landscape art and a lighting installation that will be announced throughout the implementation of the Saint-Denis Street Revitalization Plan. We invite you to stay tuned and follow us on the SDC Saint-Denis Street Facebook page.
"Saint-Denis Street is so beautiful. It is beautiful for its heart due to its many merchants and residents who live there, it is beautiful for its history and its built heritage, it is beautiful for its energy and its mix of tradition and modernity. So from now on, we invite all Montrealers to come and visit us during the various events such as the Week-Ends Gourmands or to simply push open the doors to discover its many shops, or to stroll down the street to enjoy the beautiful ambience" declared Ms. Kriss Naveteur, Executive Director of the SDC rue St-Denis.
