Centre 2000

Centre 2000 was an indoor shopping mall on boulevard Saint-Martin in the Chomedey district of Laval, Quebec. It opened in 1973 under the name Centre 2000: Hypermarché and was presented as the first hypermarket in North America. Rather than beginning as a conventional enclosed mall with several similarly sized tenants, the project was organized around a very large central hypermarket. That store occupied more than 80 percent of the complex's floor area, while the remaining portion contained smaller boutiques and pedestrian routes leading toward the parking lot. The original hypermarket combined groceries with a broad selection of general merchandise. Its warehouse-style shelving was placed directly in the shopping area, creating a format that resembled the later big-box warehouse model. The store reportedly operated with 49 checkout counters, an unusually large number that reflected the scale of the concept and its emphasis on high-volume shopping. The Centre 2000 name therefore referred not only to a physical mall but also to an experiment in large-format retailing. In 1976, the original hypermarket was divided into two operations: a Towers store, later associated with the Bonimart name, and a Food City grocery store. The rest of the complex was also divided among separate retailers. By 1977, Centre 2000 had approximately 60 stores. Its tenant and entertainment mix included a Cineplex-Odeon cinema, Pinocchio's arcade, and later retail anchors such as Zellers and Maxi, which occupied parts of the former hypermarket space. The parking lot used animal pictograms on its lamp posts as a wayfinding feature. The property declined toward the end of the twentieth century. By the end of the 1990s it was reportedly completely vacant and subsequently closed. The mall was demolished between 2000 and 2001, although a nearby detached Leon's furniture store was not part of the demolition and was substantially renovated. In early 2011, the remaining parking lot and foundation were removed. The site was subsequently incorporated into the Centropolis development in Laval. In 2012, much of the former Centre 2000 property was used for a Walmart Supercentre relocated from the nearby Centre Laval mall. Centre 2000 is therefore remembered both as a short-lived shopping destination and as an early North American example of the large-format hypermarket model.

Centre 2000 opened in 1973 on boulevard Saint-Martin in Laval's Chomedey district. It was conceived as an indoor shopping mall but differed from the standard enclosed-mall pattern because one hypermarket occupied more than 80 percent of the floor area. The project was called Centre 2000: Hypermarché and was described as the first hypermarket in North America. Its retail proposition combined food and general merchandise, with warehouse shelving exposed within the customer shopping environment. The store reportedly had 49 checkout counters, emphasizing the scale and throughput expected from the format. The remainder of the original building contained smaller boutiques and walkways connecting the interior to the parking lot. In 1976, the hypermarket was divided into a Towers department-store operation, later associated with Bonimart, and a Food City grocery operation. The rest of the mall was similarly subdivided into separate stores. This restructuring changed Centre 2000 from a single dominant hypermarket experiment into a more conventional multi-tenant shopping centre. By 1977, the property had approximately 60 stores. The mature tenant mix included Zellers and Maxi in portions of the former hypermarket, as well as a Cineplex-Odeon cinema and Pinocchio's arcade. The parking lot used animal illustrations on lamp posts, providing distinctive visual wayfinding. These features made Centre 2000 both a local retail destination and an entertainment venue, although the available historical account does not identify a complete tenant list or the ownership structure of the property. The complex weakened during the late twentieth century. It was completely vacant by the end of the 1990s and then closed. Demolition took place between 2000 and 2001. A detached Leon's furniture store next to the mall was excluded from the demolition, later undergoing extensive renovation and remaining on the site. In early 2011, the remaining Centre 2000 parking lot and foundation were also removed. The former property became part of the Centropolis development in Laval. In 2012, most of the site was used for a Walmart Supercentre, which had relocated from the nearby Centre Laval mall. Centre 2000 is now defunct and no longer operates as a shopping centre. Its historical significance lies principally in its early attempt to apply a hypermarket and warehouse-retail model within an enclosed mall, followed by its transition into a multi-store centre and eventual replacement through redevelopment.

• 2012

  Former site is redeveloped

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  A Walmart Supercentre occupies most of the former property as the area is integrated into the Centropolis redevelopment.

• 2011

  Foundation and parking lot are removed

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  The final substantial physical remnants of Centre 2000 are demolished.

• 2001

  Main mall is demolished

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  The main Centre 2000 structure is demolished between 2000 and 2001, while the detached adjacent Leon's store remains.

• 2000

  Mall closes

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  After becoming vacant by the end of the 1990s, Centre 2000 closes.

• 1977

  Centre reaches approximately 60 stores

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  After subdivision and tenant expansion, the complex has approximately 60 stores and includes major entertainment anchors.

• 1976

  Hypermarket operations are split

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  The original hypermarket is divided into Towers/Bonimart and Food City, while other parts of the mall are converted into separate retail units.

• 1973

  Centre 2000 opens

  [1]Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org

  The Laval indoor shopping complex opens as Centre 2000: Hypermarché, centered on a very large hypermarket combining food and general merchandise.

A large enclosed retail and entertainment complex built around an unusually dominant warehouse-style hypermarket, positioned as a high-volume destination combining groceries, general merchandise, smaller boutiques, and leisure uses.

• Hypermarket · 1973

  Centre 2000: Hypermarché

  The original anchor operation opened in 1973 and combined groceries with general merchandise. It used warehouse-style shelving within the retail floor and reportedly operated 49 checkout counters. The hypermarket occupied more than 80 percent of the mall's total floor area and was the defining feature of Centre 2000's original format.

• Department store · 1976

  Towers/Bonimart

  This department-store operation emerged from the 1976 division of the original hypermarket. It represented the general-merchandise side of the former unified retail operation after Centre 2000 shifted toward a multi-tenant structure.

• Grocery store · 1976

  Food City

  Food City was the grocery component created when the original Centre 2000 hypermarket was divided in 1976. It preserved the food-retailing function of the original concept as the complex was reorganized into separate stores.

• 2000

  Close the vacant shopping centreOther

  Background

  The mall was reportedly completely vacant by the end of the 1990s.

  Action taken

  Centre 2000 was closed and subsequently scheduled for demolition.

  Aftermath

  The main structure was demolished between 2000 and 2001, and the site later entered a broader redevelopment process.

  Source

• 1976

  Split the original hypermarket into separate retail operationsStrategy

  Background

  The original Centre 2000 format was dominated by a single hypermarket occupying most of the mall. The property subsequently moved toward a more conventional multi-store structure.

  Action taken

  The hypermarket was divided into Towers/Bonimart and Food City, and the remaining mall space was subdivided among multiple stores.

  Aftermath

  By 1977, the complex had approximately 60 stores and a broader mix of retail and entertainment tenants.

  Source

1. 1Centre 2000en.wikipedia.org