Redevelopment of Gare Viger - First phase nearing completion as Lightspeed and Brasseur de Montréal take up residence

MONTREAL, May 4, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Jesta Group is proud to welcome Lightspeed and Brasseur de Montréal as the inaugural occupants of its newly renovated and multifunctional office, residential and retail facilities at Gare Viger.

The Group has substantially redeveloped and invested in this commercial real estate hub in Old Montreal. In total, more than 130,000 square feet of retail and office space were renovated as part of Phase 1 project work, representing an investment of $20 million for the Jesta Group.

The historic Gare Viger welcomes two leading Montreal-based companies to its premises. One of its inaugural occupants, Lightspeed, offers point-of-sale software solutions to over 22,000 businesses in 100 countries worldwide. Through use of the company's innovative technology, merchants and restaurateurs are able to manage and grow their businesses while offering improved shopping experiences to their customers. Lightspeed will occupy the top four floors of the former Château Viger, an area of over 35,000 square feet. The company was founded by Dax Dasilva in 2005, and employs over 190 people at its Montreal headquarters.

The second inaugural occupant is microbrewer Brasseur de Montréal (BdM). BdM will open its third restaurant and bar on the ground floor of the Gare Berri building this week, an area of 5,000 square feet that will soon include a large outdoor terrace. The resto-bar will provide local residents and workers with top quality choice for food and beverage in picturesque Old Montreal. Twenty craft beers brewed in Griffintown will be on offer, as well as a varied menu at an excellent price. The opening of the resto-bar will also contribute to the local economy via the creation of employment opportunities.

"It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome these two tenants. These progressive companies symbolize what the Gare Viger project is all about – they are home-grown companies that are leaders in their industry. They strive for excellence and anticipate strong growth over the coming years. We are proud and pleased to offer them a progressive live-work-play environment to achieve this" said Anthony O'Brien, Senior Managing Director for North America at the Jesta Group.

Lightspeed and Brasseur de Montréal join the Jesta Group and Jesta I.S. who are already installed on site in the Gare Berri building. These four companies together account for more than 350 workers in a revitalized and growing district.

In addition and as announced a few months ago, Coalision will move its headquarters to the Château Viger. The company, which owns the women's yoga and activewear brand Lolë, will occupy over 30,000 square feet of our redeveloped facilities. The move is scheduled for fall 2015.

In May 2014, the Jesta Group announced the launch of the first phase of the Gare Viger project, a major redevelopment representing total investments of $250 million. Located on the site of the historic Gare Viger, the initial stages foresee the renovation of the Château Viger and Gare Berri complexes into commercial and office space.

About Gare Viger and the Jesta Group
Gare Viger is a mixed-use development real estate project of more than one million square feet developed by the Jesta Group. The latter is a Montreal based company with a real estate portfolio including commercial, residential and hotel properties in Europe and North America. For more information, please visit: www.gareviger.com or www.jesta.com  

SOURCE Groupe Jesta

Chad Jeudy-Hugo, [phone], ext. 4224, [email protected]