Commercial arteries in downtown Quebec: SDCs minimize vacant premises statistics

Vacant premises in downtown Quebec are not as numerous as the figures shared by the mayor on Monday suggest, temper the SDC, who nevertheless say they are eager to know his action plan to strengthen the vitality of commercial streets .

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Figures shared by Bruno Marchand on Monday showed a vacancy rate of 21.9% in Old Quebec and Saint-Sauveur. They date from January 2024 and are sent to the City with the aim of collecting contributions from members of commercial development companies (SDC) and not to draw up a portrait of commercial vitality, specifies the general director of the SDC of Vieux-Québec , Xavier Bernier-Prévost.

They also include small office spaces on the second floor. “There are a lot of small vacant offices in Old Quebec. But if we just talk about the ground floors, we have a vacancy rate which is acceptable, around 10%.” Thus, he illustrates, throughout the district, there are 60 vacant offices, compared to 27 commercial premises at street level. The situation has also improved since the pandemic, he says.

Mr. Bernier-Prévost notes that it is harder for the retail trade. “On this, the mayor is right: it is difficult everywhere in the city and in all cities in North America.” Online shopping, teleworking and the exodus of residents are hurting. “Old Quebec has become depopulated in the last 30 to 40 years.”

High taxes

High taxes are also a burden for traders, he emphasizes. “In terms of pressure on traders, on permits and taxes, we must find a solution.”

In Saint-Sauveur, the vacancy rate of 21.9% is also misleading since there is a lot of turnover on the main artery, Saint-Vallier, testifies the general director of the SDC Quartier Saint-Sauveur, Nadia Reghai Gagnon. After the departure of big players like Griendel and Pied bleu, for example, the premises are already occupied again or in the process of being occupied.

“What I find encouraging is that nature does not like emptiness in Saint-Sauveur. Without having to wait months, we find a new player.” According to her, the district is at the beginning of its expansion.

Works in Saint-Vallier

The work on Saint-Vallier is a hard time to go through, but the merchants have hope for better days, she assures. “It’s a neighborhood that will explode in 2026, which will be in line with what we see on climate resilience, with widened sidewalks and greening. It will become a model of urban life. For the moment, we are in enough work to feel it and it is very hard. At the same time, we are far enough along in the project to say that it will be very beautiful.”

The two SDCs are eager to know the action plan prepared by the Marchand administration to increase the vitality of the arteries and which must be presented in the coming weeks. In the meantime, they appreciate the aid for entertainment, flaunting, events and lighting, and would like to see it improved.

“I want a global trade plan for Quebec. I can’t wait to see it,” says Xavier Bernier-Prévost.