Ivanho Cambridge to purchase the 50% interest from its partner AIMCo in Place Ville Marie

Ivanho Cambridge to purchase the 50% interest from its partner AIMCo in Place Ville Marie

Canada NewsWire

  • First step in a broad plan for downtown Montreal
  • New investments in the revitalization program for the iconic property
  • Process in final stages to obtain LEED Silver certification

MONTREAL, Aug. 14, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ – Ivanho Cambridge announced today
that it will acquire the 50% interest in Place Ville Marie held by
certain clients of Alberta Investment Management Corp (AIMCo). This
transaction, submitted to the federal Competition Bureau for approval,
is valued at more than $400 million. The Company is also pursuing the
revitalization program of Place Ville Marie by planning new investments
of more than $100M.

This transaction is the first part of Ivanho Cambridge’s ambitious
broad plan to contribute to the dynamism of downtown Montreal. The plan
includes additional major investments within the Company’s real estate
portfolio, the details of which will be revealed during the fall.

“We are very proud to seize this new opportunity; this significant
investment in Montreal will be the anchor of a broad plan we will
implement this fall,” said Daniel Fournier, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, Ivanho Cambridge. “Place Ville Marie is more than
just a building; it is at the real estate core of the city and, more
than ever, the cornerstone of our Montreal property portfolio. It is
Quebec’s premier office address and a symbol of the collective heritage
of Montreal and Quebec.”

Place Ville Marie has its own shopping promenade, five towers and 150
tenants, and is directly linked to the underground metro network, to
the intercity and suburban trains, as well as to the city’s pedestrian
underground network. It is also known around the world for its
cruciform architecture. The flexibility of its space planning options
and numerous windows is highly appreciated by its occupants.

“We are committed to ensuring that Place Ville Marie remains a leader in
Canadian office real estate,” added Mr. Fournier. “Such a large-scale
location right in the middle of downtown is a strategic advantage for
us in this regard.”

The acquisition of AIMCo’s interest is in line with Ivanho Cambridge’s
overall plan for Quebec. The value of the approved investments over the
past 18 months has surpassed the $1 billion mark.

“More than 50 years after it was built, Place Ville Marie still
contributes to the city’s status and reputation as a world-class
business centre,” declared Claude Sirois, Co-Chief Operating Officer
and Executive Vice President, Quebec, Ivanho Cambridge. “We are also
busy working to develop new projects to maintain Place Ville Marie’s
leadership position in the office leasing market of downtown Montreal.

Since its construction, Place Ville Marie has evolved thanks to
technological, energy-related and environmental innovations that have
preserved its status as one of Montreal’s most sought-after buildings.
The modernization and upgrading program, begun a few years ago, should
conclude in early 2014 with a LEED Silver certification.

Did you know?

  • Approximately 365,000 people visit Place Ville Marie’s buildings every
    week and nearly 10,000 people work in the complex located on 14 acres
    of land
  • Trains leaving Central Station pass directly below Place Ville Marie
  • Place Ville Marie has some 317,000 sprinkler heads
  • The roof of Place Ville Marie is just eight metres (26 feet) lower than
    the peak of Mount Royal
  • The flow and height of the jets of the fountain on the building’s
    outdoor esplanade are adjusted according to wind strength
  • The ceiling of the main lobby of 1 Place Ville Marie is 15.40 metres (50
    feet) high.
  • The building has 45 storeys above the ground floor
  • One needs to climb 1,013 stairway steps to reach the top floor of the 1
    Place Ville Marie building.
  • There are 92 access doors to Place Ville Marie
  • There are 261 kilometres of pipework in the complex, equivalent to the
    distance between Montreal and Quebec City
  • Place Ville Marie’s air conditioning system is the equivalent of 800
    residential air-conditioning units.
  • There are 52 elevators and 22 escalators serving the entire complex
  • The complex is lit by over 95,370 bulbs of all types, largely LED
  • Place Ville Marie has 13,054 windows
  • The building has 52 postal codes

About Place Ville Marie
An architectural jewel designed by I.M. Pei (creator of the famous
pyramid at the Louvre) and Henry N. Cobb, the Place Ville Marie complex
stands out with its famous cruciform tower, the highest of its type in
Canada at 188 metres (617 feet). Still very contemporary, Place Ville
Marie has become, as suggested by the visionary spirits who conceived
it in 1962, a “city within a city” and forms the heart of Montreal’s
business centre. The Galerie Place Ville Marie still moves to the beat
of the major trends while creating a warm, dynamic space. Nearly 80
renowned restaurants and shops can be found there. To learn more, visit
placevillemarie.com.

About Ivanho Cambridge
Ivanho Cambridge is a world-class real estate company that leverages
its high-level expertise in all aspects of real estate, including
investment, development, asset management and building operations, to
deliver an optimal return for its investors. Through its multiple
subsidiaries, it holds assets in more than 20 countries valued at over
Cdn$35 billion as at December 31, 2012. Ivanho Cambridge is a real
estate subsidiary of the Caisse de d pôt et placement du Qu bec (lacaisse.com), one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers. For more
information, visit ivanhoecambridge.com.

Fact sheet

Completed and ongoing renovations

Place Ville Marie

For the past decade, significant investments in Place Ville Marie have
been made in maintenance, renovation and technological modernization
projects that have kept the complex among Montreal’s most sought-after
buildings.

A total of about $150 million has been invested in the past 10 years.

Still today, major work is underway to replace electrical transformers
and upgrade electrical systems with the aim of providing our tenants
with better energy efficiency. The complex’s chillers were recently
replaced and the parking facilities and shopping promenade are always
maintained to a level that they show no signs of aging.

Completed work
Addition of new emergency generators and smoke evacuation system
New curtain wall (5 PVM)
Structural repairs and replacement of parking membrane
Replacement of chillers and main HVAC (heating, ventilation and air
conditioning) components

Ongoing work
Revamping of common areas and replacement of fire retardant on the
structure
Upgrade of computerized regulation system and lighting controls
Replacement of the electrical distribution infrastructures
Replacement of lobby curtain walls and doors (1 PVM)

Under consideration
Modernization of elevator controls and cars (1 and 5 PVM)
Building envelope (2/3 PVM)

SOURCE Ivanho Cambridge

Image with caption: “Ivanho Cambridge acquires 50% of Place Ville Marie. (CNW Group/Ivanho Cambridge)”. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130814_C5787_PHOTO_EN_29824.jpg

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