Technology park

Technology park : Once upon a time, there was a humungous vacant lot measuring some thirty million square feet. Barren land, as can be seen in the above photo. Municipal representatives from Ville-Saint-Laurent envisioned a project that would develop the area into a prosperous science park by harnessing the economic dynamism of the technology companies that were proliferating along the Trans-Canada Highway and in Montreal's West Island. When the President-Executive Director was hired to develop the site in 1996, replacing the team that had been in place for several years - only one project existed: namely, the imminent construction of AstraZeneca's facilities.
It goes without saying that the roundabout didn't exist, nor the wide lanes of the Alfred-Nobel Boulevard. Barely two country streets enabled traffic to circulate in the Technoparc. The viaduct at the entrance to the park was yet to materialize, as was the case with the traffic signs. Access to the site was not an easy matter.
Lo and behold! It was vital that the technology park promptly grab the attention of a first occupant, find the necessary funding, launch the project, because after all, the streets and infrastructures would only be built, as the project would develop. The technology park’s small administrative team was temporarily housed in offices made available by Ville-Saint-Laurent, and whose windows in the conference room opened onto a schoolyard! But how could one interest a first client? How could one possibly convey the prospective vision of a park, when there weren't any photos of buildings to show, no plans, no aerial map of the site, no offices or buildings that one might visit?
Architects rolled up their sleeves and went to work. Engineers worked on a "Base Building". Research was conducted on the construction of laboratories, standards to be met, the quality of the equipment, the ventilation systems, etc. Customers were then approached. And thanks to the audacity of our first occupants, the project got underway in the first block, Block A, with MethylGene and Neurochem who would share the ground floor and first storey. In October 1996, the groundbreaking ceremony took place launching this bold construction project. The air was bursting with joy and self-confidence, sturdy, despite the cynicism of certain journalists who reported on the evening TV news that: This technology park was but a vast empty field that would never fill up.
The Technoparc development project had truly gotten underway. With AstraZeneca's facilities taking shape on their site and with the construction of Block A whose premises would be occupied the following spring, the vision of a research park was finally starting to materialize.
Over time, the technology park would welcome a large number of companies, whose arrival in the park was as follows:
Astra-Zeneca, MethylGene, Neurochem, Thales, ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc, Nortel Networks, Emerson, Agilent, Theratechnologies, ID Biomedical, Mindready, Aimco, Bio-Inova, Exfo Protocol, Ecopia, Caprion, Celmed, Osprey, Targanta Therapeutics, Bioxalis, Mecachrome, Noranda, Shire, Painceptor, Bombardier, EMS Technologies, Flextronics and Amdocs.
In the next issue: "What is it that makes the Technoparc Saint-Laurent stand out as a choice site, an address of prestige"?