March 4, 2026May 28, 2026

Armoyan Group's Montreal office-to-res conversion a 'worthy' project

It may not be a big breadwinner, but the most prominent office-to-residential conversion in downtown Montreal was worth the investment, says George Armoyan Jr., developer of the 211-unit Le Samuel

Danny Kucharsky • Business Writer

A major redevelopment project in downtown Montreal is transforming a former office tower into residential housing, highlighting the growing potential of office-to-apartment conversions in the city.

The property, the former Standard Life office tower was acquired by NexArm Investments, a company controlled by the Armoyan family. The plan is to convert the 21-storey building into rental apartments, giving new purpose to a long-standing downtown office property.

Originally built in 1961, the tower served as the Canadian headquarters for Standard Life for decades before becoming largely vacant in recent years.

Developers believe the structure is well suited for residential conversion thanks to its large windows and efficient floor layout, which allow for bright apartment units and flexible interior design.

The redevelopment aims to keep the building’s existing exterior largely intact while focusing on interior renovations. This approach can speed up construction compared with demolishing the building and starting from scratch.

Une fois complété, le projet devrait ajouter des centaines de nouveaux logements locatifs au centre-ville de MontréalOnce complete, the project is expected to create hundreds of new rental homes in Montreal’s downtown core, reflecting a growing trend of repurposing underused office buildings to meet housing demand.