“Shopping by the water’s edge.” That was once the slogan of Le Millénaire. Today that slogan rings hollow. We stand here at Allée du Millénaire. It is a street that leads to a place with a troubled past. Le Millénaire is a French shopping center. It is located in Aubervilliers. Aubervilliers is in Seine-Saint-Denis. It is near Porte d’Aubervilliers in Paris.
Le Millénaire opened in 2011. Its visitor numbers have fallen short of initial targets. It sits between the north-eastern section of the périphérique. It also sits near a branch of the Canal Saint-Denis. A free river shuttle once connected it to Quai de la Charente. The main entrance is on Rue Madeleine-Vionnet. It is near Porte d’Aubervilliers.
The Claude-Bernard footbridge directly connected Le Millénaire to Paris. Another bridge added further connection to the capital. This was the footbridge of the Darse des Magasins Généraux. Icade managed the park. It closed the access gate from Quai du Lot for security reasons.
Jack Ralite initiated the project in 1995. He was the senator-mayor of Aubervilliers. Antoine Grumbach designed it between 1998 and 2004. Bouygues built it. This “commercial district” has 56000 m2 of commercial space. It also has 17000 m2 of office space. It opened on .
The shopping center aimed for a sustainable image. It offered 12000 m2 of green spaces. It also provided 150 bicycle parking rings. The building features 10000 m2 of glass roofs. It includes 140 stores on two levels. There are 10 restaurants. Six of them open onto terraces. TV Cité was planned. It was a museum dedicated to television. This project was eventually abandoned. A 12-screen MK2 complex was also planned. This did not materialize either.
Shops are open 60 hours a week. They are open from Monday to Saturday. Their hours are 10 am to 8 pm. Restaurants are open 91 hours a week. They are open seven days a week. Their hours are 10 am to 11 pm. This includes Sundays. The shopping center employs at least 500 people. Many are young people from nearby neighborhoods.
Le Millénaire covers a catchment area of one million residents. This includes Plaine-Commune. It also includes the northern part of Paris. It lies between Porte de la Villette and Porte de la Chapelle. The shopping center aimed for a unique offering. 35% of its brands were absent from other French malls.
The shopping center faced difficulties in 2011-2012. These were due to accessibility issues. The extensions of metro line 12 and tramway T3 were not yet open. There was also a lack of adaptation to the local population. Two flagship stores left the center. Fnac left in late 2012. Boulanger moved in 2015. It moved to the other side of the périphérique. It relocated to Boulevard Macdonald.
Le Millénaire attempted a revival. It sought authorization for Sunday openings. This was through a prefectural decree. The administrative court invalidated this decision. It repositioned itself. It opened more popular stores like Tati and Burger King. Carrefour was expanded.
In 2019 the shopping center still struggled. It had not achieved its goals. Many units were vacant. Others were underperforming. In 2024 the center’s situation remains precarious. Only about thirty stores are still open. 140 were initially planned.
The shopping center’s turnover was about 4 million in 2015.
MaMaMa set up in Le Millénaire in 2024. This association fights against the precariousness. It helps women and babies.
The RATP bus lines serve Le Millénaire. Metro line 7 stops at Corentin Cariou. Metro line 12 stops at Aimé Césaire. Tramway T3B stops at Porte d’Aubervilliers or Rosa Parks. RER line E stops near Porte d’Aubervilliers at Rosa Parks station.
Today Le Parisien calls it a “ghost mall”. In March 2024 the newspaper described a rapid decline. Many stores have closed. These include McDo Vapiano and Zara. Only 32 of the promised 140 stores remain open. One shop manager said: “It’s Walking Dead!”.
Le Millénaire aimed to be a unique shopping experience. It was to be a blend of avant-gardism and nature. It seems that time has passed it by.