Winnipeg | Portage and Main

[wags_in_the_peg]

201 Portage and Richardson concourse have had lots improvements and millions dumped into them, all public spaces, opening things up will be all that much better

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I'd like to think that the prospect of increased foot traffic, planned BRT access and some aesthetic upgrades to P & M will give a positive bump to some of the projects in the area. I'm thinking mainly of the decorative elements to the MMF/old Bank of Montreal building, upgrades to the Fairmont, and maybe even progress on 138 Portage Ave.

Yeah, it's wishful thinking. While I'm dreaming I'd love to see the empty lot at 416 Main Street transformed before I'm planted. Twelve years ago there were apparently plans for a hotel on that site. Would the market justify looking at that again?

DISCLAIMER: BELOW IS AN ARTICLE FROM 2013, JUST FOR REFERENCE. It ain't happening as far as I know.

https://winnipegsun.com/2013/06/24/details-of-portage-and-main-tower-emerge

Had no idea this was supposed to be a thing. Would have been awesome.

Btw, I did a little google on 416 Main, here's what was lost for a parking lot. https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/mcintyreblock.shtml

[BuildUpWpg]

Well if Portage and Main is going to live up to being truly iconic, something big has to happen to it. Skywalks aren't enough.

Originally Posted by bodaggin

Just build skywalks and add them to the network.

The skywalk system might be the only smart thing Winnipeg has done from an infrastructure standpoint.

Protects from weather, grade separates traffic, eliminates lights, eliminates accident potential, increases pedestrian capacity. And they don't cost a ton either. Brilliant honestly.

[pegster]

I guess 416 Main would be best used for a building, but if not, it could be used as a plaza or something as part of a revitalized Portage & Main. I often think about Campus Martius in Detroit (a place I've visited numerous times in recent years) and how vibrant a public square that has become, with a restaurant, seating area, skating rink in the winter, etc. That could fit well in that spot.

[WinCitySparky]

Truly kills me when I see buildings like the McIntyre and then discover they were demolished on a careless whim.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

It’s time for a scramble crossing. Portage and Main should be the cities Shibuya or Yonge/Dundas. Not the compete joke it currently is.

Younge/Dundas is one lane in each direction. As extremely low volume intersection. Apples and oranges.

[thurmas]

I wonder what happens to the Winnipeg Square shops for business people? Will they setup a building on Graham and Garry or just not replace them? As people will need a barber, shoe shines and a place to buy a suit or dress.

[bowling_ball]

Originally Posted by thurmas

I wonder what happens to the Winnipeg Square shops for business people? Will they setup a building on Graham and Garry or just not replace them? As people will need a barber, shoe shines and a place to buy a suit or dress.

Commercial vacancy is currently at about 19% in Winnipeg. The businesses from the concourse will either close shop or find a new location, not any different than any other business.

When asking questions like this, it helps to understand that this is not normal, it's actually an anomaly. All you have to do is look at literally any other intersection to see how businesses, vehicles, and pedestrians all get along.

Again, the existing situation is the anomaly, not the other way around. Solutions exist for any question that'll come out of this exercise to correct the abomination that is the closing of P+M.

[michelleb]

Originally Posted by thurmas

I wonder what happens to the Winnipeg Square shops for business people? Will they setup a building on Graham and Garry or just not replace them? As people will need a barber, shoe shines and a place to buy a suit or dress.

None of that is happening now, so not a loss. Also, the basement businesses under the Richardson, 201 Portage, and in Winnipeg Square aren't a part of this. Do people even know what's in the concourse? It's a couple convenience/dollar stores.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by thurmas

I wonder what happens to the Winnipeg Square shops for business people? Will they setup a building on Graham and Garry or just not replace them? As people will need a barber, shoe shines and a place to buy a suit or dress.

theres no barber, shoe shine or clothing stores down there. there lots empty stores and otherwise banks, insurance, dollar stores,and restaurants. it will be tougher / inconvenient to get to some from one building to the next without bundling up in winter

[GEli]

There's a barber (Cutting Station) in the rotunda, but you're right about the rest. The cobbler closed soon after 300 Main forced them to a larger space near the dry cleaner, and the nearest business clothing store would be Eph Apparel on Smith.

[Riverman]

Not sure if I understand this. So the plan is to dig up P&M and fill in the mostly unused concourse, and opening up the street to pedestrians? If that is the case, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

[pegster]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Not sure if I understand this. So the plan is to dig up P&M and fill in the mostly unused concourse, and opening up the street to pedestrians? If that is the case, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Yes, except that the mayor seemed to indicate that the "decommissioning" of the concourse could happen without major traffic disruptions, as opposed to fixing the membrane and saving the concourse, which would require 4-5 years of traffic disruptions at P&M. How this decommissioning is done without digging up the intersection, I have no idea, but that's for the city engineers I guess.

[cheswick]

Mayor wants it open by July 1 2025.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-winnipeg-pedestrian-crossing-1.7136681

[drew]

Originally Posted by pegster

Yes, except that the mayor seemed to indicate that the "decommissioning" of the concourse could happen without major traffic disruptions, as opposed to fixing the membrane and saving the concourse, which would require 4-5 years of traffic disruptions at P&M. How this decommissioning is done without digging up the intersection, I have no idea, but that's for the city engineers I guess.

Winnipeg Square - the gift that keeps on giving.

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by drew

Winnipeg Square - the gift that keeps on giving.

Fill it in and building skywalks. Problem solved.

[drew]

Even just filling it in will be costly and complicated.

FU 1970s city planning.

[pegster]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Mayor wants it open by July 1 2025.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-winnipeg-pedestrian-crossing-1.7136681

And the property and development committee has voted unanimously in support: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breaki...portage-and-main-costs-1m-annually-mayor

It certainly seems like Gillingham has the votes on council.

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by drew

Even just filling it in will be costly and complicated.

FU 1970s city planning.

It'll be waaay more costly to keep it. What's lost is several vacant storefronts and a hair salon and a dollar store. Compensate them for relocation costs and some damages and fill er up. Skywalks make more sense anyways as it keeps all of the indoor paths at the same grade across downtown.

[peg]

They have been very quiet on what will happen to the concourse itself other than it'll be 'decommissioned'.

I honestly see them kicking all the tenants out and mothballing it for the foreseeable future with minimal maintenance to avoid it from failing.... (new abandoned location coming?) The least cost now but probably be very costly in the future.

I think that they want to avoid the traffic issues from the concourse and are kicking the can down the road for a future council so to speak...