Winnipeg | Downtown | Portage Place | Redevelopment | U/C - Page 73

cllew · #**1441** Posted **Apr 12, 2025, 5:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheepish

PP was spun out of the Core Area Initiative. It was at a time when down town was still an important shopping and entertainment space, but was threatened by the burbs. Eatons and the Bay stores were still active and there were movie theatres downtown. BUT, at the same time Cadilac Fairview upgrade Polo Park, and that created a lot of concern with Portage Place. The other issue was that there was concern that while Portage Place may have addressed the decline of NORTH Portage, it completely turned its back on the 3 blocks of SOUTH Portage between Eatons and the Bay. As I recall, stores that wanted in to the expanded Polo were required to sign a lease in PP. And once that lease expired, they were free to leave. The dominos began to fall.

I had heard that was a standard CF rental ploy at the time. If you wanted in one of their good malls you had to also go into a B or C level mall to help fill them up.

BAKGUY · #**1442** Posted **Apr 12, 2025, 10:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

I had heard that was a standard CF rental ploy at the time. If you wanted in one of their good malls you had to also go into a B or C level mall to help fill them up.

In theory Yes. But not even they would be able to predict what would be a B or C mall without having opened & no sales to go by.

cheswick · #**1443** Posted **Apr 17, 2025, 5:11 PM**

More stuff happening

ColdRain&Snow · #**1444** Posted **Apr 17, 2025, 5:20 PM**

I was at Portage Place yesterday for lunch and some of the interior work has already started. Some of the interior walls and ceilings were being stripped down to studs.

Edit: Oh it looks like Cheswick has posted a picture now of said work.

Biff · #**1445** Posted **Apr 17, 2025, 5:44 PM**

That could be where they will be starting the exterior walls to protect the western part of the mall. Then they can demolish the atrium and strip the eastern portion to construct the Medical Tower.

cheswick · #**1446** Posted **Apr 22, 2025, 5:26 PM**

Putting in walls. Also noticed the food court is winding down. A few of the long term tenants are now closed. Down to 3 left (including Tim’s)

trueviking · #**1447** Posted **Apr 22, 2025, 8:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

That could be where they will be starting the exterior walls to protect the western part of the mall. Then they can demolish the atrium and strip the eastern portion to construct the Medical Tower.

correct

WinCitySparky · #**1448** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 12:38 AM**

It’s finally happening!!!

pspeid · #**1449** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 11:57 AM**

Anyone know what's happening with the old clock works in the atrium?

wags_in_the_peg · #**1450** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 2:39 PM**

are any of the restaurants or retails (what's left) moving to other parts downtown like along Portage, City Place or in the underground? too bad if they dont

bomberjet · #**1451** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 3:20 PM**

I'm of the opinion that City Place needs to be completely overhauled. Demolish the food court/annex area. Develop something there. Residential tower and maybe just infill the old mall space. Make a newer modern restaurant area and move the clients there. Build something over the current loading area. But it's not my money.

My wife was in there a couple weeks back before we had lunch and was excited to see what shops were there. I just laughed when she came back with sad face.

1ajs · #**1452** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 3:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pspeid

Anyone know what's happening with the old clock works in the atrium?

shrug

real shame if it got tossed its from the gingerbread city hall its og bell is on selkirk and powers in a tower

despite being dated that malls held ur pritty well for being almost 40yrs since it was built

ColdRain&Snow · #**1453** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I'm of the opinion that City Place needs to be completely overhauled. Demolish the food court/annex area. Develop something there. Residential tower and maybe just infill the old mall space. Make a newer modern restaurant area and move the clients there. Build something over the current loading area. But it's not my money.

My wife was in there a couple weeks back before we had lunch and was excited to see what shops were there. I just laughed when she came back with sad face.

City Place Mall isn't a shopping destination, it's mostly for office workers to have lunch. It does a good job at that. When I worked nearby I used to eat my lunch in the food court everyday to get out of my office. There's lots of restaurants in there and it's usually pretty busy during the week.

cllew · #**1454** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 6:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I'm of the opinion that City Place needs to be completely overhauled. Demolish the food court/annex area. Develop something there. Residential tower and maybe just infill the old mall space. Make a newer modern restaurant area and move the clients there. Build something over the current loading area. But it's not my money.

My wife was in there a couple weeks back before we had lunch and was excited to see what shops were there. I just laughed when she came back with sad face.

Many years ago before MPI bought City Place tower, the private pension plan the owned the building had approved plans to build over the loading dock and put in a large 2 screen movie theater. It would have replaced the small screen theaters that where there at the time before they went dark a few years later due to nobody coming downtown to see movies.

When I retired a year ago there was a story going around that a grocery store was interested in going in the east side of the main floor where all the empty stores were.

I guess that A&W would have to be moved to an empty retail unit, or have their lease terminated if there was no available space in the mall. Apparently McDonald's has clause in their lease (which is apparently common for big companies) saying no other burger chains are allowed in the food court.

bomberjet · #**1455** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 7:40 PM**

I work next to City Place and am there all the time during the day and for Jets games. its busy in the food court for sure. But the rest is just empty spaces and/or MPI office space. I guess if they're satisfied with that then so be it.

But they could just blow away all the retail space (as mentioned there's no need for it), make a new food court that is modern (if you've ever been behind the scenes there it's ancient). And better utilize the space they have.

Enough about that place. Glad to see PP going ahead. Basically it's right on schedule per the most recent press conferences. Demolition of the Edmonton St atrium this spring and moving forward from there.

cheswick · #**1456** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 8:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

are any of the restaurants or retails (what's left) moving to other parts downtown like along Portage, City Place or in the underground? too bad if they dont

Sign up in the art shop there (I wanna say urban artworks) that its relocated to elsewhere downtown. The longtime sports card shop relocated last year to another location in Winnipeg.

Shoppers, Footlocker, dollarama, Ardene, true north dental and warehouse one are all included in the plans of the new layout in the remaining building.

There will be a foodcourt in there as well, but not sure if any tenants have been announced.

OTA in Winnipeg · #**1457** Posted **Apr 23, 2025, 11:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I'm of the opinion that City Place needs to be completely overhauled. Demolish the food court/annex area. Develop something there. Residential tower and maybe just infill the old mall space. Make a newer modern restaurant area and move the clients there. Build something over the current loading area. But it's not my money.

My wife was in there a couple weeks back before we had lunch and was excited to see what shops were there. I just laughed when she came back with sad face.

It was a serious mall way back. I was there a lot in the 80s.

Here's some pretty dated commercials:
https://youtu.be/-xJQEWwlJZo

https://youtu.be/_Ws-p7EHQ3Y

factis · #**1458** Posted **Apr 24, 2025, 11:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

are any of the restaurants or retails (what's left) moving to other parts downtown like along Portage, City Place or in the underground? too bad if they dont

I chatted with the Thai Express crew the other day and they are not reopening anywhere else.

Hecate · #**1459** Posted **Apr 24, 2025, 1:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I'm of the opinion that City Place needs to be completely overhauled. Demolish the food court/annex area. Develop something there. Residential tower and maybe just infill the old mall space. Make a newer modern restaurant area and move the clients there. Build something over the current loading area. But it's not my money.

My wife was in there a couple weeks back before we had lunch and was excited to see what shops were there. I just laughed when she came back with sad face.

This is where the pan am clinic and the medical tower should have been once true North got hold of portage place. Should have hotels built on the pads of PP and converted city place to the healthcare crap, and moved all the entertainment stuff and shark club to portage avenue.

Would have made a better experience in the long run.

bomberjet · #**1460** Posted **Apr 24, 2025, 2:26 PM**

On game days, Shark Club is extremely busy. Not sure how busy.