Winnipeg | Downtown | Portage Place | Redevelopment | U/C - Page 81

EeeGeeKay · #**1601** Posted **Oct 15, 2025, 7:11 PM**

I haven't posted anything in forever, but it looks like things are starting to pick up at Portage Place.

pspeid · #**1602** Posted **Oct 15, 2025, 11:19 PM**

a CBC report on the PP redevelopment at this point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58SMm2zHoXI

1ajs · #**1603** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 3:11 AM**

whats happening to the clock its the og gingerbread city hall one

ColdRain&Snow · #**1604** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 3:17 AM**

I really wish people would stop saying this project is going to transform downtown. One building can't transform an area of about 3 sq km. It will be an improvement over what is there now but I have a feeling a lot of people are setting their expectations too high for this one.

The Jabroni · #**1605** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColdRain&Snow

I really wish people would stop saying this project is going to transform downtown. One building can't transform an area of about 3 sq km. It will be an improvement over what is there now but I have a feeling a lot of people are setting their expectations too high for this one.

You're right. One building couldn't do it.

So they're breaking it up to 3-ish different pieces to try to make it all work...

trueviking · #**1606** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 4:44 AM**

Won’t save downtown but having half a million square feet of empty mall across three city blocks along the downtown’s main artery would have certainly killed it.

I personally think this project will be one of the most impactful megaprojects we’ve seen. The medical component will bring big numbers of people downtown. Likely attracting support services. The mall will be right scaled. A major grocery store. More housing. I think it will be a big step in the right direction.

Add the Bay and that’s a million square feet of building that would have been empty. Together they will add almost 700 new homes. In a downtown with a population of 17,000 that could be impactful. Add 308 Colony and you are probably bringing 1,500 more residents on that couple blocks. That’s like adding a Saint Adolphe! Ha ha.

pspeid · #**1607** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

whats happening to the clock its the og gingerbread city hall one

I read the works and face are going to be disassembled and saved. No future use has been decided yet. Apparently True North is working with Heritage Winnipeg on this.

pspeid · #**1608** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

Won’t save downtown but having half a million square feet of empty mall across three city blocks along the downtown’s main artery would have certainly killed it.

I personally think this project will be one of the most impactful megaprojects we’ve seen. The medical component will bring big numbers of people downtown. Likely attracting support services. The mall will be right scaled. A major grocery store. More housing. I think it will be a big step in the right direction.

Add the Bay and that’s a million square feet of building that would have been empty. Together they will add almost 700 new homes. In a downtown with a population of 17,000 that could be impactful. Add 308 Colony and you are probably bringing 1,500 more residents on that couple blocks. That’s like adding a Saint Adolphe! Ha ha.

I think anything this huge can't help but be impactful. I'm not sure who has been saying the project will "save downtown" though. That could be wishful thinking on behalf of some people, or some hyperbole by a media outlet, but I believe even True North have said it's a component of downtown revitalization, not a "magic bullet".

cheswick · #**1609** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

whats happening to the clock its the og gingerbread city hall one

cheswick · #**1610** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pspeid

a CBC report on the PP redevelopment at this point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58SMm2zHoXI

Interesting that he says Edmonton street will be extended through to the north. I thought the plan was to have it as an outdoor pedestrian space.

neutroniks · #**1611** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:30 PM**

It won't save downtown, but it will definitely be impactful. If you've ever been to PanAM Clinic on any day of the week, you know you have to wake up waaaaay before it opens, line up, and get a spot in line, and hope they call you within a couple of hours to be seen for an injury. On top of just physical sport injuries, it'll be a health centre, something we need badly. It'll hopefully take some of the strain off of HSC, and give people alternate means for treatment.

And I'm sure the Jets and all the young/short term players living at TNS will be happy to know treatment is just a skybridge away haha

neutroniks · #**1612** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

Interesting that he says Edmonton street will be extended through to the north. I thought the plan was to have it as an outdoor pedestrian space.

I believe it may be just for drop-offs only. Some of the renders show a single lane, and a westbound car turning north on to Edmonton, with a small Drop-Off area by the walk-in clinic.

1ajs · #**1613** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pspeid

I read the works and face are going to be disassembled and saved. No future use has been decided yet. Apparently True North is working with Heritage Winnipeg on this.

good

sometimes things get missed

like in the facde the tericota bits on the portage face are from one of the buildings demolished at portage and main doubt many people know this anymore

1ajs · #**1614** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 2:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

hahahaha

neutroniks · #**1615** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

good

sometimes things get missed

like in the facde the tericota bits on the portage face are from one of the buildings demolished at portage and main doubt many people know this anymore

a lot of people don't know that pieces of the Royal Alexandria Hotel are scattered around the Exchange

pegster · #**1616** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 4:44 PM**

The redevelopment of Portage Place and The Bay won't save downtown, but they may stop the bleeding. Those two hulking spaces, one barely operable, the other vacant, were doing no favours for Portage Avenue. It seems to have already kicked a few things into the right direction, like the redevelopment of the Boyd Building.

We've already seen the positive effects another change, the reopening of Portage and Main, is having. It alone won't save downtown either, but it's a step in the right direction.

drew · #**1617** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 4:54 PM**

Stick to the formula. Keep redeveloping underused retail/office space into mostly residential.

Eventually a critical mass of population will develop that will start encourage retailers to start occupying existing vacant space. And then we move on to the vacant lots.

However this all requires that the growing zombie apocalypse is kept in check.

neutroniks · #**1618** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 4:55 PM**

The building behind the Boyd Building is also being converted into residential as well I believe, the Medical Arts building conversion is complete, so everything is trending in the direction it needs too. Just need to bring the people

ColdRain&Snow · #**1619** Posted **Oct 16, 2025, 11:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by neutroniks

The building behind the Boyd Building is also being converted into residential as well I believe, the Medical Arts building conversion is complete, so everything is trending in the direction it needs too. Just need to bring the people

The building where Dan's Cafe is? Any info on the number of residential units?

neutroniks · #**1620** Posted **Oct 17, 2025, 4:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColdRain&Snow

The building where Dan's Cafe is? Any info on the number of residential units?

I think its on the Wpg Construction XI thread somewhere. Lemme go hunting.

Edit: Nevermind, I was wrong. It's not being converted. It was just listed for sale and some of us mentioned it would be a good building to convert.