Winnipeg | Downtown | Portage Place | Redevelopment | U/C

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Southern Chiefs'​ Organization (SCO)


SCO–TNRED partnership

Originally Posted by Unbending

I love the look of the residential tower. Is this the first time we are seeing the building in 3D? I remember an early 2D drawing floating around on the forum, but it looks so much better in 3D.

This has been published by multiple media outlets

[WinCitySparky]

Not my cup of tea but still happy it’s happening

[Malcsta]

That last rendering has the old PP facade, but in the renderings on the poster in that article, the facade is completely different and the residential tower also looks completely different. What gives?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Malcsta

That last rendering has the old PP facade, but in the renderings on the poster in that article, the facade is completely different and the residential tower also looks completely different. What gives?

The poster was among the first site layouts released and was intended to show the proposed scale of the development. Phase 3 — the centre block of Portage Place — is still in the consultation and design phase. The project involves multiple firms, with Number TEN Architectural Group designing the residential tower (west) and Architecture49 leading the Health Centre (east) and the centre block.

[bon_vivant]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

Not my cup of tea but still happy it’s happening

Not loving it either, but at least it's not white. However we can't really trust renders, now can we?

[WinCitySparky]

I’ll reserve judgement til the whole picture is done and I can see how it fits with everything else

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

This has been published by multiple media outlets

If anything, it's not white, grey, black, silver, beige, various tints of glass, concrete, Tyndall stone, or olive drab.

If it remains that colour, and does NOT get cut down in storeys, it will add another colour to our skyline.

Still, it could use some more fine tuning along the exterior.

[pegcity]

It reminds me of the rusty metal sheets at the Antares building at 190 Smith street.

[Biff]

^^^Fitting seeing as it was Number Ten that did the facade upgrade to that building at 190 Smith.

[WinCitySparky]

Start callin Vike “ol rusty”

[1ajs]

that be cool if he could get a cortan steel tower on portage ave

[bomberjet]

So what is the plan here? Some images show the existing mall covered with rust coloured bits. The other renders show the mall looking completely different. More like the Pan Am end. So what is it? Is the atrium on Kennedy staying or going?

Usually True Norths renders match exactly as to what's built. See TNS. Here it seems to be a mish mash.

Edit: I read Wpg-guys post and see they dont actually know yet..

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

that be cool if he could get a cortan steel tower on portage ave

We could call it "Garbage Tower".

[neutroniks]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

So what is the plan here? Some images show the existing mall covered with rust coloured bits. The other renders show the mall looking completely different. More like the Pan Am end. So what is it? Is the atrium on Kennedy staying or going?

Usually True Norths renders match exactly as to what's built. See TNS. Here it seems to be a mish mash.

Edit: I read Wpg-guys post and see they dont actually know yet..

Its also possible that the tower render was made before the TNS render ( as the 3D render looks rather crude), and because they're made with different firms, probably didn't want to bother combining them as it would take more time/labour/effort, so they kept them standalone as is?

[bomberjet]

Spending a billion dollars on both developments and cant coordinate simple renderings?? lol seems odd to me.

[Wpg_Guy]

In this Jan 27th update from True North, it says the consultation and design for project’s centre block ongoing, so we wont have renderings until Architecture49 completes that design work.

The residential tower, developed by SCO and designed by Number Ten (the same partnership behind Wehwehneh), has progressed more quickly than the Centre Block. This is because it was selected for several funding programs, including the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). To qualify for this funding, building permits had to be applied for and issued by a specific deadline, which I believe was November 2025. It makes sense at this stage that the tower rendering produced by Number Ten only reflects their portion of the development.

It’s quite possible that the Centre Block façade will remain unchanged, with the bulk of the budget directed toward the internal reconfiguration of the mall. As mentioned earlier, we won’t know for certain until the design work is completed and released publicly.

Jan. 27, 2026 – Pihtikwè Skatepark relocation facilitates next phase of major construction activity on multi-family housing tower
Pihtikwè Skatepark relocation facilitates next phase of major construction activity on multi-family housing tower

Construction and demolition activities are on schedule for the 300,000-square-foot, 12-storey Healthcare Centre of Excellence (HCCE), as part of True North Real Estate Development’s (TNRED) redevelopment of Portage Place.

“We would like to acknowledge, congratulate and thank the construction and demolition teams at PCL Construction and Rakowski Cartage & Wreckage for their incredible work, planning and safe removal of structural elements of the former atrium. It’s amazing to see a fresh view of our downtown taking shape, allowing sightlines from Central Park south toward the RBC Convention Centre and setting the stage for vehicular and pedestrian access created by the redevelopment,” said Gavin Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer with TNRED.

Development of the health tower is the first phase of construction/demolition activity for the site which will also include multi-family housing complemented by neighbourhood services, retail, and public and green spaces.

Redevelopment milestones anticipated this year include:

• HCCE deconstruction work to be completed by spring 2026
• Tower crane for new structure work expected on site in spring 2026
• Construction phase of HCCE to begin between late Q1 and early Q2
• Consultation and design for project’s centre block ongoing
• Preparation for construction of multi-family housing project (TN-SCO 92 Inc.) slated to begin Q1, 2026

PCL has diverted more than 75 percent of materials removed from the site from landfills to appropriate recycling streams.

[bomberjet]

Thanks for sharing Wpg_guy.

[Wpg_Guy]

The Centre Block appears likely to become a rather expensive and complex element of the entire Portage Place redevelopment. From what has been publicly released, it’s a massive space attempting to serve multiple functions — food hall, office space, potential grocery store, retail, and community uses — but risks not doing any one of them particularly well.

The prolonged consultation and design phase is likely tied to securing major pre-lease commitments, particularly for a grocery anchor tenant and largely government or institutional tenants for the office component. They will also need to find a suitable operator for the planned community drop-in space planned for the former IMAX area. The YMCA maybe could be a possible partner to manage or program that space. Many questions remain unanswered at this stage.

Once completed, the Centre Block is expected to become the new home for both the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP).

[neutroniks]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Spending a billion dollars on both developments and cant coordinate simple renderings?? lol seems odd to me.

I hear you.. but this is Winnipeg

[neutroniks]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The Centre Block appears likely to become a rather expensive and complex element of the entire Portage Place redevelopment. From what has been publicly released, it’s a massive space attempting to serve multiple functions — food hall, office space, potential grocery store, retail, and community uses — but risks not doing any one of them particularly well.

The prolonged consultation and design phase is likely tied to securing major pre-lease commitments, particularly for a grocery anchor tenant and largely government or institutional tenants for the office component. They will also need to find a suitable operator for the planned community drop-in space planned for the former IMAX area. The YMCA maybe could be a possible partner to manage or program that space. Many questions remain unanswered at this stage.

Once completed, the Centre Block is expected to become the new home for both the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP).

Thanks for the info WG! I can definitely understand them taking their time with this. Kinda wish they were able to save/relocate the IMAX though. It was apparently one of the last few true IMAX theatres despite not being used for the last couple of decades.