Winnipeg Retail

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Biff

Much better than Zellers but i don't know how good they will do until they start rebuilding with Super-Targets.

Originally Posted by Biff

My bet is you will see Target expanding or building new stores in very short order.

Am I the only person that thought it was a little odd that they have only formally announced three Targets for the entire Winnipeg market - Kildonan Place, Southdale and Grant Park which will open later this year?

There is of course the "worst kept secret" that a store is about 99.9% confirmed for the northwest corner of the old stadium site. This is almost certainly be the first Super Target in the Winnipeg market.

Westport Festival which is about 1 km west of Unicity seems like a prime location for another new-build Super Target. Being a new development it needs an anchor tenant and it would keep with the distribution pattern that Walmart followed.

I fully expect a new build Target somewhere on Kenaston, perhpas in the Ikea/Seasons of Tuxedo development. This one is a little harder to make a definitive call though as the Kenaston Walmart was essentially a relocation of the Grant Park store.

Taking a bigger guess here but Murrary and McPhillips was under serious consideration for the Walmart that ended up at McPhillips and Court. with the announced expansion of Chief Pegius Trail essentially coming right along the site now this could work out as a location for a northwest/Garden City area Target build.

The Kildonan Place sotre I could see considering a new build to the north on the Shindco land or perhaps build on the Kildonan Place land from the mall enterance near the movie theather filling in the space behind the existing store then demolish the current store.

In terms of a Southdale/St Vital expansion or new build I have no solid suggestion due to the space restrictions. For an idea how tight the available space is in that market, this is the only Walmart of the six operating in Winnipeg to not have moved to a new purpose built store. Perhaps something new near Lag and the Perimeter along with Superstore and/or Lowes?

[cheswick]

So it turns out the 3 retail unit space on the second floor of Portage Place is becoming an "Ardene Concept Store". Ardene already holds the largest retail unit on the main floor of the mall, which was semi-recently expanded. Unclear if this is then a whole new store or jut a relocation from their current space.

Beats another office.

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by cheswick

So it turns out the 3 retail unit space on the second floor of Portage Place is becoming an "Ardene Concept Store". Ardene already holds the largest retail unit on the main floor of the mall, which was semi-recently expanded. Unclear if this is then a whole new store or jut a relocation from their current space.

Beats another office.

I was just coming here to say that. Will be interesting to see what happens with the main floor unit - I imagine the main floor unit wouldn't be vacant long (don't think there's many/any others?) if it is in fact a move.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by rypinion

I was just coming here to say that. Will be interesting to see what happens with the main floor unit - I imagine the main floor unit wouldn't be vacant long (don't think there's many/any others?) if it is in fact a move.

I think the only unit vacant on the main floor is on the corner across from HMV / by the lotto vender.

It seems the main level has always been more robust for retail.

[esquire]

It's funny that most retailers shy away from Portage Place but Ardene just keeps on expanding. I didn't think that Portage Place was such a lucrative location for a retailer geared toward tween and teenage girls.

At the present rate, I expect Portage Place to be nothing but fast food restaurants, offices for nonprofits and the world's biggest Ardene by 2020.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by esquire

It's funny that most retailers shy away from Portage Place but Ardene just keeps on expanding. I didn't think that Portage Place was such a lucrative location for a retailer geared toward tween and teenage girls.

At the present rate, I expect Portage Place to be nothing but fast food restaurants, offices for nonprofits and the world's biggest Ardene by 2020.

Don't forget gangster clothes.


Does anyone else get the impression that Portage Place was designed, in part, to block off Central Park from the rest of Downtown? It physically accomplishes it, anyway, and I'm sure most people who go downtown don't even know Central park exists.

Funny how as more and more time goes on the mall more and more serves the population it was implicitly trying to isolate.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by biguc

Funny how as more and more time goes on the mall more and more serves the population it was implicitly trying to isolate.

LOL! Never thought of it that way but how true. Portage Place has been a colossal failure from the start, Norrie couldn't have found his ass from a hole in the ground.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

LOL! Never thought of it that way but how true. Portage Place has been a colossal failure from the start, Norrie couldn't have found his ass from a hole in the ground.

Bahahahaha I feel bad for laughing at a man who at least became mayor--even if it was of a city that was on the verge of failure; especially if he isn't here to vouch for himself--but by God, everyone hates him except Gordon Sinclair Jr. (sincerely yours http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...162177225.html).

Anyway, let's never have a mayor like him again.

[DonaldSmith]

EPH Apparel is opening their first store front at 291 Garry St.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by DonaldSmith

EPH Apparel is opening their first store front at 291 Garry St.

Nice suits, have to drop in when they open.

[Shinook]

I remember reading on here a while back that Seasons of Tuxedo was going to be some sort of high-end retail complex, something of the likes that Western Canada has never seen before, like an outlet mall in the United States. I believe Truviking was the one making these statements.

Can anyone confirm if this is still the plan for the site?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Shinook

I remember reading on here a while back that Seasons of Tuxedo was going to be some sort of high-end retail complex, something of the likes that Western Canada has never seen before, like an outlet mall in the United States. I believe Truviking was the one making these statements.

Can anyone confirm if this is still the plan for the site?

The North Site that hasn't been developed yet.

[Shinook]

Originally Posted by Biff

The North Site that hasn't been developed yet.

Sounds good. Is there a timeline for when this site is supposed to be developed?

[rypinion]

Any ideas, theories, or actual knowledge about what is going into the old McDonalds spot in Winnipeg Square, beside Starbucks? This past week it got construction hoarding.

Also, the new escalators from 360 Main down to Winnipeg Square are complete and the hoarding there has been removed:


360 Main/Winnipeg Square Escalators by Robert Young, on Flickr

[1ajs]

prolly upgrading it to the mc cafe standards

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

prolly upgrading it to the mc cafe standards

It's been closed for half a year. Definitely possible, but I assume it would have been done by now. It was "For Lease" for months and just recently became "Leased".

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by rypinion

It's been closed for half a year. Definitely possible, but I assume it would have been done by now. It was "For Lease" for months and just recently became "Leased".

I heard it was a cafe 22/ pizza hotline.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by cheswick

I heard it was a cafe 22/ pizza hotline.

Confirmed via posting of coming soon sign on the oarding next to Starbucks in Winnipeg Square.

[1ajs]

o

i havent been down there in a while wasn't aware

[CoryB]

One thing that immediately struck me as a little odd on the construction hoarding in Winnipeg Square is that they used new plywood. Seems that in similar situations drywall is normally used so this really stood out. No idea what is moving in but I suspect there will likely be some indication up soon.