WINNIPEG | Portage Place Redevelopment

[Wpg_Guy]

Portage Place Redevelopment
Location: 393 Portage Ave
Architects: ARK / PETROFF
Developer: Starlight Investments
Status: In development stage
Media: Portage Place to undergo up to $400-M retrofit, multi-income residential towers added
Description: $400m+ retrofit of exisiting mall; two 20-storey rental residential towers with 500 to 550, new shopping, office spaces, and as a pedestrian-friendly courtyard



• Development of a Complete Community | • Active Mixed-useUrban Landmark | • Diverse Mixed-use Programthat integrates live, work,learn, shop and pla
• Local Markets,Pop-up Programming,Seasonal Events,Concerts and Gatherings
• Purpose-built Multi-Familyand Student Rentals;+/-600 units | • Indigenous StudentFamily Housing• Seniors Aging-in-Place Model
• Purpose-built Market and Targeted Rental Housing as a catalyst forlive/work/play model increasing vibrancy, activity,security and safety in the downtown core
• CPTED principles | • Street-related Retail | • Illuminated Elevated Exterior Skywalk | • Eyes and Ears on the Streetwith Outward Facing Retailand Commercial Spaces | • Street Linkage
• Elevated Skywalk system relocates circulation from the building interior to the exterior public realm
• Ground-related Pedestrian Walkways relocates circulation from the building interior to the exterior public realm integrating street fabric and transit
• Grocery Store and Local Markets | • Child Care and Elder Care | • Community Health Hub and Professional Services | • Community Gardens, Green Roofs, Urban Farm
• Commercial and Office Spaces
• Adaptive Re-use of Major Downtown Facility | • LEED Gold or Equivalent targeted | • Micro climate Support for year-round public comfort-wind, solar and shadow | • Green and Reflective Roof
• Locally Sourced Durable Materials | • Focus on Health and Well-being, Daylight, Building Orientation


• Local Markets, Pop-up Programming, Seasonal Events, Concerts and Gatherings


• Pedestrian linkages at grade reconnect the city and bring a human-scale to Portage Place, dividing the existing massing into distinct elements


• Existing street fabric –Kennedy and Edmonton Streets extend through the site as pedestrian connections knitting north and south Winnipeg together


• Urban Squares and Courtyards transform the new pedestrian connections into all-season public realm open space
• Landscaped Public Realm | • Welcoming spaces and amenities for local community including public spaces for gathering, sitting,relaxing and visiting

A downtown mall will soon see a major upgrade in hopes of alleviating its worsening woes.

Portage Place mall will be “retrofitted” starting in 2021, and replaced with two 20-storey rental residential towers. New shopping and office spaces, as well as a pedestrian-friendly courtyard, are also included in the plans.

In an exclusive interview with Global News and 680 CJOB, Starlight Investments, which bought Portage Place earlier this year, says it’s time the embattled downtown mall gets a major overhaul.

“Well, it’s exciting,” said Glen Hirsch, chief operating officer of Starlight Investments. “We are looking at a meaningful revitalization of the SHED (Sports, Hospitality, Entertainment District) district in Winnipeg.”

The retrofit and addition of the rental housing towers will cost anywhere from $300-400 million and take four to five years, said Hirsch, and the towers will have 500 to 550 rental units of varying sizes. Starlight is also looking at finding a grocery chain for the space, he added.

It’s their hope, he said, that the new development will connect both ends of the mall and bring communities together in a safe environment, said Hirsch.

The glass and glazing effect means that “you have no choice but to see the people around you, walking with you and walking on the street below you,” he said.

The skywalk system attached to the mall will stay, but will be placed on the outside of the structure, said Hirsch.

Other elements, like eliminating closed-off spaces, will make the area safer, he added.

Hirsch said despite the many issues with Portage Place, the mall does not need to be demolished.

“I would say that it needs a lot of work. We’ve got a lot of ideas of how to reconfigure the space, particularly as we look at the interior,” said Hirsch.

“The mall was built in the late ’80s. The utilization of space like that has evolved.”

Josh Kauffman, head of development and construction for Starlight Investments, said there is opportunity with rental apartments in downtown Winnipeg.

“We’re going after a diverse demographic,” said Kauffman. Community consultations will include feedback from various groups that may want to rent the apartments, including students, Indigenous families, downtown workers and more.

That feedback will help the group determine sizes for the apartment buildings and how many bedrooms there will be. As for rent costs, it will depend on sizes and consultation, according to Kauffman.

[Wpg_Guy]

Portage Place sale receives final government approval

The final government approval required for the proposed sale and redevelopment of the Portage Place Shopping Centre has now been granted.

The office of Robert-Falcon Ouellette, the federal Liberal MP for Winnipeg Centre, confirmed his government gave the go-ahead for the project on Tuesday. Ouellette was in meetings Wednesday and couldn’t be reached for additional comment.

Back on Aug. 1, the MP told the Winnipeg Sun the federal government had not yet approved the project, as it wished to complete further community consultations for up to one more month.

Clare MacKay, The Forks vice-president of strategic initiatives, said Tuesday’s approval marks an important step towards finalizing the deal.

“This triggers a due diligence phase for (proposed developer) Starlight (Investments) and we hope to have more to talk about once that (60-day) due diligence phase has been completed,” said MacKay. “We see this as unlocking some really positive redevelopment in our downtown and a massive reinvestment.”

Both Winnipeg city council and the provincial government previously approved the project, which would sell off the shopping centre and its parkade to make way for an estimated $300 million worth of development in Winnipeg’s downtown. The deal requires the approval of the three governments because they are all shareholders in North Portage Development Corporation (NPDC), which owns the land. NPDC is part of The Forks North Portage Partnership.

If the deal is approved as is, Starlight Investments would purchase the mall for $23 million and pay $47 million for the land.

When completed, the project could include student housing, as well as other rental properties and commercial options.

“We’re really looking forward to what this unlocks for our downtown,” said MacKay.

She said it’s understandable that the federal government took a little extra time to assess the complex project.

Mayor Brian Bowman’s office welcomed the news that the project has cleared another hurdle.

“Portage Place forms an important part of our downtown and the mayor looks forward to seeing how the process unfolds,” wrote spokesperson Jeremy Davis, in an emailed statement.
There’s not yet an exact timeline for when development could occur.

jpursaga@postmedia.com

https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-ne...box=1567048003

[Luisito]

I just drove by there today. As always there was about a dozen people hanging out smoking in front of the back entrance. I hope they do something about it. If they are going to build a place for students, It doesn't seem safe for students to have those people just hanging around there all the time. Specially for females students.

[Wpg_Guy]

I don’t think Starlight is going to invest $300M to continue having the riff raft hanging around there. The food court will be eliminated in its current state, maybe a high end food hall will replace it, since True North’s was downsized from their initial vision with Lotteries there is room to support another.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by Luisito

I just drove by there today. As always there was about a dozen people hanging out smoking in front of the back entrance. I hope they do something about it. If they are going to build a place for students, It doesn't seem safe for students to have those people just hanging around there all the time. Specially for females students.

I’m sorry what people are those that it’s unsafe for female students to be around? Cause all you mentioned were smokers. Are smokers notorious rapists too? I’ve never heard that statistic before.

[pspeid]

This is great news. I'm looking forward to seeing the redevelopment plans when they are announced.

Glad i didn't panic when the review was announced...i have enough grey hairs already

[wags_in_the_peg]

high end food hall? I highly doubt that. there's many many nice place to eat lunch in downtown area closer to P&M where many "high end" people work. IG have their own subsidized food court that employees just love.

[CoryB]

If Portage Place food court staffed it with security that enforced a "no outside food" rule and limited tables to say 30 minutes with purchase from a food court vendor a lot of the issues would go away.

[Luisito]

Originally Posted by cheswick

I’m sorry what people are those that it’s unsafe for female students to be around? Cause all you mentioned were smokers. Are smokers notorious rapists too? I’ve never heard that statistic before.

#

The same one that harass people for change all day every day. You can pretend everything is peaches and cream in that area all you want. Thats why things never improve in Winnipeg, it is easier to look the other way.

[esquire]

I pass through Portage Place quite often and I rarely, practically never see the people smoking out back in the act of panhandling/begging. I suspect it's because doing so gets you booted off the property.

Portage Avenue itself is obviously a different story.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by CoryB

If Portage Place food court staffed it with security that enforced a "no outside food" rule and limited tables to say 30 minutes with purchase from a food court vendor a lot of the issues would go away.

They tried that but the usual suspects all cried racism!

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by esquire

I pass through Portage Place quite often and I rarely, practically never see the people smoking out back in the act of panhandling/begging. I suspect it's because doing so gets you booted off the property.

Portage Avenue itself is obviously a different story.

what also doesnt help is on thursdays a group of people come in from stienbach and sit in the food court buying free meals for the people downtown that tend to cause these issues enabling them rather then actualy helping them plus they go preachy on god this and that from what i hear from an old roofmate that takes advantage of them.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

what also doesnt help is on thursdays a group of people come in from stienbach and sit in the food court buying free meals for the people downtown that tend to cause these issues enabling them rather then actualy helping them plus they go preachy on god this and that from what i hear from an old roofmate that takes advantage of them.

The horror!

[1ajs]

sarcasym aside it adds to the problem the mall is having....

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by Luisito

#

The same one that harass people for change all day every day. You can pretend everything is peaches and cream in that area all you want. Thats why things never improve in Winnipeg, it is easier to look the other way.

I see so the smoker of portage place also harass people for change all day? And female students are particularly vulnerable to being asked for change? I can't imagine the horror the female students face considering the campus is a block away.

I've worked downtown for over a decade and commuted through downtown years prior to university. I have literally never felt unsafe by anyone who has asked me for change. I politely decline and they move on. The problem with downtown isn't the impoverished, it's people like you who assume anyone who is impoverished or asks for change is also a criminal looking to attack everyone and anyone.

[Luisito]

Originally Posted by cheswick

I see so the smoker of portage place also harass people for change all day? And female students are particularly vulnerable to being asked for change? I can't imagine the horror the female students face considering the campus is a block away.

I've worked downtown for over a decade and commuted through downtown years prior to university. I have literally never felt unsafe by anyone who has asked me for change. I politely decline and they move on. The problem with downtown isn't the impoverished, it's people like you who assume anyone who is impoverished or asks for change is also a criminal looking to attack everyone and anyone.

Why do you decline? I actually give them some change if I can. Anwyays, stop making accusations. I personally know people that have been robbed downtown and harrased, including my little sister who is a student at UW. Like it or not there is a problem in downtown Winnipeg and denying it doesn't help anyone. There is a reason why people now have to be searched entering the god damn library!

• Video Link



Another incident.

Teen robbed, pepper sprayed outside Portage Place in broad daylight

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...lace-1.4846899

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by Luisito

#

The same one that harass people for change all day every day. You can pretend everything is peaches and cream in that area all you want. Thats why things never improve in Winnipeg, it is easier to look the other way.

The bigger problem in downtown Winnipeg, as demonstrated by your comment, is the perception problem from jumpy suburbanites who overreact and act like they've been assaulted because they had to see a poor person or God forbid had to speak to one of them and say "No sorry" when asked for change.

[esquire]

I haven't noticed begging or panhandling in Portage Place or other general harassment of people at the mall, but I get the impression that there has been an uptick in shoplifting. I've noticed more incidents where people are being restrained, and I have also noticed that the security guards at various stores look, for lack of a better term, more aggressive... the disinterested guards of the past have been replaced with very vigilant guys who look like they could be wrestlers. I'm sure there's a good reason for that.

[Luisito]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

The bigger problem in downtown Winnipeg, as demonstrated by your comment, is the perception problem from jumpy suburbanites who overreact and act like they've been assaulted because they had to see a poor person or God forbid had to speak to one of them and say "No sorry" when asked for change.

Suburbanite? I live close to downtown. I work downtown, my sister goes to u of w and has been harrased wating for the bus down there. I have seen the city cleaning up blood at bus shelters after assualts taking place. I took my daughter to the library and I had to be searched for christ sakes!!

People can accuse me of all they want, doesn't change the fact there is a serious problem. The problems in and around portage place are well documented. Why are people in such denial about this?

[joshlemer]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

The bigger problem in downtown Winnipeg, as demonstrated by your comment, is the perception problem from jumpy suburbanites who overreact and act like they've been assaulted because they had to see a poor person or God forbid had to speak to one of them and say "No sorry" when asked for change.

The problem is that PP is sketchy, not that "jumpy suburbanites" perceive sketchiness where it isn't there. A few comments ago someone linked to the assault in the bush shelter, an other commenter mentions their little sister being robbed.

I went to PP for the first time in over a year a couple weeks ago to check it out with my girlfriend, and within minutes of walking around a group of women yelled at us "Hey you wanna buy some kush!?". Not saying I am against smoking weed or anything but come on it's pretty sketchy. A few minutes later we saw security escorting someone else out of the mall...