Portage Place

Portage Place

Portage Place mall on the intersection of Portage Avenue and Kennedy Street
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Location	393 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6
Coordinates	Coordinates: 49°53′33″N 97°08′52″W / 49.8925°N 97.1478°W / 49.8925; -97.1478
Opening date	September 17, 1987
Developer	North Portage Development Corp.
Architect	RTKL Architects Number Ten Architectural Group Smith Carter Architects IKOY Partnership
No. of floors	4
Website	portageplace.ca/

Fountain in Portage Place shopping mall, as seen from Cherry Creek restaurant on second floor

Portage Place is a mixed-use shopping centre located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Covering 439,600 sq ft (40,840 m²), it is located on the north side of Portage Avenue, between Vaughan and Carlton Streets and opened in September 1987.^[1][2]

As of 2021, Portage Place is undergoing redevelopment into a new mixed-use complex with retail and office spaces. The project is being developed by Starlight Developments, a division of Starlight Investments, with an estimated investment of $400 million.^[3][4] The project is projected to create an economic impact of $698 million and generate over 3,300 years of employment.^[3]

History[]

In the early 1980s, north Portage Avenue was in decline, due in part to the "flight to the suburbs" and free parking at suburban malls. The federal, provincial, and municipal governments joined together to create the Core Area Initiative in 1981 to counter this decline, and rebuild this part of downtown. One of the proposals in 1983 to "fix" the north side of Portage Avenue was to realign the roadway and build a new arena; however, this proposal was rejected by City Council.^[5]

In 1983, the North Portage Development Corporation (now the Forks North Portage Partnership) was established as an arms-length government committee to develop residential, commercial, entertainment, and educational facilities in the North Portage region.^[3][4] The following year, the Corporation announced the building of the mall,^[6] which included the apartments behind it, known as "The Promenade". Signers included Member of Parliament Lloyd Axworthy, and Mayor Bill Norrie. By the summer of 1985, buildings within the land area of Portage Place were demolished and construction took place throughout 1986, being completed the following year, in 1987.^[7] The mall opened on 17 September 1987.^[8]

The cost total cost of the project was $80 million ($157 million in 2019).^[4]

By the summer of 1988, barely a year since it opened, there were doubts of the shopping centre's success. Originally The Bay and Eaton's had extended their hours early in the week to encourage people to shop there, but the shoppers stayed away. Instead, it became a hangout for young people. Some store owners in the shopping centre said that after 5:30 p.m. there was a big drop in customers visiting the mall, and some tenants wanted their rent reduced.^[9][10]

An October 2007 Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) report on Portage Place observed that "the property’s cash flow has continued to be depressed" amid declining average contractual rental rates, and that "the cash flow of the property may therefore not be enough to cover its refinance debt service." DBRS also noted, however, that the owners have "displayed [a] commitment to the property and DBRS doubts that it will be willing to lose control of its investment in lieu of injecting cash equity to reduce the refinance obligation."^[11]

In 2010, Portage Place converted 13 units of retail space totalling 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²) to office space. The change was planned as a result of a 15% vacancy rate. The units chosen for conversion were those in the west wing of the second floor.^[12]

The IMAX Theatre in Portage Place closed on 31 March 2013.^[13] The 276-seat theatre endured several years of substantial losses before its closure. Globe Cinema closed on 15 June 2014.^[14]

In July 2019, Portage Place was sold to Starlight Investments, who paid $22.9 million for the shopping centre and $47 million for the land and underground parkade.^[3][4] Starlight announced an extensive refurbishment of the mall, with new residential, business, and retail units, reconfiguring the existing outdated design.^[15]

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021.^[3]

Layout[]

Shops in Winnipeg Walkway connecting Portage Place to the Hydro building

Portage Place spans three floors, totalling 439,600 square feet (40,840 m²).^[16] Anchor stores include Shoppers Drug Mart and Staples. Portage Place is also known for being a central hub of the Winnipeg Walkway, connecting to Cityplace, Bell MTS Place, and to the now empty Hudson's Bay. There are shops located on the skywalks, as well.

In 2013, Service Canada moved their downtown Winnipeg office onto the first floor of Portage Place.

The shopping centre includes three glass skylight atria, two of which are located at the intersections of both Portage and Kennedy, and Portage and Edmonton.^[7]

Edmonton court clock[]

Edmonton Court clock tower

The Edmonton atrium is home to a clock tower, known as the Edmonton Court Clock. Originally unveiled in 1903 to be placed in the dome of City Hall, the clock was unveiled for a second time in Portage Place in 1987 after the old city hall was torn down.^[7][17]

The original city hall clock had four clock faces, each 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter and made of crushed glass. The original weights used to balance the pendulum weighed 1,000 pounds (450 kg) each.^[17]

With the Seth Thomas Clock Company as the clockmaker, the contract to procure and install the clock was awarded to local jeweller George Andrew of Andrew and Co.^[17]

The city hall building that the clock was built for was demolished in 1961. In the 1980s, parts of the clock were moved to Portage Place. The faces and hands of the current clock are replicas of the originals; the bells are also not from the 1903 clock, and the chimes are now electronic. At Portage Place, the clock was inoperable for a number of years due to damage from a contractor and later due to damage from a member of the public.^[17]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Vanderhart, Tessa (September 22, 2012). "Portage Place: Time to tear it down and start anew?". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved April 21, 2014.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portage Place.

• Official website

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