{{For|the office complex in Gatineau|Place du Portage}} {{Infobox shopping mall | name = Portage Place | image = Portage Place mall on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba.JPG | caption = Portage Place mall on the intersection of Portage Avenue and Kennedy Street | location = 393 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6 | coordinates = {{Coord|49.8925|-97.1478|type:landmark_region:CA-MB|display=inline,title}} | opening_date = September 17, 1987 | developer = North Portage Development Corp. | owner = True North Real Estate Development Corp. | architect = {{plainlist| * RTKL Architects * Number Ten Architectural Group * Smith Carter Architects * IKOY Partnership }} | number_of_stores = 48 | number_of_anchors = 3 (1 Open, 2 Vacant) | floors = 4 | website = [https://portageplace.ca/ portageplace.ca/] }} thumb|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 {{Convert|439,600|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}}, it is located on the north side of Portage Avenue, between Vaughan and Carlton Streets and opened in September 1987.<ref>{{cite news | author-link = Sandra Lewis | author = Sandra Lewis |author2=Lavonne Boutcher | title = Thousands Turn Out for the Opening of Portage Place | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RlpWVMaBmY | publisher = CBWT 24Hours | date = September 17, 1987 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Thousands crowd Portage Place mall| publisher = Winnipeg Free Press| page = 3 | date = September 18, 1987}}</ref>
==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 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Core Area Initiative (Winnipeg, Manitoba) - Mennonite Archival Image Database|url=https://archives.mhsc.ca/core-area-initiative|access-date=October 24, 2020 |website=archives.mhsc.ca}}</ref>
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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Portage Place Redevelopment, Winnipeg, Canada|url=https://www.retail-insight-network.com/projects/portage-place-redevelopment/|access-date=June 16, 2021 |website=www.retail-insight-network.com|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6317255/portage-place-development/|title = Portage Place to undergo up to $400-M retrofit, multi-income residential towers added - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca}}</ref> The following year, the corporation announced the building of the mall,<ref>{{cite conference | title = Final Concept and Financial Plan for North Portage Redevelopment: Report to Shareholders by Board of Directors | publisher = North Portage Development Corp. | date = March 26, 1984| location = Winnipeg }}</ref> which included the apartments behind it, known as "The Promenade". Signers included Member of Parliament Lloyd Axworthy, and Mayor Bill Norrie. The construction required the demolition of 32 buildings. Among those was a section of buildings on the north side of Portage Avenue that had fallen into disrepair.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kives |first=Bartley |author-link=Bartley Kives |date=16 September 2007 |title=“Finding its Place” |work=Winnipeg Free Press |pages=Page 11.}}</ref> By the summer of 1985, these buildings within the land area of Portage Place were demolished. Some design elements from those buildings were incorporated into the mall's façade.<ref>{{Cite web |title=393 Portage Avenue |url=https://winnipegarchitecture.ca/393-portage-avenue/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Winnipeg Architecture Foundation |language=en-ca}}</ref> Construction took place throughout 1986, being completed the following year, in 1987.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=393 Portage Avenue |url=https://www.winnipegarchitecture.ca/393-portage-avenue/ |access-date=June 16, 2021 |website=Winnipeg Architecture Foundation}}</ref>
The cost total cost of the project was $80 million (equivalent to $157 million in 2019).<ref name=":1" /> The mall opened on September 17, 1987.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCourt |first=Mike |author2=Walker, David |author-link2=David Walker (Canadian politician) |date=September 1987 |title=Background info on Portage Place |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo-2BXRwFdA |publisher=CBWT 24Hours}}</ref> An estimated 200,000 people visited the mall on opening day. The mall opened with 130 retail units.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McFarland |first=Janet |date=18 September 1987 |title=Thousands crowd Portage Place mall |work=Winnipeg Free Press |pages=3}}</ref>
In June 1988, barely a year after the mall opened, there were doubts about the shopping centre's success. Some store owners in the shopping centre stated that after 5:30 p.m. there was a large drop in customers, and some tenants wanted their rent reduced.<ref>{{cite news | author = Ross Rutherford | title = Portage Place Has Failed to Attract Shoppers | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Tko7LtREE | publisher = CBWT 24Hours | date = July 1988 }}</ref> Most tenants were required to stay open until 9:30 pm on certain days. Holt Renfrew, one of the mall's anchor tenants, began closing at 6:00 pm.<ref>{{cite news | title = Portage Place success argued| publisher = Winnipeg Free Press | page = 2 | date = July 24, 1988}}</ref>
In 1997, the City of Winnipeg added more street parking and enlarged the sidewalks in front of the mall. Still, critics argued that Portage Place had actually hindered the downtown revival by removing pedestrians from the streets, particularly on the south side of Portage Avenue.<ref name=":3" /> In the same year, Consolidated Properties, which later became Aspen Properties, purchased the mall for 43 million dollars<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cash |first=Martin |date=10 May 2005 |title=“Portage Place sold to B.C. firm” |work=Winnipeg Free Press |pages=Page 45.}}</ref> from Cadillac Fairview, the original owner.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Posted |first=Martin Cash |date=2018-08-16 |title=Aug 2018: Peterson Group 'wants out' of Portage Place and is looking for buyers |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2018/08/16/portage-place-up-for-sale |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Winnipeg Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2005, Portage Place was sold by Aspen Properties to Peterson Investment Group.<ref name=":4" />
Holt Renfrew closed in August 2007 and was replaced with Urban Planet. McNally Robinson also announced they would vacate the mall. At the time, the mall had 107 of 110 retail units occupied.<ref name=":3" />
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."<ref>{{cite book |title= Performance Update: Merrill Lynch Mortgage Loans Inc. Series 1998-Canada 1 |publisher= Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) |date=October 2007 |url= http://www.dbrs.com/research/215400/merrill-lynch-mortgage-loans-inc/performance-update-series-1998-canada-1.pdf |page= 7}}</ref>
In 2010, Portage Place converted 13 units of retail space totalling {{convert|15000|sqft|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.<ref name=WFPConvert>{{cite news|last=McNeill|first=Murray|title=Portage Place to convert empty shops|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/portage-place-to-convert-empty-shops-98222874.html|access-date=4 January 2013|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=12 July 2010}}</ref>
The IMAX Theatre in Portage Place closed on March 31, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://winnipegsun.com/2013/03/30/giant-loss-for-portage-place-imax-closes-sunday/wcm/b24bda2c-b1ef-4c4b-ba69-001ba51d937b|title=Giant loss for Portage Place: IMAX closes Sunday|date=March 30, 2013 |publisher=The Winnipeg Sun |language=en-CA|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref> The 276-seat theatre endured several years of substantial losses before its closure. Globe Cinema closed on June 15, 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/globe-cinema-closing-at-portage-place-in-winnipeg-1.2671952|title=Globe Cinema closing at Portage Place in Winnipeg|date=June 11, 2014|work=CBC News Manitoba}}</ref>
=== Redevelopment === In July 2019, Starlight Investments announced its intent to acquire Portage Place, paying $22.9 million for the shopping centre and $47 million for the land and underground parkade.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Starlight announced an extensive refurbishment of the mall, with new residential, business, and retail units, reconfiguring the existing outdated design.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6317255/portage-place-development/|title=Portage Place to undergo up to $400-M retrofit, multi-income residential towers added|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=March 13, 2020 }}</ref> Construction was scheduled to begin in 2021. However, on September 29, 2021, Starlight Developments informed The Forks North Portage Partnership and Winnipeg City Council that they will not proceed with purchasing Portage Place, and asked for their deposit back, hindering any re-development plans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/developer-no-longer-moving-forward-with-portage-place-deal/ |title=Developer no longer moving forward with Portage Place deal |date=September 29, 2021 |first=Jeff |last=Keele |publisher=CTV News Winnipeg |access-date=November 24, 2021}}</ref>
In March 2023, True North Real Estate Development—a division of True North Sports & Entertainment—received approval from the city executive policy committee, and the provincial and federal governments, for a proposal to acquire Portage Place's land and air rights from Forks North Portage Partnership for at least $34.5 million, pending approval from city council.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-13 |title=True North moves one step closer to buying Winnipeg's Portage Place mall |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-place-sale-hurdle-epc-1.6777387 |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=CBC News}}</ref> thumb|Demolition of the Edmonton Atrium in 2025 In May 2023, True North announced aspects of a $500 million redevelopment plan for Portage Place, turning it into a campus including a grocery store, and community, cultural, and recreational functions. Shared Health committed to long-term leases of a 15-storey tower at its east end, which would include the Downtown Winnipeg Health Centre for Excellence and the Pan Am Centre for Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine. A 16-storey tower at the west end would have affordable housing units. True North chairman Mark Chipman stated that their proposal would "transform it into a place that connects neighbourhoods, provides access to badly needed services, and has social and economic impact by building a sense of community mindedness."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-12 |title=Downtown Winnipeg project to include health-care expansion |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/downtown-winnipeg-project-to-include-health-care-expansion/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=CTV News Winnipeg |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Winnipeg's Portage Place set for massive $500M revitalization - Winnipeg {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9693240/winnipeg-portage-place-true-north-revitalization/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=CJOB |language=en-US}}</ref>
In March 2025, construction began on the redevelopment and on July 11, the east skywalk was closed to allow for construction to continue. The food court and the entirety of the Edmonton atrium was closed by the end of July. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Development Updates |url=https://portageplace.ca/development-updates/ |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=Portage Place |language=en}}</ref> The skywalk is expected to be closed until at least 2028.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-30 |title=At Winnipeg's Portage Place mall, signs emerge of ambitious $650-M transformation |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/05/30/preparing-for-takeoff-3 |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=Winnipeg Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Layout== thumb|Shops in Winnipeg Walkway connecting Portage Place to the Hydro building
Portage Place spans three floors, totalling {{convert|439600|sqft|m2}}.<ref name="Uniter">{{cite news|last=Cabel|first=Ethan|url=http://uniter.ca/view/3752|title=Portage Place is 'cheap' without the 'chic'|date=17 March 2010|newspaper=The Uniter|access-date=4 January 2013}}</ref> The only remaining anchor store is currently Shoppers Drug Mart as Staples closed in 2020. Portage Place is also known for being a central hub of the Winnipeg Walkway, connecting to Cityplace, Canada Life Centre, and to the now empty Hudson's Bay.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kives |first1=Bartley |author-link1=Bartley Kives |date=23 Apr 2022 |title=Returning land and staving off decay: What the transfer of the Bay building means to Winnipeg |work=CBC News |agency=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/downtown-winnipeg-bay-transfer-1.6427921}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" />
The mall had a fountain which would shoot a 16 metre high stream of water approximately every 3 minutes. This required the use of a fire hose nozzle, which is welded into the base of the fountain.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sanderson |first=David |date=13 June 2009 |title=Pondering in Portage Place |work=Winnipeg Free Press |pages=F3}}</ref> The fountain was removed in 2025.
=== Edmonton court clock === thumb|upright|Edmonton Court clock tower|leftThe Edmonton atrium contains a clock tower known as the Edmonton Court Clock. The clock was first unveiled in 1903 for installation in the dome of Winnipeg's original city hall. After the city hall was demolished in 1961, components of the clock were retained. The clock was unveiled a second time in 1987 when it was reinstalled in Portage Place following redevelopment of the site.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="ClockDowntownPlaces">{{cite web |date=12 November 2010 |title=Downtown Places: Edmonton Court Clock |url=http://winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.ca/2010/11/downtown-places-edmonton-court-clock.html |access-date=2 January 2013 |publisher=Winnipeg Downtown Places}}</ref>
The original city hall clock featured four clock faces, each measuring 2.1 metres (7 feet) in diameter and made of crushed glass. The weights used to balance the pendulum weighed 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) each.<ref name="ClockDowntownPlaces" />
The clock mechanism was manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Company. The contract to procure and install the clock was awarded to local jeweller George Andrew of Andrew and Co.<ref name="ClockDowntownPlaces" />
During redevelopment in the 1980s, remaining clock components were moved to Portage Place. The current clock uses replica faces and hands, and its bells are not original to the 1903 installation. The chimes are now electronic rather than mechanical. After installation at Portage Place, the clock was inoperable for several years due to contractor damage and later vandalism.<ref name="ClockDowntownPlaces" />
== References == <references />
==Further reading== *{{Cite news|url=http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/09/19/portage-place-time-to-tear-it-down-and-start-anew |title=Portage Place: Time to tear it down and start anew? |first=Tessa |last=Vanderhart |newspaper=Winnipeg Sun |date=September 22, 2012 |access-date=April 21, 2014}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{official website|http://www.portageplace.mb.ca}}
{{Shopping Malls in Winnipeg}} {{TrueNorthSportsEntertainment}}
Category:Shopping malls in Winnipeg Category:Shopping malls established in 1987 Category:1987 establishments in Manitoba Category:Buildings and structures in downtown Winnipeg