A construction project in Winnipeg is set to change the downtown landscape. “It is part of an over a billion-dollar injection into our downtown, and it’s going to be transformative,” said Sean Kavanagh, senior director of strategic communications of True North Real Estate and Development (TNRED). The centre court, food court and skywalk at Portage Place were closed as of mid-July, while some of the existing retail stores will remain open. TNRED intends to build a new building called ‘Healthcare Centre of Excellence,’ featuring multiple health care services. “MRI, CT, diagnostics, day surgery, clinics, Pan Am Clinic—it will be a whole host of health services that will be available,” Kavanagh explained. The plan also includes affordable housing with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, based on call to action #92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The housing tower is projected to have more than 200 units, with up to 40 per cent of the units rented out at affordable rates. Kavanagh said the construction’s impact won’t be too heavy. “They’re doing work at Air Canada Window Park next door, and the lane has been closed for a year anyway,” he said. “Fortuitously, with the Transit Master Plan, the amount of busses actually coming down Portage Avenue has subsided substantially.” Air Canada Window Park was fenced off in September 2024 and demolished. Construction has been ongoing, and the city says it is on track to be done by late September this year. The redevelopment of Portage Place will unfold over the next three to four years, according to TNRED.
