IanO said:
More progress and momentum for Portage Place in Downtown Winnipeg. Over to you ECC/Canderel/NACG et al.

canada.constructconnect.com

Winnipeg’s Portage Place shopping mall to be redeveloped - Journal Of Commerce

True North Real Estate Development has announced it intends to redevelop Portage Place, a mixed-use shopping mall in downtown Winnipeg. In its place will be a campus that connects a health care centre, affordable and family housing, a full-size grocery
canada.constructconnect.com canada.constructconnect.com
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Love it. I think you're sending that to the wrong people though or are we being Cc'd? 😉
 
I think it is fair to look at what may work there to consider what possibilities could work here.

However, there are lots of differences between there and here. So, I don't think it could be something that we could just copy, but some aspects might fit.
 
IanO said:
'However, there are lots of differences between there and here.'

Such as?
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- there is a fairly significant difference in population
- Winnipeg is the largest and only major city in its province
- Very different economy and economic cycles
- Winnipeg was the historic financial centre for Western Canada and remains that for the eastern prairies
- Edmonton is a much newer/younger city
- Edmonton has recent ICE district development

Not to say there are no similarities, but there are lots of significant differences too.
 
David A said:
- there is a fairly significant difference in population
- Winnipeg is the largest and only major city in its province
- Very different economy and economic cycles
- Winnipeg was the historic financial centre for Western Canada and remains that for the eastern prairies
- Edmonton is a much newer/younger city
- Edmonton has recent ICE district development

Not to say there are no similarities, but there are lots of significant differences too.
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We’ve done this dance before. Let me tell you as somebody who has lived in both cities and know them both fairly well — something like Portage Place’s redevelopment could basically be copy and pasted to Edmonton and it would work quite nicely. Not as sexy as an urban format Canadian Tire, but would be much better than exists with City Centre and would serve the existing community far better.

The socioeconomic conditions between both cities downtowns are remarkably similar, regardless of the other differences that exist between the two cities. Winnipeg is a historic financial hub but it’s nothing more than a regional outpost now, much like Edmonton. Winnipeg’s True North Square area is pretty much a scaled down to size version of Ice District— complete with central plaza and banks and patio bars too. The vibrancy levels are very similar, the retail exodus is similar, the level of gentrification is similar, the demographics are similar, the rise in chaos is similar, etc etc etc. That’s not to say Downtown Edmonton and Downtown Winnipeg don’t have clear differences, especially in terms of the urban fabric (Edmonton will never have an Exchange), but the vibe and conditions on the ground are super similar. Much more than Calgary or Ottawa, despite their similar size.
 
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I wouldn't dismiss the differences despite some apparent similar socioeconomic conditions. What is happening in Winnipeg seems to involve some government initiative that probably wouldn't happen here, because provincially the government here is really not that focused on the city. It is a very different political dynamic there, with only one large city in the province.
 
David A said:
I wouldn't dismiss the differences despite some apparent similar socioeconomic conditions. What is happening in Winnipeg seems to involve some government initiative that probably wouldn't happen here, because provincially the government here is really not that focused on the city. It is a very different political dynamic there, with only one large city in the province.
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The point is that something like the Portage Place redevelopment, if copy-pasted to Edmonton @ City Centre, would work as a beneficial improvement for the area, because of the existing conditions in both cities' downtowns. You pointed out one political difference - yes a big one - but it's the only major difference in this particular case. I wouldn't discount the province aiding in the financing of a similar project here, considering they've already thrown money at increased security measures, but I'm not holding my breath. Still doesn't mean something like that redevelopment couldn't happen in Edmonton, just the specifics of how it comes to fruition may be different.

Frankly, I don't get why you're so against Edmonton looking at what other cities are doing and being inspired by it. Purely unique, made-in-Edmonton solutions that come from nowhere but this region isn't very realistic for everything. Everything references and influences other things; it's hard to make something truly original, and seeking what other cities, like Calgary and Winnipeg, with many similarities in different regards to Edmonton, are doing, isn't a bad idea. They offer realistic ideas that could be tweaked to fit the Edmonton context. But also, there's nothing wrong with being inspired by completely different places either, if warranted. There's things Edmonton could learn from Medellin and Christchurch and Sapporo too.
 
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