The Manitoba government has signed an agreement with True North Real Estate Development, bringing the massive overhaul of the beleaguered Portage Place mall one step closer to fruition.
The mall, which first opened in 1987 in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, is set to be redeveloped into a multi-use campus, including housing, a state-of-the-art health care centre, and more.
Premier Wab Kinew announced Friday that the province has authorized the sale of the mall to True North, and is committed to the project long-term.
“Together, we are going to transform Portage Place into a centre where you can come to get the health care and the services you need,” the premier said in a statement.
“With this project, we can all feel more optimistic about the future of our downtown. This is a great example of what we can accomplish for the people of Manitoba when we work together.”
In addition to the 265,000-square-foot Healthcare Centre of Excellence, which is planned to include facilities for surgery, diagnostics, and primary care, as well as an expanded Pan Am Clinic, the new development will include public green spaces, a grocery store and a heritage park centred around reconciliation.
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True North has been working in coordination with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) on the plans for the development, which will also feature a 15-storey residential tower, with affordable housing prioritized.
SCO has also been actively working on the Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn project — the historic former Hudson’s Bay Company building across the street from the mall — the redevelopment of which is anticipated to include close to 300 housing units, a child-care centre, restaurants, a museum, art gallery, and more.
True North’s Jim Ludlow called the collaboration between the two organizations a “historic example of economic reconciliation.”
“Just before observing Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, True North and its partner, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, applaud the Manitoba government for its support of a revitalization project that contributes to our downtown,” Ludlow said, “including a leading state-of-the-art health facility, much-needed not-for-profit housing and wraparound community services.”
The $650-million Portage Place development is expected to play a large role in revitalizing the downtown core, with an estimated 1,800 full-time employees onsite, said economic development minister Jamie Moses.
“The future of Portage Place mall is an exciting opportunity for the province to work with our partners to create a downtown that Manitobans deserve.
“By addressing the housing, health care and public safety needs of the community, the project is an exciting beacon of what downtown Winnipeg can be. … [T]his is a legacy we can all take pride in.”
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