[Gronk!]

Taken before Oxford screwed up the mall. There were 4 levels, plus 2 food courts in the basement level (one in the east mall and the other in the west mall). You can see Starbucks in the basement level and Eddie Bauer where Shoppers is now.

 

[cmd uw]

No doubt the proximity has some impact, but Kingway opened in the mid 1970's and City Centre was fairly full until at least the mid 2010's.

And what's happened to malls and retail landscape during that period? A lot - the number of department stores that used to anchor these types of shopping centres has evaporated, and so forth. Furthermore, Kingsway has solidified itself as 1 of the 3 'fortress malls' that exist in Edmonton and was in a stronger position then ECC for decades. That type of competition in a market this size, well, the outcome shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[David A]

Yes, Kingsway was fairly well managed during that time, City Centre mall was not. Ownership has changed since then, so thank god Oxford who screwed it up big time is gone.

Bad management I think that is the most significant thing that happened during that period. Regarding anchors, its now been decades since Eatons and Woodwards closed.

The latter was a good anchor imo, but the former and the Bay really not so much.

 

[Gronk!]

Taken before Oxford screwed up the mall. There were 4 levels, plus 2 food courts in the basement level (one in the east mall and the other in the west mall). You can see Starbucks in the basement level and Eddie Bauer where Shoppers is now.

Edmonton City Centre mall today

 

[IanO]

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

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

 

[TAS]

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

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

Love it. I think you're sending that to the wrong people though or are we being Cc'd?

 

[David A]

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]

'However, there are lots of differences between there and here.'

Such as?

 

[archited]

Winni VS Edmo

 

[IanO]

Edmonton could not be more like Winnipeg if it tried.

 

[supaflyryguy]

Edmonton could not be more like Winnipeg if it tried.

Other than being Canadian capital cities in the prairies there's almost nothing similar.

 

[David A]

'However, there are lots of differences between there and here.'

Such as?

- 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.

 

[dunno]

- 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.

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.

 

[IanO]

Bingo.

 

[David A]

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.