Stakeholders react to Winnipeg’s city council voting to open Portage and Main to pedestrians

It’s the heart of Winnipeg, and the heart of a long-running debate that now appears to be settled.

Thursday evening, Winnipeg’s city council voted “yes” to reopening the city’s iconic Portage and Main intersection to pedestrians by summer 2025 — coinciding with the city’s new transit system.

“It’s a good day. After 45 years of our signature intersection being a confusing, ugly embarrassment, I think this is good news for Winnipeg,” said Adam Dooley, who chaired the ‘Vote Open’ campaign in 2018.

That campaign pushed for Portage and Main to reopen, but a public plebiscite that year shut the idea down.

At least until now.

Jino Distasio, an urban geography professor with the University of Winnipeg said this is long overdue.

“The bustle of a city is above ground. When you see the coming and going, it adds to the vibrancy, and I think that’s always been missing here at Portage and Main,” he said.

5:15 Future plans for Winnipeg’s Portage and Main could benefit pedestrians, impact small business owners

But, Distasio also has concerns about closing the underground concourse below the intersection.

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“My hope is that we can find some way to save the underground, which is now strange because the debate has now shifted from above ground to below ground,” he said.

That concern is shared by Mike Publicover who runs Stonework’s Bistro in Winnipeg square.

“Of course, anything that impedes flow is going to be painful. So, I am concerned about that,” he said.

He said business at his bistro comes in flows, but he needs more. While the long-term residents in nearby towers are helping, closing the concourse would not.

“The other big concern for me is, you look up and down the mall (and) there’s so many empty spots now. That’s not going to help fill them,” he said.

Mayor Scott Gillingham has said repairing the membrane protecting the concourse would cost $73-million, and impede traffic for five years.

He said that cost would likely triple in a few decades.

“We need to look and say, ‘What do Winnipeggers 20 years from now need to decide today?’ Let’s make that decision,” he said.

As for closing the concourse, that’s estimated to cost between $20- and $50-million.

The mayor has asked the public service to look into the next steps for decommissioning it, which will include consultation with property owners and stakeholders.

— with files from Global’s Marney Blunt

0:58 Group representing building owners, managers calls on city to reconsider plan to close underground concourse