True North Square will bring grocery store to downtown Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — True North Square is taking shape and some of the main tenants were officially announced Wednesday.

The mixed-use development project will have four towers on site instead of three initially announced.

“I honestly believe the renaissance of our downtown is now well underway,” said Mark Chipman, with True North Sports and Entertainment.

Tower one is a 17-storey office building and will occupy anchor tenant Scotiabank and law firm Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP.

“A private downtown development like this happens once in a generation,” said Keith LaBossiere, with Thompson Dorfman Sweatman.” When we saw what True North was planning we had to join.”

Both businesses are currently located at Portage and Main.

“Our commitment to Portage and Main remains,” said Gillian Riley, with Scotiabank, “we will continue to have our strong retail branch present at that corner.”

But the law firm will not.  They will vacate four floors at 201 Portage.

“I want to make sure our downtown isn’t defined by one intersection,” said LaBossiere a partner at TDS, “so what we’re going to do is come to True North Square and make sure we grow the downtown.”

The officer tower will be completed in the summer of 2018.

It will be surrounded by three additional towers including a Sutton Place Hotel and Residence, restaurants, a spa, a fitness centre, and retail including Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries new flagship Liquor Mart.

Along with 275 rental apartments and condo units, True North also promises a grocery store.

“We know that with residences and hotel guests and tenants and people that are going to be using the plaza that an offering like that is critically important so the answer is we’ll deliver that,” said Jim Ludlow, President of True North Real Estate Development Limited.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We know that with residences and hotel guests and tenants and people that are going to be using the plaza that an offering like that is critically important so the answer is we'll deliver that," said Jim Ludlow, President of True North Real Estate Development Limited.

True North Square is a $400 million project.  The entire project will be completed in 2020.

READ MORE: True North Square will go ahead in downtown Winnipeg, officials say

Most of the project is funded with private money but the provincial and civic governments are splitting a $17.6 million dollar investment in public spaces around the project site.