Health Care hub and housing coming to Portage Place
Posted April 5, 2024 8:20 pm.
The former IMAX theatre at Portage Place will turn into a hub for health care in Winnipeg’s downtown.
The province announced Friday that they have signed a letter of intent with True North Real Estate Development to turn the space into the Health Care Centre of Excellence.
“It meets many of the needs that we have to make our city, our downtown, our province that great shinning beacon that we want it to be for the future. We want better health care in Manitoba, we want to revitalize downtown, we want a safe Portage Place,” said Premier Wab Kinew at the announcement.
The 300,00 sq. ft. 12-story space will feature a primary-care clinic, mental health and addictions supports and renal dialysis services. It will also see the Pan Am Clinic expand.
The province agreed to lease the space for 35 years, with the cost for the new health services and lease being $77 million each year, Kinew told reporters.
Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2025, with work on the space to be completed by 2028.
“This commitment triggers a series of major waterfalls moving from east to west to the south and then to the north,” said Jim Ludlow, president of True North Real Estate Development.
True North Real Estate Development and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization have also signed a letter of intent to co-own a 15-story multi-family residential tower at the west pad of Portage Place.
Construction on the tower is expected in 2025, with the project set to be completed in 2026.
“Where would downtown Winnipeg be today, what would the future look like if we weren’t coming together, working together,” said Jerry Daniels, Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization.
