Councillors help move Portage and Main tower’s redevelopment plan forward

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/06/2019 (2292 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of the 201 Portage Avenue office tower is past the first hurdle to redevelop its portion of the corner of Main and Portage.

Councillors of the property and development committee Monday unanimously endorsed a planning department recommendation to remove an easement given to the city in 1988 that created a covered walkway on the outside of the tower along Main Street.

Roseanne Hill Blaisdell, managing director and chief operating officer of Harvard Developments, which owns the office tower, said her firm plans a major redevelopment of the building lobby and exterior, including converting the covered walkway — formally known as the arcade — for a prime tenant.

The committee’s move came despite concerns raised by Coun. Jeff Browaty, who said the city should try to exploit the developer’s situation and get something in return for giving up the easement.

Browaty said the easement had an undefined value, a position not supported by Hill Blaisdell and planning department staff.

“There is a commercial value to that (easement),” Browaty said. “I’m questioning why there is no payment to the city in exchange for removing (the easement).”

The arcade was required by city hall from the original owners of the tower by city hall, as a way to offer protection to pedestrians from winds at the corner.

Architect Michael Banman told the committee that costly barricades were originally placed on the sidewalk redirecting pedestrians through the covered walkway but people walked over the barricades, which were later stolen.

Banman said the covered walkway is now only being used by smokers.

The covered walkway was considered “something that could work at the time,” John Kiernan, director of the planning, property and development department, said. “It has not been used for the purpose it was designed to be 30 years ago.”

Hill Blaisdell said part of the redevelopment of the tower includes using the covered walkway, which would open a 5,000-square-foot area for development.

Formal removal of the easement still needs approval from council.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca