Portage and Main concourse decision not expected until 2027 

A city council decision on the future of the Portage and Main underground concourse will likely arrive no earlier than 2027.

Council’s property and development committee voted Friday to seek a full cost-benefit analysis and complete more consultation before deciding how best to deal with the property.

If council approves, that information — along with options to repair or shut down the site — is expected in January 2027, Coun. Evan Duncan, the committee’s chairman, said.

The vote comes after a consultant found it would cost about $11 million to fully decommission the Portage and Main underground concourse.

When a street-level reopening at the intersection was initially proposed in March 2024, Mayor Scott Gillingham called for the underground mall to close, based on an estimate that it would cost $73 million to repair a leaking membrane under the street.

Council voted to first require an assessment of the full cost and traffic impact of repairing the space before any closure.