It’s always a burning question when it comes to downtown development in Winnipeg: is the glass half full or half empty?
For the second straight quarter this year, there was a modest gain in new businesses opening up downtown. Six new businesses opened between April and June this year, according to the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. It’s a modest gain. Five businesses also closed during that period, so the net gain was only one.
Still, it comes after more businesses opened than closed in the first quarter of 2024. That’s in stark contrast to recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was a net loss of businesses downtown — or stagnation — for consecutive quarters.
The Downtown BIZ also announced this week in its second quarter report that there was a 23.5 per cent increase in downtown visitors compared with the same time frame in 2023. That’s encouraging. It’s certainly a glass half full.
But much of that has to do with special events, not day-to-day traffic from people frequenting bars, restaurants, retail and other downtown businesses. Some 10,000 people walked in the Pride parade in June and sporting events, such as Winnipeg Goldeyes and Winnipeg Jets games, continue to attract people downtown.
The common complaint about those events is most people flee to the suburbs after games or major events are over, instead of frequenting nearby bars and restaurants.
The downtown empties pretty quickly after a Jets game or a major concert at Canada Life Centre, even during favourable weather.
Part of the reason is public surveys continue to show many people don’t feel safe in the core area. To address that, the province has funded more downtown safety patrols. It helps but it has only put a dent in the problem.
The perception that downtown is not safe is backed up by statistics. According to the Winnipeg Police Service’s 2023 annual report, weapons crimes — including firearms, knives and bear spray — were far higher in the downtown compared with any other part of the city.
The vacancy rate downtown is also high at 18.6 per cent. There appears to be more empty street-level properties along Portage Avenue between Kennedy and Main streets than ever before. It’s not a good look.
Still, there has been a noticeable collective effort to develop the downtown over the past two years. More housing is going up, which is a key part of developing any downtown. And several groups and organizations are choosing to invest in the area. The Manitoba Métis Federation’s purchase of the old Bank of Montreal building at Portage and Main and the acquisition by the Southern Chiefs’ Organization of the former Hudson’s Bay building at Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard are notable examples.
True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Jets and Canada Life Centre, has gone above and beyond the call of duty in investing in the downtown, including its imminent purchase of Portage Place mall. True North Real Estate Development plans to turn the property into a multi-use complex, including a comprehensive health-care centre, affordable housing and a full-scale grocery store. If it comes to fruition, it would go a long way towards boosting an otherwise sagging stretch of Portage.
Taken together, it’s definitely a glass half full. The question now is, can the various levels of government and business organizations build on that and add more water to the glass?
That will take a concerted effort. The downtown needs more people living there and police, the city, the province and business groups have to figure out how to make the downtown a safer place to be. Not only do crime rates have to fall, public perception of the downtown needs to improve. That won’t happen until there are obvious signs of economic development in the area.
This is not a new problem. Downtown Winnipeg has struggled for decades. It’s gone through ebbs and flows over the years and every time there seems to be an upswing in downtown development, it fizzles for a variety of reasons.
All the stakeholders involved can’t let that happen this time. They have to harness the energy from new large-scale projects and build on them in a way that captures the public’s attention.
There is new momentum in the downtown. It’s up to everyone involved to capitalize on it.
tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
Tom Brodbeck
Columnist
Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom.
Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press’s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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