Portage and Main concourse businesses face uncertain future as intersection is set to reopen to foot traffic
Spokesperson for mayor's office says there are no immediate plans to close down space
Coming July 1, Portage and Main will reopen to pedestrians after being closed to foot traffic for 46 years, but some business owners who work underneath the city's most famous intersection are concerned about the long-term plan for the space.
Last year Eric Chi, owner of the Eshel Tree restaurant, signed a five-year contract to rent a spot in the concourse underneath Portage and Main, also known as the circus.
At the time, council had yet to decide to reopen the intersection to foot traffic, but Chi said the city, which rents businesses in the circus, told him that if the concourse level were to shut down, it wouldn't happen anytime soon.
"That's why I signed the contract," he said.
Since then, the city released a report that said fixing a leaky membrane at Portage Avenue and Main Street in order to protect the city-owned underground pedestrian crossing would create traffic delays for four or five years and cost at least $73 million — work that would need to be repeated in another few decades.
The business owner is concerned about what that construction work would mean for his business if it were to happen, including how much construction would disrupt foot traffic at the circus or any temporary closures of his business.
"I'm not against the city's decision, but my biggest concern is, I want to know as soon as possible what's going to happen," Chi said. "I have to adjust my business volume."
But he is also concerned the city might decide to shut down the space altogether.
"If we have to move, you know, will [the city] pay for the relocation of the store?" he said.
Concourse stays open, for now
Coun. Jeff Browaty, who chairs the standing policy committee on finance and economic development, told CBC the city will keep the circus open and maintained for now, given there's no immediate threat of it collapsing nor a need to close it immediately due to its deterioration.
The councillor recently pushed for an amendment to look into other alternatives to keep the space open and repair it for a smaller price tag and with fewer traffic interruptions.
The city also has yet to look at how much it will cost to close the site permanently and how long that would take, Browaty said. The cost difference between retrofitting and shuttering the underground concourse would be key for the city to take next steps.
"Once that is all known, decisions can be made," he said.
But he acknowledged the uncertainty is challenging for businesses on the circus and those nearby in underground retail spaces, such as Winnipeg Square, that continue to recover from the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The councillor is also concerned about how closing the circus will affect traffic at businesses in the privately owned properties that are connected via the concourse to all corners of Portage and Main.
"If you want to expand, if you want to invest in your business, that makes those types of decisions tough," he said.
Christine Neustaeter, owner of the Eye Go Mobile Optical, an eye care centre in one of those privately owned business strips, said the mall has retailers, like Shoppers Drug Mart and UPS, that would likely continue bringing customers close to her store.
"I know there's still going to be traffic going past us," she said, but there is still uncertainty.
With the reopening of the intersection, she is expecting more people to visit during the winter than in the summer, and if the concourse were to shut down, that could dent foot traffic as well.
"I really want to stay, but we have to see how it goes," she said. "It's already been a little tough post-COVID. [I] really would just like to see more lively things happening … more opportunity for business moving in."
A spokesperson for Mayor Scott Gillingham's office told CBC there are no immediate plans to close the concourse.
The city is also in consultation with property owners to discuss options for the space while getting further assessment about the condition of the concrete above and below the space, the spokesperson said.
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba, which represents buildings linked to the Winnipeg Square concourse, said in a statement that building owners have made significant investments in order to upgrade their respective sections of the concourse, and the city should be expected to do the same.
While the concourse is kept open, Chi said the city needs to improve its maintenance to help businesses.
"It's not safe, it's not clean," he said. "That keeps people from coming to the concourse level."
With files from Mike Arsenault