Quote:
Originally Posted by nordique
imagine if eatons was converted into condo/apartments?? daaamnnnn that'd be nuts. so many people!
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Alas reality struct those fantasies a deathblow. There was no demand to live there and no developer who wanted to lose hundreds of millions on such a project. Winnipeg has had no luck finding a developer for the Avenue Building either after so many years and it is a small fraction the size. If condos on Portage Avenue was viable it would have long been converted.
Could anyone imagine how hopelessly dark Portage would still be today if the decaying old Eaton's building was still standing. I am fairly confident even if Eaton's were still around as a department store, that location would have be closed. Being a centre of nastelga for the blue hairs, just didn't generate much revenue.
Today Winnipeg has the 3rd busiest arena in Canada. New reastaurants have opened up in the area and thousands of people who have ignored downtown for years are now making regular visits. IMO, the real potencial of it has not been fully realized, as of yet.