Winnipeg Square
Winnipeg Square is an underground shopping and mixed-use complex at Winnipeg's Portage and Main intersection, connected to the city's downtown walkway system.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Winnipeg Square, also known as the Shops of Winnipeg Square, is an underground shopping centre and mixed-use urban complex in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. It occupies a strategically important position beneath and around the Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection, one of the city's principal commercial and office nodes. The complex was developed in 1979 by the architectural firm Smith Carter Parkin for the Trizec Corporation, reflecting the period's emphasis on integrating office towers, retail space, pedestrian circulation and parking into Winnipeg's downtown core. The shopping area contains stores and restaurants serving office workers, residents and visitors moving through the central business district. Its most distinctive feature is its connection to the Winnipeg Walkway system. Through an underground concourse and a roundabout-like pedestrian circulation network, Winnipeg Square links the four corners of Winnipeg's main office district, allowing people to travel between buildings and retail destinations without crossing the busiest surface intersections. The complex has been estimated to receive approximately 16,000 weekday visitors or passers-through, although that figure is a traffic estimate rather than a reported retail-sales measure. Winnipeg Square forms part of a broader property grouping that includes the 300 Main residential tower, the 330 Main street-level retail complex and 360 Main, formerly known as the Commodity Exchange Tower or the Trizec Building. This relationship gives the site a mixed-use character rather than that of a stand-alone enclosed mall. The associated Winnipeg Square parkade is a heated, 936-stall parking facility located between Portage Avenue and Graham Avenue and between Main Street and Fort Street. The garage supports access to the complex and the wider downtown area. Ownership and redevelopment have changed over time. In September 2007, Crown Realty Partners acquired Winnipeg Square and the former Commodity Exchange tower from Oxford Properties Group and GE Capital Canada Inc. for approximately $102.5 million. In 2008, the Shops of Winnipeg Square and the 360 Main lobby began a reported $3 million upgrade. The City of Winnipeg sold the parkade to the owners of the Commodity Exchange and Winnipeg Square in 2009 for approximately $23.6 million. In 2010, Artis Real Estate Investment Trust acquired the remaining 62 percent interest in the former Commodity Exchange Tower and Winnipeg Square complex for approximately $70.7 million. The precinct has continued to evolve alongside downtown Winnipeg. The construction of the 42-storey 300 Main apartment complex prompted further improvements to Winnipeg Square, including the construction of two escalators. A GoodLife Fitness facility was also planned for 330 Main, with an expected opening in 2020 according to the cited reference material. Nearby office tenancy has changed as well: Scotiabank moved its regional headquarters from 200 Portage Avenue to True North Square while retaining a branch at the former location. Winnipeg Square therefore functions simultaneously as a retail destination, a pedestrian connector, a parking asset and a component of a larger downtown real-estate portfolio.
History
Winnipeg Square was created as part of the redevelopment and modernization of Winnipeg's downtown commercial core. Designed in 1979 by Smith Carter Parkin for the Trizec Corporation, it placed retail activity and pedestrian circulation below one of the city's most prominent intersections, Portage Avenue and Main Street. The development model combined underground shops and restaurants with office properties, structured parking and a weather-protected walkway system. This arrangement was particularly significant in Winnipeg, where winter conditions make enclosed pedestrian links useful for downtown workers and visitors. The resulting complex became known as Winnipeg Square and, in retail contexts, as the Shops of Winnipeg Square. Its underground concourse connected with the Winnipeg Walkway, creating routes between the four corners of the central office district. The site was not simply a conventional shopping mall: it operated as part of a connected urban property network that included office towers, surface retail and parking facilities. The former Commodity Exchange Tower, later renamed 360 Main, was a central component of that network. The broader grouping also came to include 300 Main, a high-rise residential development, and 330 Main, a street-level retail component. Ownership shifted during the 2000s. In September 2007, Toronto-based Crown Realty Partners bought Winnipeg Square and the former Commodity Exchange tower from Oxford Properties Group and GE Capital Canada Inc. The reported transaction value was approximately $102.5 million. In 2008, the owner undertook a reported $3 million upgrade to the shopping centre and the 360 Main lobby. These works were intended to improve the appearance and usability of the connected retail and office environment. The parking component also changed hands. Winnipeg Square's parkade is a heated garage with 936 stalls, situated between Portage Avenue and Graham Avenue and between Main Street and Fort Street. City documents cited in the reference material indicated that the facility generated a $1.5 million profit in 2008. In 2009, the City of Winnipeg sold the parkade to the owners of the Commodity Exchange and Winnipeg Square for approximately $23.6 million. The transaction included approximately $400,000 in real-estate fees paid to Shindico, the Winnipeg firm that brokered the sale. In 2010, Artis Real Estate Investment Trust acquired the remaining 62 percent interest in the former Commodity Exchange Tower and Winnipeg Square complex for approximately $70.7 million. This consolidated the property relationship between the retail centre, office tower and associated assets under a major real-estate owner. The available reference material does not establish the current ownership structure or provide a current operating company for the shopping centre. Winnipeg Square has also been affected by wider changes in the downtown area. Scotiabank's regional headquarters at nearby 200 Portage Avenue opened on September 13, 1979, but the bank later moved its headquarters to True North Square while retaining a branch at 200 Portage. More recently, construction of the 42-storey 300 Main apartment complex led to additional work at Winnipeg Square, including two new escalators. A GoodLife Fitness gym was planned for 330 Main and was expected to open in 2020. The complex consequently remains a mixed-use downtown connector whose role combines retail, food service, office circulation, residential access and parking rather than relying solely on destination shopping.
- 2010
Artis REIT acquires the remaining complex interest
[1]Artis Real Estate Investment Trust acquired the remaining 62 percent interest in the former Commodity Exchange Tower and Winnipeg Square complex for approximately $70.7 million.
- 2009
Winnipeg Square parkade changes ownership
[1]The City of Winnipeg sold the heated 936-stall parkade to the owners of Winnipeg Square and the former Commodity Exchange property for approximately $23.6 million.
- 2008
Retail centre and tower lobby upgrade begins
[1]The owner began a reported $3 million improvement program for Winnipeg Square and the 360 Main lobby.
- 2007
Crown Realty Partners purchases the complex
[1]Crown Realty Partners acquired Winnipeg Square and the former Commodity Exchange tower from Oxford Properties Group and GE Capital Canada Inc. for approximately $102.5 million.
- 1979
Winnipeg Square opens as an underground downtown complex
[1]Smith Carter Parkin designed the complex for the Trizec Corporation, integrating underground retail with office-district pedestrian circulation.
300 Main development brings further changes
[1]Construction of the 300 Main residential tower was accompanied by a Winnipeg Square makeover and construction of two escalators.
Products and positioning
A downtown Winnipeg underground retail and pedestrian hub integrated with office, residential, parking and other commercial properties.
Underground shopping centre · 1979
The Shops of Winnipeg Square
The principal retail component of Winnipeg Square is an underground collection of shops and restaurants serving downtown workers, residents and visitors. Its value comes partly from its location below Portage Avenue and Main Street and partly from its integration with the Winnipeg Walkway, which gives customers access to a wider network of offices and commercial buildings.
Pedestrian infrastructure · 1979
Winnipeg Square Concourse
The concourse connects Winnipeg Square with the city's underground walkway network. It helps link the four corners of Winnipeg's main office district through protected pedestrian routes and an underground roundabout-style circulation system.
Parking facility
Winnipeg Square Parkade
The associated parkade is a heated, 936-stall parking garage located between Portage Avenue and Graham Avenue and between Main Street and Fort Street. It supports access to Winnipeg Square and the surrounding downtown properties.
Office tower · 1979
360 Main
Formerly called the Commodity Exchange Tower and the Trizec Building, 360 Main is part of the mixed-use property grouping associated with Winnipeg Square. Its lobby was included in the improvement program undertaken alongside the shopping centre in 2008.
Surface-level retail complex
330 Main
330 Main is the surface-level retail component associated with Winnipeg Square. Reference material describes plans for a GoodLife Fitness gym at this property, expected to open in 2020.
Residential tower
300 Main
300 Main is a 42-storey apartment development integrated into the wider Winnipeg Square precinct. Its construction prompted improvements to the shopping centre, including the installation of two escalators.
Brand decisions
2010
Artis REIT consolidates the complexM&ABackground
Artis Real Estate Investment Trust already held an interest in the former Commodity Exchange Tower and Winnipeg Square complex.
Action taken
Artis acquired the remaining 62 percent interest for approximately $70.7 million.
Aftermath
The transaction increased Artis's ownership of the connected retail and office property grouping.
Reported acquisition price. 38 percent interest → 100 percent interest (2010)
2009
Acquisition of the Winnipeg Square parkadeM&ABackground
The City of Winnipeg owned the heated parkade serving the downtown complex.
Action taken
The city sold the parkade to the owners of the Commodity Exchange and Winnipeg Square properties.
Aftermath
Parking ownership became aligned with the surrounding retail and office assets.
Reported sale price. $23.6 million (2009)
2008
Retail and office-lobby refurbishmentStrategyBackground
The owner sought to refresh the appearance and functionality of the connected underground shopping and office environment.
Action taken
A reported $3 million upgrade began at Winnipeg Square and the 360 Main lobby.
Aftermath
The work formed part of the property's repositioning within downtown Winnipeg's mixed-use core.
Reported upgrade cost. $3 million (2008)
2007
Crown Realty Partners acquires Winnipeg SquareM&ABackground
Winnipeg Square and the former Commodity Exchange tower were offered as a connected downtown retail and office property grouping.
Action taken
Crown Realty Partners purchased the assets from Oxford Properties Group and GE Capital Canada Inc. for approximately $102.5 million.
Aftermath
The new ownership initiated improvements to Winnipeg Square and the 360 Main lobby the following year.
Reported acquisition price. $102.5 million (September 2007)
Recent events
- 2010
Artis REIT acquires remaining interest in Winnipeg Square complex[1]
M&A
Artis Real Estate Investment Trust acquired the remaining 62 percent interest in the former Commodity Exchange Tower and Winnipeg Square complex for approximately $70.7 million.
- 2009
City sells Winnipeg Square parkade to complex owners[1]
M&A
The City of Winnipeg sold the 936-stall heated parkade associated with Winnipeg Square and the Commodity Exchange property for approximately $23.6 million.
- 2008
Winnipeg Square and 360 Main undergo a reported $3 million upgrade[1]
Other
The owners began improvements to the underground shopping centre and the lobby of 360 Main as part of an effort to refresh the connected downtown complex.
- 2007
Crown Realty Partners acquires Winnipeg Square and former Commodity Exchange tower[1]
M&A
Crown Realty Partners purchased Winnipeg Square and the former Commodity Exchange tower from Oxford Properties Group and GE Capital Canada Inc. for approximately $102.5 million.
300 Main construction prompts Winnipeg Square improvements[1]
Other
Construction of the 42-storey 300 Main apartment complex was accompanied by a makeover of Winnipeg Square and the installation of two escalators.
Sources1 sources
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