Re: Portage & Main reopening no quick fix, July 11.

I would have to agree with Lindor Reynolds when she predicts that the reopening of Portage and Main to pedestrians alone will not do so much to bring life to that part of the downtown again. The reason is that the office buildings that now make up the corner have no real street presence to the pedestrian. If you look at pictures of the intersection in its heyday, you notice a strongly pedestrian-oriented corner. There was a mixture of retail shops and services at street level, small shops and banks were neighbours. This is what created the busy pedestrian environment then and this is what created that vibrancy that Reynolds is probably correct in assuming will not return to the corner once it is opened to pedestrians.

I do think the corner can be returned to something close to its former glory but it will probably require a 24-hour reopening of the corner, renovations to the ground levels of some of the corner's buildings, and the eventual construction of a rapid transit station under the concourse that would funnel Winnipeggers into Winnipeg Square and onto the street.