Announced as TD Centre in November 1987, the 33-storey building was constructed between 1988 and 1990 by the Toronto Dominion Bank for $38,000,000. The construction of 201 Portage required the demolition of the Childs Building at 211 Portage. When the Childs Building was constructed in 1909, it was the tallest building in Winnipeg. The Childs Building had been 12 storeys above ground, and tall. A smaller twin building was planned but never built. Originally built by the TorontoDominion Bank, the skyscraper was acquired by Canwest to serve as the company's main corporate headquarters. Global Winnipeg moved its operations to 201 Portage on September 1, 2008. Having declared bankruptcy and sold its media properties, Canwest has vacated the premises; its main successor Shaw Media retained only the lease for the 30th floor, where the Global Winnipeg studios were located before their move to a building near CF Polo Park owned by the same company that manages the shopping centre property. On 11 January 2011, the Canwest sign and logo were removed. The penthouse stayed vacant after Canwest's departure in November 2010, until late 2012 when RBC-Dominion Securities relocated to it from the Richardson Building. Currently, the building is branded as "201 Portage". The building was managed by Creswin Properties, a real-estate companyprivately owned by the Asper family that owned Canwest, until early 2014. The building was acquired under new ownership in May 2014 and is owned by Portage & Main Development Ltd., a private corporation whose shareholders include 201 Portage Equities Inc. and Harvard Developments Inc.
Description
The 33-storey, building stands tall, making it the tallest building in Winnipeg. It is taller than the next tallest building in Winnipeg, the Richardson Building, which is located across the street. It is the tallest building between Toronto and Calgary, and has been since its construction. 201 Portage is connected to Winnipeg Square and the Winnipeg Walkway system via an underground concourse. The building is certified as BOMA BEST level 3.
