Quote:
Originally Posted by cheswick
In all fairness, is it possible to do anything that isn't an improvement over the status quo? That mall hasn't been updated since it was opened 30 years ago. They replace floor tiles with mismatched ones. They run the escalators backwards to every other place on the continent. I get that it was a failure of a mall from day one, but I honestly think poor management has brought it down to the level it is today. Even ten or 15 years ago it was a better mall and I'd say downtown was less vibrant then.
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I have been going to Portage Place pretty regularly since it opened in 1987. Admittedly I was pretty young for the first few years so I don't remember many details from the first few years, but it seems to break down into three phases.
1987-1998 - PP as normal regional mall with The Bay and Eaton's as de facto anchors
(Eaton's closes)
1999-2009 - PP as neighbourhood shopping centre with The Bay as de facto anchor
(Several major stores close including Holt Renfrew, McNally Robinson, Club Monaco, Marks & Spencer, Sports Experts, the cinemas close)
2010 - present - PP as distressed asset where you go to buy cheap cell phone cases and deep discount clothing in the few remaining stores that haven't become office space
Bottom line, it feels like the landlord pretty well gave up on the place about 10 years ago.