It has been called the nicest office space between Calgary and Toronto, it has appeared in two Hollywood productions and it can be yours if the price is right.
The longtime home to Canwest Global Communications, the top three floors of 201 Portage Avenue in the heart of downtown Winnipeg has been put on the market by Creswin Properties.
The offices, which were designed by Canwest founder Izzy Asper, appeared in the 2004 Hollywood blockbuster Shall We Dance starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez and the made-for-television movie The Crooked E, which told the riches-to-rags story of Enron.
The 22,000 square feet over three floors, which has been empty since Canwest went bankrupt and was sold off last year, features a winding staircase, private elevator and an all-glass boardroom. It is expected to fetch approximately $19 per square foot per year.
Wayne Johnson, a commercial and leasing specialist with Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate, said the space would likely only be suitable for a head office operation. Considering Winnipeg has lost a number of corporate headquarters in the last couple of years, he's not optimistic that a single tenant could be found to fill it.
In fact, he said it's likely all three floors will be gutted.
"No matter how good it looks, most of the time, you're ripping it out," he said.
from Western Investor, March 2011
