This
is perhaps Winnipeg's most recognizable skyscraper. At 32
stories, it is the largest in the city, and the tallest
in Canada between Toronto and Calgary. In addition to its
office use, the building includes an underground shopping
mall. The skyscraper was built on top of an existing 40,000
square foot telecommunications center which was kept in
operation during construction. The developers of the project
pride themselves on the fact that they managed to have its
466,755 square feet of rentable space 95% leased by completion.
This, at a time when Winnipeg's downtown office market was
flat. This should be a lesson to others; the reason so many
firms were eager to move into the new building was because
it was a signature tower and a landmark for the city. Instead
of just another black glass block to be ignored, it became
a focal point drawing both second glances and all-important
dollars. The Toronto Dominion Centre is also noted for a
less-glamorous reason. It comprises one of four corners
that make up what is considered the windiest intersection
in Canada. The wind blows off the Rocky Mountains, across
2,000 kilometers of prairie, and up the "Portage Avenue
Wind Tunnel" to Main Street.
