News

Harvard Developments Inc. and its Building Partners are proud to announce BMO Bank of Montreal as the newest major tenant of 201 Portage, Winnipeg’s premier office tower. The Canadian investment and financial services company will be creating a revolutionary 6,000 sq. ft., full-service branch on the main floor of 201 Portage, establishing a powerhouse presence at the iconic intersection of Portage and Main. 

BMO employees from the Winnipeg Main and the Portage & Hargrave branches will relocate to 201 Portage, which will become the new flagship branch for BMO’s financial service offering in Winnipeg. The targeted opening date for the branch is summer 2020.

The new BMO branch will face southeast toward the intersection occupying the dynamic curved space on the building’s main floor, a space which has never been leased in the building’s history. In order to accommodate the branch, the previously unused pedestrian breezeway will be incorporated. The repurposing of the exterior breezeway was recently approved by Winnipeg City Council.

Harvard Developments Inc. and its Building Partners have also recently revealed multimillion dollar renovation plans that will transform the experience of the building’s lobby and main entrance to the bank. The renovations will commence this fall and are expected to be completed in conjunction with BMO’s branch development.

“We’re thrilled to welcome BMO and honoured that Canada’s oldest and most progressive financial institution has chosen to make a statement by consolidating all its lines of business at 201 Portage,” said Rosanne Hill Blaisdell, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at Harvard Developments Inc. “The commitment made by a national corporate leader like BMO is a resounding endorsement that the heart of the finance and business district of Winnipeg remains at Portage & Main.”

This announcement is the latest chapter in the growing fanfare and leasing momentum for the property. In 2018, a contemporary new concourse that features a modern food market and state of the art conference centre was introduced – a project that garnered attention as a 2018 Commerce Design Winnipeg Award Winner.