Canad Inns expands assets with purchase of old Somerset Place

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This article was published 17/05/2018 (2482 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canad Inns now owns the entire corner opposite Bell MTS Place, after purchasing the building at Donald Street and Portage Avenue.

Somerset Place, at 294 Portage, is now Canad Centre Downtown, a nine-storey office and commercial building with 135,000 square feet.

In a news release, Leo Ledohowski, Canad Inns executive chair, called the purchase of the 110-year-old heritage building “a strategic acquisition” that consolidates its presence downtown.

Canad Inns already owns buildings adjacent to the former Somerset Place.

The building next door on Portage is the Radisson Winnipeg Hotel, owned and operated by the Ledohowski hotel chain, with 263 guest rooms, banquet and conference facilities, and Resto 12 restaurant.

The building next door on Donald is the Met, which had been mothballed for 25 years before Canad Inns had it restored and reopened. The national historic site houses a food and beverage establishment and serves as a multi-purpose event centre. It is also a major venue for viewing home and away hockey games.

The former Somerset building was purchased from Public Capital Co., a property management firm in Winnipeg. Public Capital’s website lists Somerset Place as its headquarters and one of its four commercial properties, all of which are in Winnipeg’s downtown.

Somerset Place was built in 1908. It’s a mix of retail and office space with storage in the basement.

The Dollar Tree is located on its ground floor. Youth Employment Services, which helps young people find work, is also a tenant. Legal Aid Manitoba was a major tenant before leaving in 2011.

The building is attached to the downtown skywalk system and future plans are to attach the skywalk to the Met.

Canad Inns’ current plans are to operate the building in its present use, the company says.