No money for Portage and Main, but Bowman hopefulDraft budget doesn't include any cash for initiative

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/portage-and-main- unlikely-to-be-open-to-pedestrians-by-summer-2017-402522565.html

Mayor Brian Bowman's dream of seeing Portage and Main opened to pedestrians by the 2017 Canada Summer Games is all but dashed after the city's preliminary budget didn't allocate any money for the project.

Bowman made removing barriers at the intersection one of his chief campaign pledges in the last municipal election and in June expressed a desire to see it open before the two-week event opens in July.

However, continued financial wrangling with owners of the buildings at the intersection prevented the city from including the project in the budget, Bowman told reporters Tuesday.

"It is premature to put anything in the budget when those discussions are happening with the property owners," he said. "It is not in the budget because we are not at the stage yet where there is something for council to consider... some of the issues that have been raised (by the property owners) is a desire for more investments — for the city to do its part — while the property owners have been investing millions of dollars in upgrades to their exterior and interior."

Budget documents outline more than $20 million in projects either cancelled ($10.6 million) or deferred ($9.5 million) to a later date.

The deferrals include a $2-million plan for fire and paramedic station maintenance, $300,000 for land acquisition, $500,000 for library refurbishment and $600,000 of library technical upgrades.

"The (preliminary) budget maps what we want to spend money on; the asks far surpass what are you are going to see in the (final) budget," Bowman said.

The city signed a 40-year agreement with property owners at Portage and Main in 1979 closing pedestrian traffic at street level, forcing people into the underground shopping mall.

The estimated cost of opening the intersection remains unclear. A traffic study prepared by Dillon Consulting has been in the hands of the city's administration for months.

Bowman isn't ready to throw in the towel for a summer opening.

"If we aren't able to do it by that date, we will try and get it done as soon as possible... it is being driven by discussions with the property owners," he said.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca