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Historic Sites of Manitoba: Polo Park Racetrack / Polo Park Shopping Centre (Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)This six-furlong (three-quarters of a mile) horse racing track in Winnipeg was established in 1925. The facility included a two-storey, clubhouse and grandstands with a capacity to hold 4,000 people. They were designed by the local architectural firm of Pratt and Ross and built by the Northern Construction Company at a cost of about $150,000. In 1935, new grandstands were designed by local architect George Gaspar Teeter and were constructed by contractor Theodore Bockstael at a cost of about $38,000. Replaced by Assiniboia Downs, in the late 1950s the site was developed into a shopping mall by the architectural firm of Green Blankstein Russell. An arena and stadium adjacent to the mall were developed in the early 1950s. On 6 May 1959, Simpson-Sears (later known only as Sears) opened as the anchor store in the mall and it was later joined by Eatons. Sears closed in 2017.
See also:
Sources:“Tenders close for race track,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 March 1925, page 1. “Contract let for new Polo Racing Track,” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 March 1925, page 1. “Permit taken out for new local race track,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 April 1925, page 5. “Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 February 1935, page 5. “Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 March 1935, page 5. “Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 March 1935, page 3. We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here. This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and George Penner. Page revised: 26 September 2023
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