The lack of new development, mixed with the existing demand for inexpensive wholesaling and manufacturing space, left the Exchange District largely intact.

[5] In the early 1980s the streetscaping in the area was improved with the creation of wider sidewalks, historically appropriate street furniture, lighting, and decorative paving patterns and materials.

[2] On September 27, 1997, the Winnipeg Exchange District was declared a National Historic Site by then-federal Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps.

[6] The Exchange District is one of Winnipeg's commercial and cultural centers, with an array of specialty retailers, restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, wholesalers, and condos.

[7] The west side of the Exchange is home to Cinematheque, a small movie theatre located on the main floor of the Artspace building on Albert Street.

The Roblin Centre's construction merged five prominent heritage buildings on Princess Street as well as a 1905 warehouse on William Avenue.

[13] The Institute is located at the Union Bank Building, an 11-storey structure that dates back to 1903,[13] and is the home of the Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Professional Baking and Patisserie programs.

Its cobblestone streets and friendly pedestrian environment also contribute to The Exchange District's popularity as a period backdrop for the movie industry.

Originally located on the site of what is now the Public Safety Building, it was the centre of Winnipeg's early commercial trade.

Repairs for the structure are planned for the spring of 2013 and are expected to include fixes for faulty lights and cooling fans, additional railings and handrails, alterations to the rear of the stage and accessibility improvements.

The proposed pedestrian mall would be located along two blocks of Albert Street to the Old Market Square and closed to automobile traffic.

The hope of the mall would be to accentuate the uniqueness of the neighbourhood, attract workers from Portage and Main, and be sustained over the long-term with residential development in the area.

Liberal Senator Rod Zimmer won the bidding process through his proposed $10-million development plan which would include a boutique hotel (restaurant, meeting space) and marina.

[28] The district lends itself to pedestrian travel: over 44.3% of employed respondents stated walking as their primary mode of transportation, significantly higher than the 4.9% reported for the entire city.