Carlton Inn demolition underway in downtown Winnipeg

Demolition crews have begun tearing down the Carlton Inn building in downtown Winnipeg this weekend.

CentreVenture, an arm's-length agency of the City of Winnipeg, bought the Carlton Street buildinglast year and said it would demolish itand replace it with a new hotel complex.

• CentreVenture acquires Carlton Inn, plans to redevelop it

The downtown development agency has been working on transformingthearea into a massive sports, hospitality and entertainment district (SHED).

The 11-block districtwould encompasstheMTSCentre, the Winnipeg Convention Centre, the Metropolitan Theatre, the Burton Cummings Theatre and a hotel complex that's under construction on Portage Avenue.

CentreVenture also bought the St. Regis Hotel on Smith Streetas part of its downtown revitalization plan.