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Development Issues
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April 4, 2013 |
City turns its back on 'Food Deserts' |
Jen Skerritt, Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg will not explore ways to encourage grocery stores to open in neighbourhoods in need after a city committee shot down the idea. Full Story (PDF) |
July 30, 2012 |
Rush to raze leaves lingering holes |
Brent Bellamy in the Winnipeg Free Press It is hoped that a new building will soon rise on the Shanghai site and the vacant lot will be a short-term condition. The damaging results, however, of previous demolition without firm plans for redevelopment can be seen across Winnipeg's checkered downtown. Full Story (PDF) |
April 20, 2012 |
Flames tear at heart of Exchange |
Gabrielle Giroday & Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press One of Winnipeg's oldest residential dwellings has been consumed by a $430,000 fire that destroyed an Exchange District heritage building and sent heavy smoke billowing across downtown. Full Story (PDF) |
April 19, 2012 |
Change in the East Exchange |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press Sunstone Group and Qualico Group plan to transform a windswept surface parking lot in the East Exchange District into a $35-million mixed-use development featuring 100 apartments, a parkade and some retail or office space. Full Story (PDF) |
April 4, 2012 |
Itching to move in |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press One of the city's most talked-about downtown revitalization projects - the $12.4-million conversion of the long-vacant Avenue and Hample buildings on Portage Avenue, is about to open to tenants. Full Story (PDF) |
July 18, 2011 |
A window to Exchange's future |
Colin Fast, Metro Sitting at the Fringe, he could see Old Market Square as a window to the future of the Exchange, but it would be nice if we could finish the Exchange District project. Full Story (PDF) |
July 2, 2011 |
City's downtown growing fastest |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press Downtown Residential Development Strategy identifies the Exchange District as the downtown neighbourhood with the most potential for population growth. Full Story (PDF) |
May 16, 2011 |
Winnipeg rethinks suburban sprawl |
Siri Agrell, The Globe and Mail "An unprecedented level of development is under way in the Manitoba capital, as Winnipeg attempts to reverse decades of movement out to the suburbs." Full Story (PDF) |
March 28, 2011 |
Downtown condos gaining steam |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press "One condominium developer is in the starting gate and another is pacing on the sidelines as the downtown revitalization effort picks up steam." Full Story (PDF) |
April 16, 2011 |
You can always go downtown |
Staff Writer, Winnipeg Free Press "taxpayer incentives are necessary if the city wants to find a use for older buildings while increasing the number of people living downtown ... $40 million sounds like a steep price to pay, but the cost of doing nothing is much more. Full Story (PDF) |
April 16, 2011 |
You can always go downtown |
Staff Writer, Winnipeg Free Press "taxpayer incentives are necessary if the city wants to find a use for older buildings while increasing the number of people living downtown ... $40 million sounds like a steep price to pay, but the cost of doing nothing is much more. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 4, 2011 |
Affordable on Waterfront |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press![]() |
May 3, 2010 |
Blot on downtown landscape |
Brent Bellamy, Number Ten Architectural Group, in Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg's history of building demolition to make way for open parking lots has left our downtown resembling the toothless grin of Bobby Clarke. Full Story (PDF) |
Apr 19, 2010 |
Crafting and Exchange Artwork |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press Exchange Community Church, which owns the building at 75 Albert St, wants to turn 22 studios into studio apartments. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 26, 2010 |
Time to renovate Winnipeg's 'living room' |
Peter Kaufmann in Winnipeg Free Press When we talk about our downtown we need to rethink our position. The $10 million is a great start but we need to spend $100 million or more to make an impact. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 26, 2010 |
Vibrant Downtown - Housing is just the start |
Stefano Grande, Exec. Dir, Downtown Wpg BIZ,in Winnipeg Free Press Politicians are eager to cut ribbons, but they need to follow a plan and leave behind not just housing units, but a fully revitalized downtown. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 26, 2010 |
Developers hail downtown housing aid |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press Developers say they got much of what they were hoping for in the announcement of new incentives for downtown residential projects Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 26, 2010 |
A boost for downtown housing |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press The city and province will offer up to $20 million of tax incentives to developers over the next 3 years in the hopes of creating 500 to 800 new units in downtown Winnipeg. Full Story (PDF) |
Feb 3, 2010 |
New Condos for Exchange |
Martin Cash, Winnipeg Free Press Condo development in Exchange District just got a boost with from Qualico Developments - a committment to build up to 150 units in seven retrofitted heritage buildings. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 11, 2010 |
Incentives seen as key in core |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press Things like loans, grants, tax breaks or rent subsidies could all be useful weapons in the battle to lure more retailers to the downtown. Full Story (PDF) |
Dec 5, 2009 |
MTS Centre freebies could boost downtown |
Morley Walker, Winnipeg Free Press How about a Downtowner Pass handed out to those whose full-time residence is downtown and would give them free access to any event at the MTS Centre? Full Story (PDF) |
Dec 2, 2009 |
Parkades need not be the ugly stepchild of the downtown |
Stefano Grande, Winnipeg Free Press Parking is only one piece of the downtown puzzle, but it's a crucial gear in the machine that drives development in a vibrant downtown community Full Story (PDF) |
Nov 17, 2009 |
Exchange makeover creates excitement |
Murray McNeill, Winnipeg Free Press THE largest residential conversion project in more than 20 years is being planned. Qualico wants to purchase six heritage buildings on Market and James avenues from Nygard International and convert them to residential/commercial use. Full Story (PDF) |
Nov 23, 2009 |
Parking is the problem, not the answer |
Robert Galston, Winnipeg Free Press With the Sports Manitoba development planning to demolish a small building built in 1884 to build a parking structure, and the Grain Exchange Annex scheduled for demolition to make way for a loading dock and parking structure, this aricle looks at the parking evils. Full Story (PDF) |
Nov 23, 2009 |
Arena not a panacea |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press "The [MTS Centre] has been an unqualified success. But the arena has not done a hell of a lot for Winnipeg’s underpopulated downtown. And to be frank, there was no way it could do anything in this regard. Full Story (PDF) |
July 28, 2009 |
Jewell #1: The Exchange District |
Regan Wolfrom, Blog The Exchange District, our #1 jewell is on its way to becoming a “world class” destination. Combined with several other attractions, the Exchange District has the potential to make Winnipeg a tourist destination. Link |
June 25, 2009 |
Affordable housing gets $24M |
Arielle Godbout, Winnipeg Free Press "All of us love our downtown, and ... we have to do more to revitalize the shopping district and the area around that," said Gord Mackintosh, the provincial minister of family services and housing. "And we know the most important way -- the most effective way -- to revitalize downtown is to have people living there." Full Story (PDF) |
June 18, 2009 |
Make the old new again |
Nicholas Hirst, Winnipeg Free Press [We should] use Portage and Main as a catalyst to make Portage Avenue what it once was: a place where people strolled and talked. Portage Avenue is our city's main artery and Portage and Main is the heart that makes it pump. Our Winnipeg should take the heart off life support. Full Story (PDF) |
May 23, 2009 |
Tax Trio |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press IF you love downtown Winnipeg and look forward to the day when the Exchange District is completely revitalized, it’s easy to be frustrated by the glacial pace of change. Here are three relatively simple things the city and province can do to open up the floodgates to more downtown residents. Full Story (PDF) |
May 1, 2009 |
Saving downtown a long-term venture |
Dan Lett , Winnipeg Free Press Naysayers may dump on the pace or the scale of CentreVenture's track record, but few can argue that these projects would have existed without the resources and stewardship of this agency. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 31, 2009 |
Loft-style apartments eyed for Exchange District |
CBC News Apartments are coming to the old Penthouse Furniture building in Winnipeg's Exchange District. Taurean plans to create 60 to 70 loft-style apartments, each about 800 square feet. For $750 a month, someone will be able to live like a millionaire artist living in TriBeCa, New York, he said. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 16, 2009 |
Saving downtown once more |
Dan Lett , Winnipeg Free Press Many believe we should make it more affordable for development by offering more money in up-front grants while also lowering property taxes on high-density residential development downtown. We've studied this one to death. Government may have been wagering that they could offer developers a few crumbs and get them downtown. The bluff didn't work, and it's time to get moving on new incentives. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 16, 2009 |
It's broke; here's how to fix it |
Murray McNeill , Winnipeg Free Press One of the city's key incentive programs for stimulating new downtown housing development is "useless" and need to be quadrupled to make such projects financially attractive, according to one downtown developer. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 12, 2009 |
Downtown dreams remain unfulfilled |
Nicholas Hurst , Winnipeg Free Press Downtown working in Winnipeg has not translated into downtown living, nor has it spurred, so far, the development of easy mass transit to bring folk from home. The question is why not? Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 7, 2009 |
District in need of direction: Realizing the Exchange's vast potential will take a co-ordinated effort |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press As any die-hard urbanist will tell you, the Exchange is the Winnipeg neighbourhood with the most potential for transforming the entire city. Achieving that goal is both incredibly easy and extremely complex. Governments love megaprojects, but small-scale incentives for businesses, developers and apartment owners could effectively transform the entire neighbourhood one building at a time. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 6, 2009 |
18 new towers for downtown? |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press Forecasts of future economic growth in Winnipeg, which predict up to 9,700 downtown jobs will be added over the next 25 years, suggest the core will require another 3.7 million square feet of office space, a figure that translates into 18 new buildings. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 3, 2009 |
One of the city's oldest structures to house group promoting heritage preservation |
Staff Writer, Winnipeg Free Press The city’s downtown development agency and the owners of Kelly House announced they had reached a deal to restore the diminutive 1880s building at 88 Adelaide Street in the Exchange District. Full Story (PDF) |
Mar 1, 2009 |
Perspective: all together now |
Chris Cariou , Winnipeg Free Press The new Sport Manitoba building: a true union of the young and the old -- today's athletes, grassroots or elite, together with tomorrow's potential Hall of Famers -- merging in a historic setting with the institution that honours those who have gone before. Full Story (PDF) |
Feb 23, 2009 |
Chill falls over condo development |
Murray McNeill , Winnipeg Free Press Developers for The Edge on Princess and the Residences on York haven't been affected by the credit crunch because their financing was in place before the financial crisis hit, but on a go-forward basis, money is going to be much harder to get. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 24, 2009 |
New parking to go inside historic facade |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press The 112-year-old building at the corner of King St. and Bannatyne Ave. will become an 186-stall parkade with 8,000 square feet of commercial space on the main floor and the red-brick facades on the building's north and east sides will be saved. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 22, 2009 | Hydro 'holding off' on plans for Exchange District Buildings |
Winnipeg Free Press Manitoba Hydro will make no moves to purchase and gut three historic buildings in the Exchange District until it consults with concerned citizens and business groups, utility president Bob Brennan said Thursday. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 22, 2009 | 'Power' play in the Exchange |
Winnipeg Sun I's true Hydro needs to grow its substation to supply power but this plan sounds way too ambitious to not affect this district immensely. To use the old adage, once it's gone you can't bring it back. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 21, 2009 | Gut historic buildings: Hydro |
Aldo Santin, Winnipeg Free Press Heritage building advocates and Exchange District residents are alarmed by Manitoba Hydro's plan to gut three historical buildings on McDermot Avenue to make way for the expansion of an area substation. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 3, 2009 | 124-year-old warehouse becomes battlefield |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press A battle is brewing between heritage advocates and downtown revitalization types over an East Exchange warehouse that's slated to become a new home for Sport Manitoba. But there are conflicting reports about what's planned for the 124-year-old structure formally known as the Smart Bag Company Building. Full Story (PDF) |
Jan 2, 2009 | Warehouse owner seeks to demolish Exchange Building |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press The company wants to knock down the structure, officially known as the Smart Bag Company Building, in order to sell the lot for redevelopment, the report states. Full Story (PDF) |
Dec 31, 2008 | New [residential] project pitched for the Forks |
Geoff Kirbyson, Winnipeg Free Press "We're looking at some form of what we'll call a mixed-use development and we're considering a variety of options. It could (include) residential, but also office and commercial." Full Story (PDF) |
Dec 15, 2008 | Tax plan could renew downtown |
Stefano Grande, Downtown BIZ, printed in Winnipeg Free Press Our politicians are considering an important economic development tool for urban renewal, one that could transform our downtown into the kind of place to work and play that Winnipeggers deserve. Full Story (PDF) |
Nov 27, 2008 | Save the last house |
Editorial, Winnipeg Free Press The city should not allow the owner of the last intact house in the Exchange District to tear it down. David Rich says he wants to demolish the 126-year-old home known as Kelly House because it’s in terrible shape and it would cost too much to refurbish. There’s no question the house on Adelaide Street has seen better days but ... its loss would be a stain on the community’s commitment to the integrity of the national historic site. Full Story (PDF) |
Nov 11, 2008 | Plan needed |
Editorial, Winnipeg Free Press South Point Douglas would be a natural and trendy extension of the downtown and a fitting bookend to the development at The Forks. The district needs a development plan, but mostly it needs developers with confidence and a vision of how a northern extension of Waterfront Drive could be incorporated into the fabric of Winnipeg's downtown. Full Story (PDF) |
Nov 10, 2008 | Gritty area going downtown? |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press CentreVenture wants to bring more homes, restaurants and businesses to South Point Douglas by expanding the definition of downtown to include the gritty, inner-city neighbourhood. Full Story (PDF) |
June 21, 2008 | Only developers know if tax plan will fix downtown |
Dan Lett, Winnipeg Free Press If you TIF it, they will come. That's the theory behind a proposed new tax-financing plan the city and province hope will be the key to revitalizing a downtown that remains -- decades and millions of dollars later -- a struggling eyesore. The NDP government tabled a bill that would allow for the creation of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) zones. Full Story (PDF) |
June 2, 2008 |
What downtown needs is a sense of urgency |
Dan Lett, Winnipeg Free Press Urgency can take many forms but in many communities, it appears in the form of direct, aggressive public funding delivered in meaningful ways. It's an agenda that says we want change sooner, rather than later. In Fargo ... the funding took the form of tax credits. Full Story (PDF) |
May 26, 2008 |
Downtown revitalization |
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press To Winnipeggers obsessed with the endless efforts to revitalize our own enormous downtown, the progress in much smaller Fargo is both impressive and perplexing. That's because the main stimulus for downtown Fargo's revitalization is a combination of city and state tax incentives that have yet to make their way ... to Winnipeg. Full Story (PDF) |