U of Winnipeg development agency asks city for more storeys

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 08, 2025 6:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The University of Winnipeg's arm's-length improvement bureau is appealing a City of Winnipeg determination to bounds the tallness of a residential operation planned for the erstwhile tract of the Civic Centre Parkade.

According to a study published Tuesday, the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation volition look earlier metropolis council's spot committee connected July 14 successful an effort to summation the tallness of a King Street tower — 1 of 4 projected buildings successful a redevelopment task called the Market Lands.

The tract successful question sits betwixt Red River College Polytech's downtown field and metropolis hall. Two buildings connected the southbound broadside of the redevelopment are already nether operation wherever Winnipeg's constabulary office utilized to stand.

Two much are planned for the northbound side, wherever the parkade utilized to be, including a 148-unit residential operation wherever astir two-thirds of the suites would beryllium rented retired beneath median marketplace rates.

The renewal corp sought to physique a 51-metre tower, but metropolis planners restricted the tallness to 30 metres, proposing the developer adhd tallness to different operation to marque up for the nonaccomplishment of projected units.

In a study to metropolis council's spot committee, metropolis planner Kurtis Kowalke called the connection for a 51-metre operation "a design preference" alternatively than a requirement.

The renewal corporation argues the further tallness is needed to guarantee determination is much affordable lodging successful Winnipeg.

"It's designed to conscionable the needs of communities typically underserved by the backstage lodging market, including Indigenous peoples, newcomers, women with children and young people," Daneeka Abon, the corporation's portfolio manager, wrote in her entreaty letter.

Last EPC meeting before summertime break

In its last scheduled gathering earlier metropolis hall's summertime prorogation, council's enforcement argumentation committee voted Tuesday to cull a connection to let Winnipeg residents to opt retired of the installation of caller "smart" h2o meters that volition transmit h2o usage information utilizing vigor waves.

EPC voted 4-2 to cull the proposal. Couns. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) and Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) wanted to connection a concession to Winnipeg residents who beryllium they person a aesculapian crushed to exempt themselves from being exposed to vigor waves.

The committee besides voted 5-1 to o.k. a program to instrumentality 9 months to behaviour consultations astir a divided motorcycle lane on Wellington Crescent and plan a imperishable separation betwixt bicycles and cars connected the motorway.

Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood Coun. Evan Duncan voted against the motion, which dozens of Winnipeg cycling advocates opposed owed to the clip it volition instrumentality to really physique the lane.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said Tuesday helium wanted to guarantee the metropolis does not physique thing successful haste and past beryllium forced to dismantle it.

There person been calls for the motorcycle lane since cyclist Rob Jenner, 61, was killed connected Wellington Crescent just eastbound of Academy Road successful June 2024 arsenic helium was cycling to work. He was deed by a speeding motorist who mislaid power of his vehicle.