‘Sky’s the limit’: Regina’s Warehouse District welcomes pending proposals for the Yards

Regina begins entertaining bids to transform the 17-acre Dewdney railyard into a mixed-use district. Donovan Maess reports.

Regina’s Warehouse District is welcoming the opening of proposal applications to redevelop the former CP Railyard site.

“We’ve always been one of the most exciting and dynamic neighborhoods in all of Regina,” Warehouse Business Improvement District (WBID) board chair Jeff Boutilier told CTV News Friday. “Now we have all the momentum coming out of this incredible Dewdney revitalization project.”

“And here we are. We’ve got this Yards development [request for proposals] out and we’re going to see what [the] development community brings to the table,” he added.

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On Thursday, the City of Regina announced it opened the application window for RFPs in order to select a developer for the project.

Grant Frew has been peering out the front window of Bushwakker Brewpub across to the mostly barren nothingness of the site since his pub opened in 1991.

“We’ve heard lots of rumors about what’s going to be taking place across the street and have been looking at that dust bowl for about 35 years now,” he said. “We’ve adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude. But the momentum is there and we’re definitely excited.

As the site currently sits, a giant mound of dirt reminds Frew of the lengthy, two-year construction of Dewdney Avenue – which was completed last winter.

The next step of the neighbourhood is to fill the vacant lot with infill development.

“The development across the street is going to inject new energy,” said Frew. “I’m really hoping to see a lot of new local, independent businesses moving into the area, a lot of trendy shops and cool cafes and restaurants.”

“The more the merrier and the future looks so bright,” he added.

The city’s vision

The land in question has sat empty since 2012 when CP Rail left the site. It was purchased by the City of Regina for $7.5 million that same year.

• ‘Ready to go’: Council approves opening of proposal applications to develop ‘The Yards’

Since then, the city has been attempting to redevelop the area but faced some major hurdles.

“The big hurdle that’s out of the way now is the water, wastewater capacity that was undertaken on Dewdney,” said Chad Jedlic, director of land, real estate & economic development. “Most people see the surface work improvements; the roadways, the pathways, the landscaping. But what was critical to the yard site was actually underground.”

Now that Dewdney Avenue’s construction is complete, the below ground infrastructure has the capacity to support development, allowing the city to move forward with the RFP process.

The prospective partner will be tasked with leading the transformation of the 17-acre former railyard site into a vibrant, mixed-use urban district.

“What we’re hoping is whatever is put forward is actually viable executable and so that we don’t just have a vision that will never come to be,” added Jedlic. “We’re really looking at this as something we want to see get into the ground quickly.”

The developer’s responsibilities will include planning and managing infrastructure installation, land sales and on-site building construction.

• ‘Just pleased it’s happening now’: City, province, feds join together to fund $32M Dewdney Ave revitalization

However, the build must adhere to certain provisions the city signed onto when it accepted federal and provincial funding to redevelop the site.

“Private developers are in the know as to what is the best or what are some of the options that are economically viable to develop there,” Jedlic said. “That’s what we believe is the best approach to this.”

A ‘generational’ opportunity

The WBID hopes to see a development come forward which ties into the surrounding community.

“Cities don’t get generational opportunities to make an impact on how the city even feels to live in like this property represents,” said Boutilier. “It’s this huge site right in the middle of our city centre and there’s a massive opportunity to level up our city. We want developers thinking that way when they come forward with their proposals.”

Rumours have circulated the site for years, from ballparks to arenas, green spaces, farmers markets and residential suites.

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Boutilier says there is no telling what the final product would look like.

“The sky’s the limit,” he said. “Our job is to represent the businesses in our community, make sure the vision that comes forward for the property fits with what we’re trying to build here and makes the mix of the district even greater.”

Giving neighbours a beaming sense of optimism for what is to come.

“Developers have to get it right,” added Frew. “This is a critical piece of real estate right in the center of the city. It’s going to serve as an important bridge between the modernism of downtown with the historical nature of the warehouse district.”

It still may be more than a year before shovels break dirt on a project.

Regardless of what ends up in the Yards, Bushwakker says it needs just one thing.

“Somewhere for the customers to park,” Frew joked. “Not just for Bushwakker. There’s a lot of businesses here and if there’s going to be more businesses moving in, which I hope, we need parking for the customers.”

The RFP window was posted for public tender by the city at the beginning of April. The deadline to submit proposals is Sept. 30, 2026.

After the window closes, administration will review all submissions and select one based on set criteria.

The city hopes to select a qualified development next summer.

-With files from Daniel Reech