Redevelopment project for Canada Packers site clears first hurdle

Major St. Boniface redevelopment clears hurdle Jeff Keele reports on the plan to redevelop the old Canada Packers site that got a green light from a city committee.

The redevelopment of the old Canada Packers site in St. Boniface cleared its first hurdle at Winnipeg City Hall.

A community committee gave the green light for the Public Markets plan pitched for the land that once housed the meat-packing plant.

It was imploded in 2001, and now there's finally a plan to redevelop it.

Those behind the project are hoping for a village-type setting at the 165-acre site with commercial and light industrial businesses mixed in.

A community committee approved the plan Tuesday for multi-family residential, commercial and light industrial development.

The housing component includes buildings ranging between six and 14 storeys with a total of 2,000 units, which is 800 more than the original plan and four stories higher on the top end.

"Land costs have gone up, costs have gone up, construction costs have gone up," Robert Scaletta with Shindico.

"To make it affordable for everybody, the more density we can bring there, the numbers we can make work, plus there is a demand. There's a crisis going on in the housing sector."

The development will include at least 200 affordable units plus two parks, sports fields, playgrounds, and possibly a community garden.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service raised concerns about response times in the past because of the possibility of delays from nearby train crossings.

However, new technology is now being added to alert 911 on train times to best direct emergency crews.

The South St. Boniface Residents Association raised concerns about the size of the development, including traffic congestion in an already bottlenecked area where a planned underpass was cancelled during the Brian Bowman administration due to costs.

"If all these units are let in and the traffic increases, will Marion Street have to be widened? Will other roads be affected? Will all this be at the taxpayer's expense?" asked Theresa Cwik with the association at the community meeting.

The proponents say there are two entrance and exit points planned for the development, as well as bike and walking paths, which they believe will replace a lot of vehicle traffic.

The plans still require full council approval

If approved, work could begin as early as this fall for some of the residential components.

However, due to the size of the developments, this is estimated to be a 10 to 15-year project.