Absolutely love seeing the North End get some love. Looks like a decent project for the area. I drive past it all the time on my way to the armoury and it's a great spot for something affordable.

someone bought that cute old church?

It's an empty lot now, since at least 2020 according to google earth. Maybe the Church burned down or something.

That probably describes 50% or more of developers in the city. :rolleyes:

^ he's really a special case.

There are some developers that you can work with on a handshake

There are some developers where you want to get a big deposit up front and an expensive lawyer drafting the dispute resolution clauses

It's a small city, people know the difference.

I would expect GEM to parcel and sell off the property once they get the rezoning. I’m not sure they are really builders anymore. Either way. Would be good if the BRT didn’t run through farmer’s fields anymore.

Well, it didn't take the Free Press too long to catch onto the new developments. Here are two articles from today:

Six-storey housing complex in works for Marion Street
 

Six-storey housing complex in works for Marion Street

By: Joyanne Pursaga
Posted: 1:34 PM CDT Friday, Mar. 29, 2024
Last Modified: 1:53 PM CDT Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

A new development could add dozens of affordable housing units in St. Boniface and make use of a vacant property on Marion Street.

The proposal calls for a six-storey building, which would replace a vacant lot at 366 Marion St. and single-family homes at 284 and 288 Des Meurons St., if the city approves it. That would create 127 housing units, including 52 that would have “deeply affordable” rents for at least 20 years.

Coun. Markus Chambers said the project appears to align with many city goals.

“We are in an affordable housing crisis. We need this kind of project to come online so that we’re meeting the critical housing shortage that we face… (And) this is the kind of development that we want to encourage. It’s close and walkable to a lot of amenities,” said Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

The building would include a commercial unit on the ground floor with a large transparent storefront area. Its exterior would include light grey and charcoal fibre cement panels and red brick veneer, while it would have up to 66 parking stalls, including one designated for a car-share vehicle.

Chambers said developing the vacant lot would make better use of that property and generate tax dollars.

“That’s the kind of development we want and (it’s) attracting more people closer to the downtown area,” he said.

A city report states the rent would be at, or below, 70 per cent of the median market rate for the area. Affordable units would include one-bedrooms with monthly rents below $700 and two-bedrooms below $1,000, said Jonathon Freed, president of Freedhome Developments.

Freed said there’s a clear need for more housing in the area, which is also well-suited to his company’s desire to enhance mature neighbourhoods.

“(Our) entire focus is doing infill development… We consider ourselves to be city builders. We want to add to the vibrancy in the city in mature communities,” he said. “We try to design our buildings in such a way (they have) ‘sidewalk-focused architecture’ so there’s a presence at the street level that kind of aids in building a pedestrian-oriented environment.”

Freed said the proposed building would include a heated parkade, large balconies, and some private, ground-floor patios, along with a “high-design” lobby lounge and co-work space. He said the building would also be 35 per cent more energy efficient than what is required by national building code standards.

The developer said he hopes to convince city councillors to reject some conditions its planners have recommended for the project, however, such as calling to replace and widen a sidewalk along the entire frontage, and for some hydro poles to be removed.

An additional setback requirement could also force the project to lose one three-bedroom housing unit and some parking spaces, Freed said.

He said those changes would come at a significant cost, making it more difficult to maintain affordable rents.

“Our submission doesn’t allow for those considerations, so the building itself (would need) to be redesigned to accommodate (that),” said Freed. “I think there’s potentially some merit to maybe widening the sidewalk but not if they’re not going to allow further reduced setbacks.”

City of Winnipeg planners recommend approval of the project, with the list of conditions. The city report notes the proposal aligns with city development goals to provide affordable housing and build homes near frequent Winnipeg Transit routes and businesses.

The Riel community committee will hear the proposal on April 5. It would require full council approval.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X : @joyanne_pursaga

Community groups line up against proposed Sherbrook development
 

Community groups line up against proposed Sherbrook development

By: Tyler Searle
Posted: 9:32 AM CDT Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Diana Fred’s connection to the West Broadway community run deep.

She has lived in the 100 block of Sherbrook Street for nearly two decades. Her grandfather was raised in a home across the street.

“This whole strip, that’s what they want to do,” she said, pointing to “Grandpa Charlie’s” former property — now occupied by a four-storey condo building.

“I’m not against development. I just want to see development that serves the community.”

Fred, who spoke at length about her love for West Broadway, is among a handful of neighbourhood stakeholders who have reservations about a proposal to construct a new apartment complex in the area.

They fear the project will not provide affordable housing that meets the community’s needs, but the developer argues it is doing everything it can to keep rents low.

Paragon Design Build, a local developer with a large portfolio of infill and affordable housing units, hopes to construct a seven-storey, 102-unit apartment complex with seven commercial spaces on a stretch of land between 126 and 140 Sherbrook.

The proposal requires the city to approve a zoning variance, allowing Paragon to consolidate ​23,777 square feet of land spread across four lots.

A derelict home, a shuttered business and two occupied houses currently sit on the lots. Their owners have agreed to sell, pending the project approval, Nigel Furgus, Paragon’s president and CEO, told the Free Press Thursday.

“I really think its going to bring a lot of value to the area. I think it will bring security to the area… more activity, more vibrancy and businesses,” he said.

“The area is in need of this.”

Paragon has committed to including 38 units deemed “affordable” under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. guidelines, which are calculated based on the median income of Manitoba renters.

Under the federal Crown corporation’s definitions, housing is considered affordable if it costs less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income.

Rent for an affordable one-bedroom unit in the proposed development will be set at about $1,100. Someone renting that apartment would need to make at least $44,000 to remain in the affordable range.

However, data from the 2020 Statistics Canada Census shows 76 per cent of West Broadway residents have incomes below $40,000.

A coalition of community groups, led by the West Broadway Community Organization, believes Paragon should instead calculate rental rates based on an individual’s annual income — whatever that may be.

The coalition intends to make its case during a public hearing at city hall Thursday, as the city centre community committee considers whether to approve the proposal.

“My main point is, this is a neighbourhood where there is an extremely high need for rent-geared-to-income housing,” said Talia Potash, director of housing at Resource Assistance for Youth Inc., a community organization located across the street from the proposed development.

“We do need more housing in the area, but it has to be affordable.”

Potash and eight other housing advocates penned a letter to Furgus early this year, urging him to consider lowering rents further.

“Some of the community organizations want the rents lower, but it’s just not feasible,” he said in response.

“To make the rents further discounted would, essentially, shelve the project.”

If the proposal is cleared for a zoning variance, it will still require a review by the city’s director of planning, property and development and a final stamp of approval from city council.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

These shit heads are trying to cut off their nose to spite their face. Two houses and two boarded up properties in exchange for homes for up to hundreds, a quarter below market rent for the area. This area really needs investment and they're lining up against it. Perhaps by attracting investment the area will no longer be economically depressed.

Tldr: losers.

Strong all-or-nothing vibe. It’s fine and well they’re advocating for more affordable options but essentially canceling the entire project over rents being not low enough is a non starter especially with what the dev is proposing. Fairly sure it will be approved with little changes. The city needs the tax dollars badly and basically anything housing is probably going to be rubber stamped for the foreseeable future. They’ll get to plead their case and then they’ll have the door hit their ass on the way out.

My name is BAKGUY & I approve this message 100%!

The line in the article where the coalition demands the developer set rent based off a person’s income, “whatever that may be”, really made me laugh out loud. It’s as though they don’t know the difference between a developer and a social housing agency. Truly ignorant.

Surprised Paragon is wanting to go with a 7 storey building there. I would think that makes little sense. They would be better off sticking with 6 storey wood frame

^ if they were so inclined, the 2020 NBCC allows for up to 12 stories of wood frame construction.

thats a enginerd timber framing no?

I'd never live in a 6 story wood framed multi unit dwelling. I drove by some today while driving out North Main. That's what I thought while driving by.

Also bought a pair of kick ass army issue binoculars at the antique store on the way back for only $30! This was a good deal. I think they came from South Korea but it has Korea stamped in the leather case so it was likely manufactured during the war. How cool is that?

Pretty high traffic area, I imagine wood would be pretty loud. I personally wonder why they went with 7 and not 9 as was an alternative in their planning. You'd think more units = more money. I guess the lending was too expensive.