[esquire]

The Free Press has been running a series of articles this week about the future of the Kapyong Barracks site. The sheer complexity of the ownership issue is preventing development from getting started, but the articles have speculated over what is likely to happen with the site.

At this point, I'd have a hard time imagining that the site wouldn't be anchored by a casino for the following reasons:

1. First Nations will likely become owners of the land
2. First Nations have been shut out of urban casino development with no sites in Brandon or Winnipeg, and they've arguably maxed out the potential of the current rural sites
3. The growing south end of town does not have a casino, and no new casinos have been added since the current two were built in the early 1990s
4. The other obvious candidate for the area, commercial, is probably not that appealing given the large amount of unleased retail space in that area although there may be demand for office space

I think this plot of land will be more about revenue generating potential than any kind of idealistic vision for the city. That's why I see a small gas station and strip mall on the corner of Grant and Kenaston, a large casino and parking lot along Kenaston, some multifamily residential and a small multitenant office building or two along Taylor and Grant, and then maybe a small enclave of single family homes abutting the existing residential areas.