Winnipeg | St. Boniface | The Public Markets MRS (Canada Packers site)

[Wpg_Guy]

Some details on one of the largest infill opportunities in the city.

Developer: Olexa Developments https://olexadevelopments.com
November 2018 presentation boards: https://olexadevelopments.com/novemb...ic-open-house/

The Public Markets Major Redevelopment Site is located within 4km of Portage and Main, immediately to the east of the future Southeast Rapid Transit Corridor and bounded by industrial lands to the north and east, and rail lines to the south and west, single family south of the rail lines to the south and commercial, single family and multi-family west of the rail lines to the west.

Approximately 185 acres of this total 222 acre Major Redevelopment Site has tremendous redevelopment potential as an infill, medium to high density housing, commercial and industrial development consistent with MRS policies outlined in Complete Communities on a vacant heavy (M3) industrial site.

The Visions for the Public Markets MRS are:
To create a pedestrian-oriented medium to high-density residential community;

To establish a Town Centre providing goods and services to residents of this development and the neighbourhoods in the surrounding area at a scale that is supportive of a pedestrian-oriented environment;

To create a potential Recreation and Wellness Centre offering a broad range of art, culture, recreation and wellness services where all belong, are empowered and equally benefit;

To provide a variety of parks and other outdoor places and recreational paths to create opportunities for Passive and Active Recreation

To offer a wide range of employment, office and supportive commercial; uses in a business park setting.

The development of this vacant industrial site will remediate an otherwise derelict site, reduce urban sprawl, and provide critical support for the future Southeast Rapid Transit Corridor. This site represents a unique opportunity to incorporate a number of transit oriented development principles, with all of the elements of live, play, and work, including employment lands, within close proximity (10 minute walk) of each other, existing full time service transit and future rapid transit.

The Public Markets MRS is envisioned as a pedestrian friendly mixed-use development that is compatible with the existing surrounding neighbourhoods. The conceptual plan includes components of medium to high density residential, commercial and light industrial development. In addition, a multi-use recreational development, featuring indoor soccer, tennis, and field house, and outdoor fields and recreational areas, is envisioned to be centrally located within the development and will offer enhanced recreational facilities accessible to all of the region’s residents.

The proposed medium to high density housing will provide a variety of new housing choices for many income levels, both rental and ownership, including affordable and accessible housing. Commercial and office uses, integrated and adjacent to the medium to high density housing, offer employment opportunities, provide daily household needs within walking distance of home. Industrial uses provide another level of employment opportunity and a transition from the proposed medium to high density residential development to the established industrial railway properties to the east and south.

The potential recreation campus is envisioned to offer a broad range of art, culture, recreation and wellness services and will be designed as a place where all people belong, are empowered and equally benefit. The pedestrian and cycling network and adjacent full service transit on Marion Street and future rapid transit system will be integral components of the site, allowing for reduced reliance on vehicles and reduced parking demand requirements.

[Wpg_Guy]

huge missed opportunity if this land is used for industrial instead of residential infill.

Your voice is needed now more than ever!
The Employment and Commercial Lands Study was laid over until April 1st, 2019

The Employment land study recommends;

- “The Public Markets site should be considered for redevelopment as an industrial business park or similar non-impactive employment uses.” Page 283
- "The site is one of the larger intensification and redevelopment opportunities within the City of Winnipeg for industrial and employment uses, and this should be capitalized upon.” Page 286

How can my voice be heard?

Send an Email with your concerns and reasons for supporting residential infill

Subject: Attention Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage, and Downtown Development
To: cityclerks@winnipeg.ca
CC: (Councillors on the Committee) jlukes@winnipeg.ca; bmayes@winnipeg.ca; srollins@winnipeg.ca; kklein@winnipeg.ca
RE: Employment and Commercial Lands Study (page 282 E.10 Cluster I – Mission)

Do you have concerns that the city may lose this opportunity for the proposed residential infill plan on the Old Canada Packers site? Express those in your email as well. The proposed development is referred to as Public Markets MRS `D' proposed by Olexa Developments. Many of you may have already attended their open house last year.

Important to note ;

- August 1988, the Union Stockyards closed http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/unionstockyards.shtml
- Swift meat plant demolition occurred in 1994
- Canada Packers plant demolition occurred in 2001
- Since the demolition in 2001 that site has remained vacant for 18 years.
- The site has been vacant for at least a total of 31 years.
- Developers also have a plan for required remediation.

Explain why you are in support of a development of residential mixed use over industrial. Would a move to more industry in St. Boniface potentially affect your decision to remain centrally located? Does the news in the last few years of non-compliant industries raise any additional concerns for you?

Information related to this topic available on the Winnipeg DMIS website

February 4, 2019 Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage, and Downtown Development Regular Meeting Minutes
http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/View...tionId&InitUrl
9. Employment and Commercial Lands Study
- Attachment A - City of Winnipeg Employment and Commercial Lands Study (page 282 E.10 Cluster I – Mission)

January 7, 2019 Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage, and Downtown Development Regular Meeting Minutes (Adopted)
http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/View...tionId&InitUrl
43. Local Area Planning Initiatives for 2018-2019 - Addition of Public Markets MRS `D'
- Submission - Susan Russell

Public Markets Major Redevelopment site (included as part of E.10 Cluster I – Mission)

Industrial land - tend to have the lowest property value and the potential to devalue nearby properties.

Residential land - tend to have the highest value and the potential to increase values of nearby properties.

https://www.facebook.com/South.Saint...type=3&theater

[Spocket]

I've been hearing about different redevelopment plans ever since Packers shut down decades ago.

If it's not one thing, it's another. However, it seems to be that the city is just taking its sweet time actually getting anything done there. This economic cycle seems to present more opportunity than others so maybe we'll see a shovel or two for a change?

[bomberjet]

I'll have to read through all this. But they show the auto compound being re-developed, potentially. That's not happening as upgrades are planned.

I find it hilarious that those people once again moved into houses abutting a rail yard and are complaining they want it gone. Don't f'in move next to something you don't like. What a bunch of idiots.

[esquire]

From what I've been reading in news articles in recent years, it sounds like the city is really hard up for industrial land inventory... so on some level it makes sense to zone that area for some form of light industrial, i.e. maybe not steel mills, but warehouses/service centres and the like.

[plrh]

I have no problem with this land being developed as industrial. I don't know if environmental remediation is discussed anywhere in those documents, but I would think that issue is critical to any development. $$$

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by esquire

From what I've been reading in news articles in recent years, it sounds like the city is really hard up for industrial land inventory... so on some level it makes sense to zone that area for some form of light industrial, i.e. maybe not steel mills, but warehouses/service centres and the like.

This is correct. Only 14% of industrial land in Winnipeg is vacant, and even a smaller proportion of that is serviced. My guess is that the availability of vacant and serviced industrial land is too fragmented to accommodate some existing industrial operations that want to expand or large industrial operations that want to locate to Winnipeg.

Whether we should prevent residential/commercial in this particular area and instead allow industrial is a different matter. At the end of the day, if you don't allow this infill to occur, there's a chance it may occur elsewhere - after all, if the private sector sees an opportunity on this land, why wouldn't they see it in another area?

Alternatively, it might be wise to begin servicing other vacant lands in Winnipeg (e.g. CentrePort) so that this land, closer to downtown, can be used for more efficient purposes.

[wardlow]

Prevent residential development from happening here will put pressure on more/new development elsewhere in the City of Winnipeg. Allow residential development here will just lead to more industrial development outside of the City of Winnipeg. Remember, residential generally requires good municipal services. Demand for industrial generally doesn't. The surrounding RM's aren't going to be able to provide services better than the City any time soon.

On it's own merits, this is a terrible place to put residential development, as it is literally hemmed in by railways on three sides. But beyond that, in the long term, this proposal will bring into question how serious is the City of Winnipeg is about keeping industrial jobs inside city limits.

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by esquire

From what I've been reading in news articles in recent years, it sounds like the city is really hard up for industrial land inventory... so on some level it makes sense to zone that area for some form of light industrial, i.e. maybe not steel mills, but warehouses/service centres and the like.

How can the city be hard up for industrial land? Near Centerport I can see it but the St. B industrial park has so much unused and derelict land that it seems to me that it's not a matter of land per se but a lack of greenfield sites.

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by Spocket

How can the city be hard up for industrial land? Near Centerport I can see it but the St. B industrial park has so much unused and derelict land that it seems to me that it's not a matter of land per se but a lack of greenfield sites.

Explains why the surrounding RM's are making so much bank, with what should be Winnipegs jobs and tax base... well, they could still try and repurpose some other parts of the city, that or try a land annex and NOT immediately zoning it for suburnan low density residential, or maybe some tax relief...? Small business grants, perhaps?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Spocket

How can the city be hard up for industrial land? Near Centerport I can see it but the St. B industrial park has so much unused and derelict land that it seems to me that it's not a matter of land per se but a lack of greenfield sites.

You might be right, I'm just telling you what I've read. I'm not familiar with St. B industrial park but I do understand that a lot of the city's industrial areas have an older building stock with a lot of 60s/70s construction that is not really appropriate for today's needs.

[esquire]

Would remediation even be a huge issue for that site? I would be surprised to hear that stockyards and meat processing resulted in long term environmental issues.

[CoryB]

I think the issue is converting the Public Markets site to residential is it would still be bordered by a couple major industrial areas which aren't moving. The industrial area north of Marion is outside the scope of the development and staying put. Also the Maple Leaf processing plant at Lag and Marion is likely staying put.

Even stepping back from that is there a lot of demand for housing in that general area that isn't already being filled by other developments?

[plrh]

Originally Posted by esquire

Would remediation even be a huge issue for that site? I would be surprised to hear that stockyards and meat processing resulted in long term environmental issues.

Maybe indirectly. That neighbourhood behind Teaser's has big problems and it's just houses there. I don't really know but I just imagine the whole area's water table is a little icky. I stress again, I am just guessing.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by esquire

Would remediation even be a huge issue for that site? I would be surprised to hear that stockyards and meat processing resulted in long term environmental issues.

I recall seeing somewhere on the city web site a few years ago in a report that there was mention of large buried manure pits on the property.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by cllew

I recall seeing somewhere on the city web site a few years ago in a report that there was mention of large buried manure pits on the property.

That's biodegradable no?


I think it's critical for this area to be developed at maximum residential density, especially for a city that is bleeding funds and in desperate need of revenue. It could be a real gem of a neighbourhood with it's proximity to downtown and possible RT.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

That's biodegradable no?


I think it's critical for this area to be developed at maximum residential density, especially for a city that is bleeding funds and in desperate need of revenue. It could be a real gem of a neighbourhood with it's proximity to downtown and possible RT.

Depending on how large and how many pits there could be problems with methane gas and leachite do deal with.

[plrh]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

That's biodegradable no?


I think it's critical for this area to be developed at maximum residential density, especially for a city that is bleeding funds and in desperate need of revenue. It could be a real gem of a neighbourhood with it's proximity to downtown and possible RT.

All organic material must be removed in the clearing and grubbing phase. (So it can be sold back as topsoil to homeowners).

In the early days of Waverley West a sewer crew dug up an old backfilled lagoon from when there were cows at Bishop and Waverley. I believe it had to be removed. It still smelled like poop after all those years.

[buzzg]

It makes a lot of sense for this to have residential in it – especially if the area at Archibald and Provencher is going to be converted to mixed use (and Loveday ends up moving). You could have EBRT spit off and follow Archibald south. It's prime for modern infill suburbs – think Smart Cities design and TOD.

[bomberjet]

Note I've emailed several times to the eastern corridor study asking for an update and have received no response. So I wouldn't hold my breath on any type of coordinated efforts on transit or just development in general.