Winnipeg | St. Boniface | Water Tower District

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

So that means a potential actual tower then.

The RMF-L zones are approved for building heights up to 14 floors or 150 feet.

[wags_in_the_peg]

will be very "weird" to see a tower'ish building in that location

[ColdRain&Snow]

Just because the land is zoned for up to 14 stories doesn't mean we will see a building that high. This is (relatively) cheap land next to an industrial zone in Winnipeg. I doubt we'll see anything higher than 7 stories, but I would be happy to be proven wrong.

[bomberjet]

What would they change the zoning if they didnt have a proposal?

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

What would they change the zoning if they didnt have a proposal?

Maybe they want to do a 7 story or something like that but the M Zoning would only allow a 5 or 6

[Mr Tall Forehead]

They’ve rezoning from multi family medium to multi family large. They must have a building design that has the density (or height?) that requires the RMF-L zone.

[James Bond Agent 007]

They should make this look something like this.

• Video Link

[Wpg_Guy]

Water Tower District starts to take shape
Shindico announces plan for retail to join housing projects on St. B land once home to Canada Packers

The bones of new restaurants and apartment blocks will adorn the burgeoning Water Tower District, an area once occupied by the massive Canada Packers building, this time next year.

Shindico Realty announced Tuesday it has bought 14.34 acres of the St. Boniface development for a retail centre.

It’s the company’s latest purchase in the 165-acre community. Already, Shindico has plans to build an apartment complex on 10 acres, with Olexa Developments, the Alberta-based company behind the Water Tower District.



As many as 20 housing complexes, an independent-living facility for seniors, three parks and retail and industrial space are in the works.

The entire project could cost $1.5 billion, Olexa’s development manager said.

“We wanted to be able to get that going,” said Sandy Shindleman, Shindico’s founder. “Retail is the front door.”

Developers say the district will be a walkable, transit-friendly neighbourhood. They plan to build 2,000 housing units, and cover roughly 90 acres with industrial and commercial land.

The site — bordered by Archibald Street in the west, and Dawson Road in the east, and south of Marion Street — is less than four kilometres from downtown Winnipeg.

The infill is still mainly field, but it has at least 2.5 kilometres in roads. Water and waste work has been completed, said Robert Scaletta, who’s both Shindico’s senior vice-president of industrial and a development manager at Olexa.

He expects work to start on 500 housing units and the first commercial tenants to move in next year. Shindico and Olexa’s joint venture is en route, as are other companies’ towers, Scaletta said.

Don’t expect single-family homes. Scaletta noted that a development agreement with the city government stipulates all housing must be multi-family, such as apartments and condominiums.

The towers — possibly 13 to 20 of them — will range from four to 14 storeys. Tenants may arrive as early as 2028, Scaletta said.

Currently, developers are talking with fast-food restaurant operators and other companies.

“All these construction (and) service people coming out, they’re going to need a place to eat,” Scaletta said.

Retail will appear as businesses sign on, Shindleman said: “We’re going to wait for some pre-leasing before we put the shovels in the ground.

“We’ll design it for some flexibility.”

Shindico operates developments such as the two-million-square-foot Grant Park Pavilions, at 1020 Taylor Ave., in which a Walmart Supercentre, a medical clinic and Firehouse Subs are among the tenants.

The Water Tower District’s retail complex will be similar, Scaletta said.

Shindico is also eyeing the district’s industrial land — possibly 25 acres. Industrial land in Winnipeg is scarce: there was a 2.8 per cent vacancy this spring, a second-quarter 2025 Colliers report reads.

Another 22 acres of the Water Tower District is tabbed for green and recreation space, including three parks.

Scaletta anticipates the development to unfold over 10 to 15 years.

The St. Boniface acreage has sat empty for at least 24 years. Livestock-related businesses such as Canada Packers and Swift operated there for more than 80 years; Canada Packers exited in 1987.

In 2000, the City of Winnipeg approved a $1.5-million demolition of the former Canada Packers building. A water tower and powerhouse, both heritage buildings, were left standing.

Canad Inns bought the land in 2007 to create a new football stadium, but the structure wasn’t approved and the stadium was built at the University of Manitoba. Nine years later, Olexa Developments purchased the property.

Its initial Water Tower District proposal was unveiled in 2019.

It’s now waiting on an Oct. 29 public hearing with the City of Winnipeg in which it hopes to rezone 20 acres of industrial land to housing. If approved, the land would be space for five to seven apartments or condominiums, Scaletta said.

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) declined to comment on the district, citing the upcoming public hearing.

Employees in the area expressed excitement about the incoming development.

“That’s going to be a great addition of residential and commercial to this end of the city,” said Claude Cloutier, president of Ambassador Mechanical. “We really need it.”

Ambassador, a mechanical contractor, moved across the street around three years ago. Its central location was attractive, Cloutier said.

He hopes the district will beautify the land and increase property values of neighbouring businesses.

Developers expect the district will generate around $6 million in net new tax dollars.

Scaletta said the weak Canadian dollar and labour force shortages have been hurdles. Just two years ago, developers priced the district’s construction at $800 million to $1 billion, alongside $25 million in infrastructure costs.

Shindico didn’t disclose how much it paid for the 14-acre land parcel. It has partnered with Olexa in the past on the Brookside Business Park.

Scaletta didn’t share the cost per square foot for Water District retail Tuesday.

Speers Road and Marion Streets are scheduled for construction next year to meet the area’s expected growth, Scaletta said.

Winnipeg Free Press

[ColdRain&Snow]

13 - 20 apartment buildings that are 4-14 storeys tall, not too bad. Total of roughly 2000 new housing units. 90 acres will be for commercial and industrial. Of course it would be nice to see a denser and less car centric development but this land has been unused since 1987 (38 years!).

On a side note, thank goodness the new bomber stadium got built at the university rather than in Saint Boniface Industrial Zone. Much nicer location with better transit and bike access.

[Wpg_Guy]

Construction of massive Water Tower District in Winnipeg to start in spring
'This is the true definition of infill. It'll lift the entire neighbourhood up': Sandy Shindleman
CBC Manitoba



A long vacant industrial site in Winnipeg's St. Boniface neighbourhood will soon see a mix of housing and retail structures rise up under the watch of a 112-year-old water tower.

Shindico Realty has acquired more than 14.3 acres of land in what is promised to be a 66 hectare development known as the Water Tower District.

Construction is set to begin in spring, Shindico founder and president Sandy Shindleman told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa on Wednesday.

"This is the true definition of infill. It'll lift the entire neighbourhood up. We're excited about the possibilities for all the things that can happen," he said.

The site — south of Marion Street between Archibald Street and Dawson Road — will eventually hold 70 acres of industrial/commercial development, 25 acres of multi-family residences, 20 acres of retail space and 22 acres of parks, public reserves, community gardens and recreation spaces, said Calgary-based Olexa Developments, which owns the land.



Amenities will include shops, restaurants, grocery stores and financial institutions. There will be active transportation routes throughout the site, with connections to the city’s transit corridor, plans say.

Peg City Car Co-op has signed on to supply about 10 car-share vehicles in the district, the plans say.

Water Tower District
It will also include about 2,000 housing units in condos and apartment buildings.

Shindleman estimates the cost of the project will be more than $1 billion once complete.

Shindico's portion of the development is near the corner of Marion and Paulette Duguay streets, where it will build a mixed-use retail space it hopes will be anchored at one end by a grocery store and at the other by a discount store.

Adjacent to that, it has a joint venture with Olexa to build about 10 acres — about 700 units — of multi-family housing.

Construction on Shindico's portion will begin in spring, with the aim of having retailers taking occupancy in late 2027.

The residential part is expected to be completed a little after that, Shindleman said.



The Water Tower District was once full of cattle as home to the Union Stockyards and a number of meat-packing plants.

The stockyard was first created in 1913 as a market for live animals. That attracted meat-packing plants, which soon set up nearby.

The combination of the two created Canada's largest livestock market.


A view of the Union Stockyards in 1942. (Archives of Manitoba)

anada Packers was one of the best-known processing companies at the site. It was created in 1927 through the merger of several of the other plants.

The stockyards shut down in 1988, while Canada Packers lingered a little longer. Its buildings were among the last remaining structures on the site when they were demolished in 2001.

The company became part of Maple Leaf Foods in 1991.

The water tower is now the only remnant of the site's former existence.



Several ideas for redevelopment have come and gone over the years, including becoming the new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The land was purchased from the city by Canad Inns in 2007, which proposed it as a site for a stadium that was ultimately built at the University of Manitoba.

It was then purchased by Olexa, which partnered with Shindico to make the Water Tower District happen.

Shindico's Robert Scaletta became the development manager, but Shindleman said the company quickly decided it also had to invest.

"[We] looked at the land and saw the great potential that it had, so when the opportunity came … we decided to come on board," he said.

Remediation work to remove environmental damage from the site's previous incarnation has taken place over the years, while the project has moved through "all the levels of government that you have to do to get the infrastructure put in," Shindleman said.

In June 2024, a City of Winnipeg council committee voted to allow the number of housing units to increase from 1,200 and increase the maximum building height from 10 storeys to 14.

Increased density in planned development at former Canada Packers site moves forward at Winnipeg city hall
More recently, work at the site has involved preparation, with roads, services and retention ponds going in. In a YouTube post aimed at attracting tenants, Scaletta said the underground work is 60 per cent done, and about 10 per cent of the roadwork is completed.

For Shindleman, the project represents a full-circle moment.

"Fifty-two years ago I worked in the Union Stockyards as a cattle buyer and provided a lot of the meat that went into the Burns plant, now a Maple Leaf hog plant," he said.

"So that was my old stomping grounds."

• Video Link

[jim_bred]

Not my end of town at all but it looks like a great infill development.

It would be cool if they redid that water tower to make it a feature of the site not just a rusty old relic.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by jim_bred

It would be cool if they redid that water tower to make it a feature of the site not just a rusty old relic.

I wouldn't doubt that will be part of the plan. Maybe have a giant portrait of Sandy Shindleman on it...

[1ajs]

the office and pump house were the last of the buildings to get demolished on site in 2009

[Winnipeg Grump]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I wouldn't doubt that will be part of the plan. Maybe have a giant portrait of Sandy Shindleman on it...

[Winnipeg Grump]

Originally Posted by jim_bred

Not my end of town at all but it looks like a great infill development.

It would be cool if they redid that water tower to make it a feature of the site not just a rusty old relic.

Can't recall where I saw it but that is in the plans.

[bon_vivant]

I dislike Shindico. They were in bed with Krooked Katz and they develop uninspired, cheap-looking, cookie cutter buildings. I hope these strip mall superstars don't have any involvement with the design of the residences.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by bon_vivant

I dislike Shindico. They were in bed with Krooked Katz and they develop uninspired, cheap-looking, cookie cutter buildings. I hope these strip mall superstars don't have any involvement with the design of the residences.

I wouldn't doubt that's what will be developed, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

I'm just glad a large piece of land in the city is being developed for a little extra tax revenue. It's not going to solve all the city's problems, but every little bit helps.

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I wouldn't doubt that's what will be developed, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

I'm just glad a large piece of land in the city is being developed for a little extra tax revenue. It's not going to solve all the city's problems, but every little bit helps.

The only thing thatll save the city financially is radical rate hikes or radical reforms of taxation like land value taxes or negotiating a share of PST for the city directly.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bon_vivant

I dislike Shindico. They were in bed with Krooked Katz and they develop uninspired, cheap-looking, cookie cutter buildings. I hope these strip mall superstars don't have any involvement with the design of the residences.

They seem to have a mix of styles in their residential buildings. Some of the buildings are older so they may have bought them or be doing just leasing for the actual owner.

https://shindicoliving.com/

[Wpg_Guy]

Winnipeg's St. Boniface neighbourhood poised for a generational makeover
Canada Packers' former meat plant site will be remade over the next two decades




Olexa Developments Inc. of Calgary is spearheading development of the Water Tower District on the former Canada Packers site in Winnipeg's St. Boniface neighbourhood.Olexa Developments Inc.

On the eastern side of Winnipeg’s St. Boniface neighbourhood is a 165-acre plot of land formerly home to the Canada Packers meat packing plant demolished in 2001. Just four kilometres from downtown Winnipeg, the site represents one of the city’s most significant redevelopment opportunities.

“Over the next few years, this amazing historic location in St. Boniface will take shape as the Water Tower District – a vibrant, inner-city community featuring a multi-scape of future residences, local businesses, and acres of green space,” says Olexa Developments Ltd., a Calgary-based developer that acquired the site in 2016. “Guided by the spirit of community and belonging, we’re planning a true mixed-use development where people and businesses thrive.”

The Water Tower District will include at least 25 acres of residential space, 21 acres of retail and office space, 70 acres of light industrial space and 22 acres of parkland. Last month, Olexa announced a partnership with Shindico Realty Inc. of Winnipeg that will see Shindico acquire 14.34 acres to design, construct and lease the retail component in partnership with Olexa. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Robert Scaletta, senior vice-president, industrial, at Shindico and also president of Olexa, told Western Investor that Shindico acquired an 80 per cent ownership interest in the retail component, which is expected to include a mix of national and local tenants, with many drive-thru opportunities that cater to commuters along Marion Street and Archibald Street, the intersection at which the retail hub will be located.

With a project of this scale, which will take up to 20 years to fully realize, Olexa has been actively looking for partners to buy into the Water Tower District, both figuratively and literally. Olexa and Shindico are also partnering on 10 acres of the multi-family component located immediately south of the retail component as well as part of the industrial component located at the southeast corner of the site near Speers Road.

At the centre of the site is about 20 acres of land currently zoned for industrial use that Scaletta says they are in the process of rezoning for multi-family. The rezoning recently received first reading and is up for council approval later this month, he said, adding that the plan is to subdivide the 20 acres, sell some of it and keep some of it. Several other parcels have been conditionally sold while others remain available, and Olexa remains in discussions with potential partners such as an independent/assisted living group.

Construction on the first multi-family residential phase is currently scheduled to begin in 2026, with the retail component Shindico plans set to follow shortly thereafter. However, site work is already moving at a steady pace.

“By the end of this year, the internal roads will be 95 per cent complete. The underground sewers and stormwater is all completed, so the sites are shovel-ready now,” Scaletta said. “Middle of May next year, we’ll start Marion work — the widening of Marion right in front of the retail component. Then we’ll put the sidewalks in and the bikepaths in at the end of next year.”

This particular area of St. Boniface, home to the largest French-speaking community outside of Quebec, is an old industrial area and Scaletta sees a lot of transformation coming to the area, hence why Olexa is pushing for more residential. He notes that new multi-family buildings in the area, which are primarily rental, all have extensive waiting lists.

“We’ve got support from the community, we’ve got support from the councillors, we’ve got support from the MLAs. We’re not offending anybody right now because there’s nobody around there to offend, “Scaletta said. “We’re not tearing down houses to build a high-rise. And this whole area has to be multi-family — no single-family housing. This site has sat empty for 30 years and it’s almost in the heart of Winnipeg, so we’re transforming [it].”

Western Investor