Winnipeg | St. Boniface | Water Tower District

[wags_in_the_peg]

not sure if that is a "true rendering" but that would be amazing if retail / residential looked like that

[FactaNV]

Its shindico, it wont look like that lol

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by FactaNV

Its shindico, it wont look like that lol

lol exactly. It's going to look like this for the first 20 years lmao. 99% of nice looking renderings in Winnipeg are just for marketing materials. They almost never look like that in the end, especially when its from generic conservative suburban developers like Shindico.

[drew]

I mean, it's REALLY stinky in that area. Literally. That stretch of Marion is probably the most depressing piece of road in the entire city.

I guess people are moving into garbage dump adjacent communities currently - so why not rendering/industrial adjacent?

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by Winnipegger

lol exactly. It's going to look like this for the first 20 years lmao. 99% of nice looking renderings in Winnipeg are just for marketing materials. They almost never look like that in the end, especially when its from generic conservative suburban developers like Shindico.

Look at the site plan on the first page of this thread, none of this development will be walkable people-oriented development. It's just suburban hell full of parking lots that take up a larger footprint than the actual buildings. Much like the "TOD" Refinery District off Abinojii.

It's gonna look like that for more a lot more than 20 years, it'll look different when land values go up enough that a new developer can come in and bulldoze the whole place and start fresh. Maybe after WW3? The next ice age?

[Mr Tall Forehead]

So keeping in mind that this land is in the middle of about 17 railways and a rendering plant. Are we really getting pissy that this giant old industrial site won’t be walkable enough?

[Wpg_Guy]

Hopefully it's marginally better than the Refinery District—that was disappointingly terrible.

[Mr Tall Forehead]

Refinery market is students. Taylor Walmart parking lots are empty nesters and divorcees. I’m not sure who the target market will be at the stickyards.

[ColdRain&Snow]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Hopefully it's marginally better than the Refinery District—that was disappointingly terrible.

That's an understatement.

[bon_vivant]

As much as I dislike Shindico, I'm glad the area is being developed. As someone mentioned, it really is the most depressing stretch of road in town. So anything is an improvement — even Shindico cookie-cutter mediocrity. You think the area is stinky now? I remember the '80s... yuck-o-rama.

[ColdRain&Snow]

Originally Posted by bon_vivant

As much as I dislike Shindico, I'm glad the area is being developed. As someone mentioned, it really is the most depressing stretch of road in town. So anything is an improvement — even Shindico cookie-cutter mediocrity. You think the area is stinky now? I remember the '80s... yuck-o-rama.

I agree, what is proposed is better than nothing and it's not high value land.

[Biff]

Wpg_Guy will do a much better job of posting this project, but here is the first building for the Water Tower District. 6 storey - 91 Units. They will be dismantling the actual water tower and relocating it to a different location.

[neutroniks]

The pessimist in me says it'll loose all those nice angles, colours and balconies will either be changed and downsized, if not removed completely.

[drew]

^ yeah that flat roof depth and projections, and those floating thin balconies have no basis in construction reality.

So, be prepared for a reality check on this one in the future.

[WestEndWander]

What is the aversion in this city to pushing buildings right to the street front, especially in new developments? Unless there are services present the parking should be to the rear and clear out of sight.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by WestEndWander

What is the aversion in this city to pushing buildings right to the street front, especially in new developments? Unless there are services present the parking should be to the rear and clear out of sight.

My theory is that Winnipeg is such a car-centric and pedestrian-hostile city that many people here view set back plazas with giant street-facing parking lots as a *preferable* design.

Like, if your primary consideration is parking convenience, and there isn't anything worth walking to or any continuous streetscape anyhow, why do you want parking hidden?

Like, Ne de loup, probably one of Winnipeg's best restaurants, is in a strip mall with front-facing parking next to a Circle K. And I'll bet that if you ask Winnipeg what's wrong with their location, the answer would be "not enough parking", not "why is this fancy restaurant in a strip mall"

[neutroniks]

It makes me laugh when people visit the Exchange and complain about parking. It's a beautiful area. Park a block or two or three away. It's a BEAUTIFUL walk to where ever you're going. God forbid you get your steps in and close your rings. People will go to the gym and doom scroll on the treadmill for 30+ minutes, but lose their minds when they can't find any parking. "Hey, are you still coming out for drinks after you get of work? Man, I couldn't find parking, so I just went home"

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Biff

Wpg_Guy will do a much better job of posting this project, but here is the first building for the Water Tower District. 6 storey - 91 Units. They will be dismantling the actual water tower and relocating it to a different location.

Water Tower Mixed Use
Location: Ibrahima Diallo Avenue
Neighbourhood: Stock Yards - St. Boniface Ward (Riel Community Committee)
Developer: Rockport Investment Group Inc.
Architect: UrbanEdge Architecture
Status: In development
Documents: Plan Approval, Submitted Plans – April 28, 2026
Media:
Description: Rockport is proposing the first residential development in the Water Tower District, a new 5-storey mixed-use building. The project includes 91 residential units and ground-floor commercial space, along with substantial parking and amenity areas. The building measures 70 feet tall, featuring a basement for underground parking, a main floor with 4,405 sq ft (409.2 m²) of commercial space in two units, plus amenity space and a lobby. Floors 2 through 5 will house the residential component: 48 one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom, and 16 three-bedroom units. Parking provisions exceed requirements, with a total of 138 vehicle stalls (105 interior, including underground and ground-level, plus 33 surface stalls for visitors and commercial use) against a minimum of 117, and 28 bicycle stalls (exceeding the minimum of 15). The design incorporates a large private courtyard and outdoor amenity space at the rear, enclosed refuse facilities, generous landscaping that meets or exceeds city standards (including 43 trees and over 150 shrubs along streets, foundations, and parking areas), pedestrian sidewalks connecting to Ibrahima Diallo Avenue, and exterior finishes in varied metal cladding. The existing on-site water tower is planned for disassembly and relocation.
Permits:

[Wpg_Guy]

I think the building looks decent overall, and I appreciate the commercial space incorporated on the ground floor. While there's some parking out front, the majority is hidden, which is a big improvement. This is already miles better than the Refinery District, though admittedly, that set the bar extremely low.

[cllew]

I wonder when the water tower is relocated if there will be money in budget to paint it while its on the ground? I would look a lot better without the rust spots in a new development.