Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Royal Albert not re-opening this weekend

By: Rob Williams

Posted: 09/4/2012 4:42 PM | Comments: 0

The Royal Albert Arms hasn’t had a band on its stage since May 2011. In the months since, the building to the left of it in this photograph burned to the ground.

Related Items

Articles

The Royal Albert Arms won’t be opening up this weekend after all.

Owners of the historic hotel/music venue were trying to finish renovations to the bar for a grand reopening on Friday after being closed for more than a year -- but haven’t completed the necessary repairs and paperwork.

"Due to permit issues and outstanding work on our sprinkler system, we’ve agreed it’s not possible to make our September 7th opening," said a statement posted on the Albert’s Facebook page.

The statement goes on to say they are looking at re-opening in late September or early October and will start to host bands beginning next month.

"Once again we apologize for the pain in the (butt), to put it politely, it’s been to wait this long, and we thank you for your patience and understanding. We promise we won’t let you down. See you soon," the statement says.

The property has been undergoing renovations all summer. The historic Exchange District music venue and hotel has been closed since May 2011 when a water-line break flooded the basement. City crews helped control the leak, but left responsibility for repairs to the hotel because the break was located on private property.

Owner Daren Jorgenson disputed the account, claiming the city broke a valve on an abandoned pipe, and the property has remained closed ever since.

Pictures posted on the hotel’s Facebook site show new hardwood flooring and the exposure of windows behind the stage. A wall near the entrance has been removed so patrons will now enter directly into the bar. Visitors to the area will also notice a fresh coat of paint to the south side of the building, including the 'Royal Albert Arms Hotel' lettering.

A City of Winnipeg spokesperson couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, but as of mid-August, the owners of the hotel had yet to apply for any permits or have its sprinkler system inspected by city officials.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.