Picking up Parcel Four pieces

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John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press archives Mayor Sam Katz stresses The Forks could use more green space as he touts a park for the site. (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

In the aftermath of a divisive water-park debate, a less combative city council has started pondering the fate of the valuable plot of downtown land known as Parcel Four.

Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi and St. Norbert Coun. Justin Swandel, who fought on opposite sides of a proposal to convert the Waterfront Drive lot into a hotel and water park, are both in favour of taking the time to consider the development of the 2.4-hectare site, strategically located south of Shaw Park, west of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and north of a residential housing development proposed by The Forks.

In April, council effectively killed a plan to sell the surface lot for $6 million to Alberta hotel chain Canalta, which planned to build a 240-room hotel, 50,000-square-foot water park and 450-stall parkade on the site. The city also intended to offer Canalta a $7-million grant in exchange for $700,000 worth of admission credits every year for 25 years.

After council demanded detailed site plans, public consultations and a public-access agreement, Canalta walked away from the deal in May. Mayor Sam Katz then floated the idea of converting Parcel Four into a park, suggesting the site may be difficult to develop.

Other members of council appear more optimistic about the prospects to convert the surface-parking lot to some other use.

"I think we should let things sit for a bit, then come forward with a well-defined process," said council downtown-development chairman Swandel in a statement. The city could begin the planning this fall or early in 2013, with an eye to coming up with a plan in time for the opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, he said.

"It would be nice to have the site developed (and) cleaned up before the museum opens. We could also sell the site to The Forks and let them run the process."

The Forks has spent almost a decade planning some form of residential development on a separate surface lot it owns on the south side of York Avenue. The non-profit organization has moved cautiously due to the intense public interest in the land around The Forks.

Parcel Four, however, belongs to the City of Winnipeg, which created the site in the 1990s, following the realignment of streets near The Forks during the reconstruction of the Provencher Bridge. Parcel Four has only been used as a surface-parking lot -- first by the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club, then by the City of Winnipeg -- because the site was reserved for the future needs of The Forks and later, the human rights museum, according to city planning documents.

The time has come to have discussions with The Forks, the museum and the baseball club about the site before opening it up to public or private development, said Gerbasi, whose ward includes the entire Forks neighbourhood.

"We should sit down and really think this out, working with the downtown stakeholders," she said. "A lot of things can happen there, if we do some planning and discussions before we issue a tender. We really want to open this up to something."

There are a number of ways the city could proceed with a development, Katz said Wednesday. The city could issue an expression-of-interest document or make a request for proposals about the site, but only after the land is declared surplus to the city's needs, he said.

"I don't think you'd get much input until there was actual declaring the land surplus, after what happened in the past," the mayor said, repeating his opinion a park would make sense. "If you look at The Forks, there is very, very little green space. This could be a very good opportunity."

As the majority owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, Katz has recused himself from all council decisions governing Parcel Four. This places the onus for deciding the future of the site on other members of council.

"Since the mayor can't lead this, which is a very unusual situation, what is the next step?" Gerbasi asked. "I think it's very valuable land. I think we have people in the private sector who (may be) interested. Anything's possible there."

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Winnipeg's Parcel Four property

Size and location: 2.4 hectares at the southwest corner of William Stephenson Way and Waterfront Drive.

Value: Approximately $6 million, according to a city-commissioned appraisal in 2012. Loosely pegged at $7.7 million according to what property officials called a "back-of-the-napkin" estimate in 2009. Use: Gravel surface lot by the Winnipeg Goldeyes (1999-2008) and City of Winnipeg (2008 to present). Development restricted as land reserved for future use by The Forks and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Water-park plan: Hotel, water park and parkade proposed in April but effectively defeated by council two weeks later. Plan officially died in May.

-- Bartley Kives

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 1, 2012 A3