The developer hoping to renovate the St. Charles Hotel will have to wait another month before he learns whether the city will strip a neighbouring building of its heritage status.
Ken Zaifman, who plans to transform the St. Charles into a boutique hotel, wants the neighbouring Albert Street Business Block -- a strip that includes one of Winnipeg's oldest dwellings -- removed from a list of heritage buildings to allow the structure to be demolished.
Zaifman wants to build a restaurant, patio and 10-stall parkade on the site and commemorate the former dwelling with some form of interpretive centre.
Downtown development agency CentreVenture and the Exchange District Business Improvement Zone support the de-listing and demolition, provided renovations to the St. Charles Hotel are well underway before the business block is removed.
But Heritage Winnipeg and Parks Canada oppose the de-listing and demolition on the grounds Zaifman's plan calls for a curb cut on pedestrian-friendly Albert Street.
City council's property and development committee voted to lay over the issue for one month to allow Zaifman to further refine his plan.
After the meeting, the developer said he was not sure what to make of the delay and surmised it could threaten his $10 million development.
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