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Water-park plan clears first hurdle

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 04/13/2012 10:53 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 04/13/2012 11:46 AM | Updates

A plan to build a water park on prime piece of downtown land has passed its first hurdle at city hall.

This morning, council's downtown development committee voted in favour of plan to give a $7-million grant to help a private developer to build a water park.

Alberta's Canalta hotel chain hopes to build a water park, hotel and parkade on Parcel Four, the 2.2-hectare site near The Forks and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The site is currently a gravel parking lot. Canalta would pay $6 million for the land and receive a city grant that will ensure $700,000 worth of admission credits every year for the next 25 years.

Parcel Four had been set aside by the city for future use by The Forks since the late 1990s, following the reconstruction of the Provencher Bridge and the realignment of William Stephenson Way. It was also reserved for future use by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Downtown development chairman Coun. Justin Swandel (St. Norbert) and Coun. Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo) voted in favour of the plan, which was amended to give the committee the chance to approve the developer's final design. The amended plan now stipulates that the project's first phase must be complete within three years.

"I like to see things get done," Swandel said, noting the amendments were added to make sure the design fits into the existing area. "We can move forward with this and really get the protection the city needs and the quality citizens want."

The water park proposal still has to be approved by executive policy committee and city council.

Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge) voted against the proposal, and said she's concerned council does not have enough information about the agreement, and the site may not be the best place to put a water park.

This morning, Winnipeg's public administration said that the $700,000 worth of admission credits will allow between 22,000 and 25,000 people to visit the attraction every year. Officials also said that part of the subsidy money may also be used to hire additional lifeguarding staff.

Gerbasi said that information was not included in the initial report to councillors, and means the city could potentially be involved in the operational costs of the water park. She said people are concerned about how a 50,000 square-foot water park will look next to the architecture of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

"I really think it's important to citizens that right across from our Guggenheim we don't put a Super 8 Motel and a big barn," Gerbasi said.

The city did not issue an expression-of-interest document for Parcel Four. The land became available in 2009 as part of Winnipeg's search to dole out a $7-million subsidy to a developer interested in building a water park.

History

Updated on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM CDT: updates with full writethru, comments from councillors

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