A Winnipeg entrepreneur plans to spend $1.2 million to convert a vacant Garden City office building into a chic new restaurant and patio.

Boris Kravets wants to build the European-style restaurant and patio at 675 Jefferson Ave. near Sinclair Street. The proposal also includes five second-storey apartment units.

"This corner is going to start looking different very, very soon," Kravets said, noting it makes sense for a Garden City restaurant to cater to an eastern European demographic.

"With so many people in the area from eastern Europe and Russia, it makes sense. This will not only be a restaurant but a food store as well."

Kravets has submitted an application to the city to rezone the property from commercial to commercial-community.

The city’s Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan community committee recommended that the city approve the application during a March 20 public hearing.

The application will now go to the city’s standing policy on property and development for consideration and must still be approved by city council.

James Veitch, a senior planner with Winnipeg’s planning, property and development department, said the application calls for renovation of the interior and exterior of the existing vacant building.

The second floor of the facility will have five mezzanine-style apartments.

Kravets said he is hopeful construction of the yet-to-be-named project will begin by early summer and be completed later this year.

The building has been used primarily as a make-shift campaign office for politicians. More recently, it has also been used by homeless people, Kravets said.

Coun. Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) said the development is a great example of what can be done to reinvigorate existing building stock.

"More of this kind of investment in the communities would be ideal — it is both residential and commercial venture on a major transit route," he said.

Coun. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) said the exterior look of the building and landscaping plans will still have to be approved by members of the community committee.

"This is a great project and a great amenity for both the neighbourhood and area school," she said.

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