Shoppers gets OK to expand in Village

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This article was published 17/02/2012 (5008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city committee gave Shoppers Drug Mart the go-ahead to expand their Osborne Village location.

On Thursday, council’s appeal committee voted to deny an appeal from residents who argued the drugstore expansion does not fit in with the neighbourhood’s unique character. About a dozen people spoke against the idea and argued the expanded store means two business locations — the Movie Village and Vi-Ann space — that could have been occupied by entrepreneurs will be lost. They argued storefront space in Osborne Village is hard to come by and the city’s decision will decrease business diversity in the area.

The owner of Movie Village agreed to sell the video store and the adjacent building occupied by Vi-Ann restaurant for the expansion.

Shoppers Drug Mart representatives said the store has amended its plans in response to the community, including moving the Canada Post office location to face Osborne. The design of the building will make it look like the post office is a separate building, officials said, and the expanded location will have an internal garbage room to store bulky BFI bins and pedestrian-friendly walkways.

Shoppers offered the owners of Vi-Ann two years of rent-free space to relocate their restaurant on the expanded store’s second floor. The second level will be leased out to one or more interested businesses.

Area Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge) called the decision “difficult” and said the community is divided on the issue. Gerbasi said the revamped Shoppers will address concerns about traffic on Roslyn Road and pedestrian safety. She said a lot of people do support the proposed expansion and Osborne Village needs big amenities since so many people walk to area shops.

“When people see what’s actually being built they’ll see that this is not ruining the neighbourhood,” she said.

Property tax increase?

WINNIPEGGERS will know for certain whether a property-tax increase is coming this year in 11 more days.

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz will table the 2012 operating budget, the blueprint for spending on all city services this year, on the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 28, the mayor’s office confirmed Thursday.

The budget is expected to include more money for policing, thanks to the addition of more officers, rising labour costs and police-pension requirements. The 2011 operating budget was $847.3 million. This year’s budget is expected to be larger due to rising gas prices, salaries for all city workers and other inflationary pressures.

Several councillors have hinted at a property-tax increase to cover some of the rising costs. If one occurs, it may not be very large, as the city posted a $9.7 million surplus at the end of 2011 — a chunk of revenue equal to a 2.23 per cent property-tax hike.

After the budget is tabled, city council committees will scrutinize details at three meetings in early March. Executive policy committee will then hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 13 to hear delegations on the budget. EPC will then make its final recommendations on March 14.

Council as a whole will debate the budget at a special meeting planned for Tuesday, March 20.

Transcona plaza eyed

THE Transcona Biz wants to build a public plaza with a 29-foot-tall clock tower.

Next week, the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee will review plans to create a centennial square near the corner of Regent Avenue and Bond Street. The plaza is set to have a stage, clock tower, seating areas and open areas that can be used for festivals and farmers markets.

The clock tower will be situated at the front of the property and the stage’s backdrop will feature art panels that will illustrate tall grass prairie. The side of the stage will be clad with brick siding and the rear in corrugated metal with a metal canopy.

Gift of geese

QUALICO Developments wants to give the City of Winnipeg a sculpture of flying geese.

Earlier this week, council’s property committee voted in favour of a plan to accept the gift from Qualico, which is slated to be installed on the roundabout at Edward Turner Drive and Boulevard des Hivernants in Sage Creek. The plan still has to be approved by executive policy committee and council.

The sculpture is 4.5 metres high and six metres long, and the flying geese are made out of steel installed on a reinforced concrete slab.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca