Mixed-use proposed for aged plaza

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This article was published 24/09/2018 (2568 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A development company is eyeing  a strip mall on Ness Avenue that’s had no anchor tenant for years.

If it goes according to plan, the site, which is home to a former grocery store and a number of other retail tenants, would become a multi-storey residential and commercial complex.

The site was the location of a Safeway until it closed in 2014 after Sobeys bought the Western Canadian Safeway stores.

The space has sat empty since then. According to preliminary plans submitted to the city, the development company wants to build two four-storey buildings with a total of 199 residential and four commercial units on the lot.

That effort is being spearheaded by Seymour Pacific Development, a construction company that builds 1,000 multi-family apartment units annually around Canada, according to its website.

Seymour Pacific did not respond to a request for comment.

The company has already passed early hurdles in making the project a reality by securing approval from the City of Winnipeg board of adjustment on variance and conditional use proposals.

“The proposed development is consistent with the (city’s) complete communities direction strategy, in that it creates greater residential density on a community mixed use corridor, thereby helping create a more dynamic street that supports local commercial services and public transit routes,” Robert Galston, a city planner, wrote in his recommendation.

The strip mall is located on the north side of the 3000 block of Ness Avenue, tucked in the Heritage Park neighbourhood of the St. Charles ward.

In addition to the vacant site of the former Safeway, the strip mall has six other tenants. In total, the property spans a little more than three-acres and was previously owned by Swancoat Investments.

Following redevelopment, the commercial space on the ground floor of one of the towers, which will be located on the south side of the property running along Ness Avenue, will be roughly 4,000 square feet.

It remains unclear what the final dollar figure attached to the project will be. It’s also not yet known when the project is expected to break ground or be complete.

Seymour Pacific’s applications for variance and conditional use were submitted to the city’s board of adjustment on June 29. A public hearing was held on July 9.

No one registered in opposition to the development, although some area residents reportedly called Galston to express concerns about the height of the proposed buildings.

‘We pride ourselves on being a family-owned and operated organization, and we hold our family values close to our business activities’– Seymour Pacific Development 

The board of adjustment approved the two proposals on July 25.

In his written recommendation, Galston outlined the reasons for his decision: the project is consistent with the city’s development plan, doesn’t create a substantial adverse effect on the neighbourhood and is compatible with the area.

Before any building or development permits can be issued for the project, Seymour Pacific will have to seek plan approval from the city’s director of planning, property and development.

Seymour Pacific self-describes as a family construction company that began as a single-family home developer and transformed to a western Canadian industry leader in multi-tenant residential development.

“We pride ourselves on being a family-owned and operated organization, and we hold our family values close to our business activities,” the company’s website reads.

Know of any newsworthy developments in the local office, retail, industrial or multi-family-residential sectors? Let us know at business@freepress.mb.ca

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @rk_thorpe