New development could replace ‘the Pemby’

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This article was published 01/09/2021 (1513 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The gathering spot many Winnipeggers have referred to as “the Pemby” for decades could be replaced, if city council approves a new project.

A new proposal aims to demolish the Pembina Hotel, which contains the beverage room well-known by that nickname, a vendor, VLTs and hotel rooms. Its removal would create space for a new 12-storey mixed-use building with 226 apartments, 7,050 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, a pet spa, a “bike room” and more.

The bike room would also link up to a “pathway connection” to the Southwest Transitway active transportation route, according to a city report.

Jino Distasio, a professor of urban geography at the University of Winnipeg, said the potential replacement may trigger nostalgia for the many Winnipeggers who have visited the Pemby. Its beverage room became a popular hangout for university students in the early 1990s.

“I happened to grow up in the area and, certainly… it was a rite of passage for a lot of local youth in the Fort Rouge-Fort Garry area that grew up with the Pemby and the (Cambridge Hotel) across the street,” said Distasio. “There is a tremendous amount of history in Winnipeg with the older hotels. Beverage rooms were part of the landscape.”

However, he expects the proposed project could make good use of the hotel’s prime 1011 Pembina Hwy. location, which is on a main traffic route and about 500 metres from the Jubilee rapid transit station.

“It’s good to see that corridor filling in and I see this as really being a part of that shift to (bringing residential development) closer to high transportation nodes,” said Distasio. “If we’re going to plan our city, moving forward, we have to look inward at infill projects that capitalize on good locations and good accessibility… It’s a really great location to see us really densifying some of our existing neighbourhoods.”

He noted the site is close to many key Winnipeg destinations as well, such as the Blue Bombers stadium, while still being relatively close to downtown.

“It is truly a really remarkable spot to redevelop,” said Distasio.

Coun. John Orlikow, whose River Heights-Fort Garry ward includes the site, declined comment on the proposed project, since he has not yet voted on some city clearances that it would require.

Orlikow did note development along major routes like Pembina Highway is a city priority.

“The city does want to look at densification of regional corridor streets, such as Pembina Highway. It has good access to Transit and an active transportation line,” he said.

Proponents of the project declined to discuss it until after a Friday hearing on the proposal takes place at city hall.

The city report does not specifically state if the new building would include a beverage room or other gathering spot. Rezoning changes to support the project would require full city council approval.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga