New apartment complex rising on E.K. property where fire destroyed unfinished housing development in 2022

Construction of a new 96-unit apartment complex is underway on land in East Kildonan where an unfinished project was destroyed by a massive fire four years ago.

Winnipeg-based Carrington Real Estate purchased the property at London Street and Kimberly Avenue from the former owner while the site was vacant in late 2024.

“We’re happy to take the project on and see it to its completion,” said Jared Carrington, president of Carrington Real Estate.

“We’re really excited to be back in the neighbourhood, and looking forward to bringing another building online and opening up more rental options for residents that want to stay or move to East Kildonan.”

Known as London Manor, the four-storey building — a $25-million development — is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027. It will include 12 single-room occupancy units for affordable housing, Carrington said.

Amenities will include underground parking with access via London Street, a fitness room, a multi-purpose room and a bicycle lockup.

More details about suites and rental prices will be released in the months before the complex opens to tenants.

Carrington Real Estate owns a three-storey, 32-unit apartment building nearby, at 615 Kimberly Ave. About 300 people joined a wait list for information months before the complex opened, which shows there is significant demand for housing in the area, Carrington said.

The new complex at 750 London St. is close to schools, Concordia Hospital, Valley Gardens Community Centre and Elmwood Kildonan Pool.

The property’s former owner — a numbered company — was building a four-storey, 84-unit complex when the wood-framed structure was destroyed by a rapidly spreading fire Jan. 31, 2022. The project received city approval in 2020.

Investigators were unable to determine the fire’s cause, the Winnipeg Police Service said in January 2024.

People who live in a neighbouring condominium complex were told the fire started in the unfinished building’s basement, where several possible ignition sources existed, but the damage was too severe to determine what caused it.

Two occupied condo buildings were damaged, with some owners unable to return home for 18 months until repairs were completed. The complex’s parking garage and several vehicles were destroyed.

Neighbourhood residents complained to the city about illegal dumping and a construction pit, while the lot at London and Kimberly sat vacant under previous ownership.

In interviews in January 2024, they said the fenced site, where materials were scattered and burned trees were still standing, was a safety hazard and an eyesore.

Local residents who spoke to the Free Press this week welcomed the new apartment project.

“I’m so pleased it’s going on, and (the site) has been cleaned out,” said Claude Pratt, a condo owner who was displaced by the fire.

“The moment we saw the signs (advertising the project), we knew things were going to get better. For the longest time, we had that burned-out, post-apocalyptic forest.”

Giselle Majersky, another condo owner who was displaced, said she was happy to see construction begin last month.

“I just want something built there. Finishing the project will be good for the neighbourhood,” Majersky said. “We would just like this to be completed and out of our minds. Of course, we will never forget the fire.”

The apartment building will bring additional vehicle traffic, she said.

Coun. Emma Durand-Wood, who was elected in a byelection in Elmwood-East Kildonan in October, said residents raised concerns about the construction pit when she knocked on doors during the campaign.

She expects people who live in the area will be happy to see something happening at the site. She was pleased the project includes affordable housing units.

“It’s always great to see new housing options,” Durand-Wood said.

The property’s former owner filed a lawsuit against five insurance companies, an adjusting firm and an adjuster in December 2023.

The civil suit claimed the property owner wasn’t able to proceed with a rebuild because of insurance funds not being paid. The defendants later filed statements of defence. The matter is still before the courts.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca