Former Merchants Hotel to be transformed into educational, residential facility
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/09/2015 (3988 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
An elder and a student will strike the first sledgehammer blows Wednesday afternoon in a ceremonial and celebratory transformation of the old notorious Merchants Hotel into an educational and affordable housing complex.
The original three-storey Merchants building on Selkirk Avenue, constructed in 1913, is being gutted and converted to a mix of residential and educational uses, the University of Winnipeg said in a news release.
The exterior restoration will adhere to heritage principle, the university said. The adjoining one-storey restaurant/beverage room, constructed in the 1950s, will be demolished to make way for the new addition. Following several years of diligent, collaborative grassroots planning and fundraising, the iconic corner at Selkirk Avenue and Andrews Street is poised to become the new jewel of the North End, the U of W declared.
Elders, community leaders and residents, donors, Manitoba Minister of Housing and Community Development Mohinder Saran, and partners in the project will be at the Merchants at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Members of the public can swing the sledgehammer for a donation of at least $1.
The university said that redevelopment of Merchants Corner is led by a community-based steering group that includes broad stakeholder and resident input. The mixed-use housing and education project is guided by the principles of community economic development and respect for indigenous culture.
The provincial government, through Manitoba Housing and Community Development, has committed more than $15 million towards the project. The community continues to raise $3.7 million to go towards capital costs, technology infrastructure and training spaces within the complex including a community kitchen and social enterprise café. The amount raised by the community to date will be announced at Wednesday’s event.