Airport hopes city grounds plans for massive residential developments in Polo Park area By: Aldo Santin Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Friday, Aug. 30, 2019

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This article was published 30/08/2019 (2204 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two proposals headed to city hall next week would dramatically change the Polo Park retail area with the addition of thousands of new high-rise residential units.

However the plans conflict with the area’s no-new-residential-allowed restrictions designed to protect the 24-hour status of the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport.

Councillors on the property and development committee will consider separate proposals from Polo Park shopping centre owner Cadillac Fairview and Towers Realty Group, a property-management firm acting on behalf of several companies that own land on the west side of St. James Street, an area dotted with big-box stores and restaurants.

Both proposals would change the designations of the affected lands within the Airport Vicinity Protection Secondary Plan, which was established in 1997 to prohibit any new residential development that could impact airport operations.

“It’s a big-stakes item… but it’s not a slam-dunk,” Coun. Brian Mayes, chairman of the committee, told the Free Press Friday.

The department is recommending that both proposals be considered at a public hearing of the Assiniboia community committee — consisting of Couns. Scott Gillingham, Kevin Klein and Janice Lukes — and the city’s legal services staff has already prepared draft bylaws that would authorize both proposals.

The bylaws, if approved by council, are the first step in a long process. Subsequent proposals would be needed for rezoning.

The Winnipeg Airports Authority is opposed to both proposals, saying they would jeopardize what has become an economic engine for the province and city.

Tyler MacAfee, vice-president of communications and government relations for the WAA, said the airport supports 17,000 jobs and generates $3.4 billion of economic activity, adding any changes to the airport area secondary plan needs to consider the long-term interests of the community.

“Where cities get themselves into trouble is when you start making these one-off changes for the benefit of a few developers that really run counter to the original intent of the plan in the first place,” MacAfee said. “When you start talking about changing these rules and trying to prop up values for developers, that runs counter to what’s really in the best interests of the long-term future of the community.”

Representatives from both firms have been meeting with the planning, property and development department since the spring.

The Cadillac Fairview proposal involves 80 acres in a block between St. James and Empress streets, and from Portage Avenue to St. Mathews Avenue – which includes the Polo Park Shopping Centre, the Scotiabank movie theatre complex, the CJOB studios and the former Target department store building.

The Towers Realty proposal involves 34 acres and 17 separate properties, most of them on the west side of St. James, between Portage and just north of Ellice Avenue to allow new residential development.

The airport area protection plan was approved in 1997 to ensure noise complaints from residents about overhead aircraft didn’t impact airport operations.

Both proposals want the designation on the lands changed to the similar designation east of the CPR La Riviere rail line (the West End) and south of Portage Avenue (River Heights and Tuxedo), where residential development is allowed.

Proposals submitted by both firms acknowledge the airport authority’s concerns over possible noise complaints but argue that changes in aircraft design and building construction in the 20 years since the secondary plan was imposed means that kind of protection isn’t necessary any longer.

Despite the airport authority’s objections, a document submitted by Cadillac Fairview for the committee meeting states that city hall and the provincial government and the airport authority support residential development in the area.

“All stakeholders expressed interest in the idea of adding residential development to the site,” states the Cadillac Fairview document, titled a Letter of Intent.

“It was communicated that it was advantageous to the City and Province to realize (multi-family residential) development on the site.”

Cadillac Fairview said the Polo Park area is nearly saturated with commercial development and allowing residential development will make the area into a complete, “live, work, play” neighbourhood, adding that the largely vacant former stadium lands would be ideal for that purpose.

Mayes said the airport needs to be protected but added he wasn’t aware of the development restrictions on the surrounding lands.

Klein, who is also a member of the property and development committee, said the proposals reflect council’s current support for residential infill, adding that the area surrounding the airport needs redevelopment.

“If they can make a residential area there, why not?” Klein said.

MacAfee said the airport secondary plan has prevented controversy that has dogged other communities over development adjacent to airports.

The airport authority hasn’t decided whether it will make a presentation to the committee meeting, but he said its staff are discussing the proposals with the city administration.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca