Variance vote moves west Portage Costco proposal another step forward

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This article was published 21/06/2023 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The proposal to add a new Costco warehouse in west Winnipeg has cleared a key hurdle.

On Wednesday, the Assiniboia Community Committee approved a variance for a 166,843-square-foot store planned for 4077 Portage Ave., at the intersection of Race Track Road and Stewart Millett Way in the Assiniboia Downs area.

“I think it’s exciting for the neighbourhoods here in Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood… and Winnipeg as a whole, to have Costco wanting to come and invest here,” said Coun. Evan Duncan who represents the ward, which includes the proposed site.

While there has been speculation about the addition of a warehouse in the area since at least 2018, he said it now appears one could arrive soon.

“We’ve been talking about this for years now, so it looks like this is going to be moving ahead. I’m not going to speak for Costco but I think the community wants it and I think Costco hears that,” said Duncan.

The community committee voted unanimously to approve a variance of standard rules to make way for the site. Those changes will reduce the number of required bicycle stalls for the property from 64 to 32, rely on four loading spaces instead of five and allow part of the building’s west side yard to be one-metre wide instead of the standard 3.05 metres.

An applicant on Costco’s behalf told the committee the changes were fairly minor but the store itself would have a big impact on the entire Westport Festival development area.

“This is a required anchor out on the site to attract further retail, restaurants, hotel and serviced retail to the site,” said John Pearson, president of ICI Properties.

Pearson noted the new store, which would be Winnipeg’s fourth Costco, would still require a plan approval and development permit from the city, with those processes set to take place next.

Pearson declined to answer questions about the plan and its timeline.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga