Outlet mall-area housing proposal the shape of things to come, deputy mayor says

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This article was published 31/12/2024 (305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A proposal to create more than 400 homes close to ample shopping and transportation options offers a glimpse of how the city hopes to build up mall and corridor areas in the future.

A project proposed for the 600 block of Sterling Lyon Parkway will add to many homes already in the area, which built up relatively quickly over the last decade.

The site isn’t among the mall and transportation corridor sites where council recently approved zoning changes to attract more housing but displays the kind of community the new rules aim to entice, according to Winnipeg’s deputy mayor.

“It’s reflective of what we’re doing now … It’s very progressive. That’s why we moved the malls and corridors bylaw so it would see development like what’s happening at Sterling Lyon,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West).

The new project proposes to subdivide the properties at 639, 645, 655 and 669 Sterling Lyon Parkway into five separate lots. Two of the lots would provide multi-family housing, each with a seven-storey building. Overall, the project would create 439 dwelling units.

One building would have 298 parking stalls, while the other would include 185 spaces. Another 203 existing parking spots will remain on an adjacent property.

Future residents would be close to Ikea, Outlet Collection Winnipeg and other retailers.

In a report, city planners recommend approval of the plans, which would require a final council vote.

Lukes said the new residents could make use of many nearby amenities, with easy access to retail, transit and green space, and add to a community of existing apartment blocks in the area.

“You can shop, work, there’s lots of activities … It’s a highly desirable location with great opportunities for work,” she said.

The city report notes the new homes would also be built quite close to pedestrian paths, Seasons of Tuxedo shops and frequent transit routes.

“The proposed residential multi-family sites … are located within 220 metres from a westbound transit stop on Sterling Lyon Parkway … This stop features regular daily feeder transit routes with connections to significant destinations, including the University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus and the Polo Park shopping centre,” writes City of Winnipeg planner Robert Galston.

Officials at Seasons Retail Corp., the project’s applicant, weren’t available on Tuesday.

A local urban planning expert said the project reflects a broader North American trend to closely align retail and residential construction.

“We’re just seeing a lot more adaptative reuse of land that otherwise would have been (used for) parking … or smaller retail functions, (like) restaurants and gas stations,” said Jino Distasio, a professor of urban geography at the University of Winnipeg. “With a global housing crisis, people are scrambling to develop developable lots and a conversion like this … which allows the high-density construction (is part of that).”

Distasio said Sterling Lyon has quickly emerged as a dense residential and commercial area over the last decade or so, supported by infrastructure investments that were meant to attract growth.

However, the continued population increases won’t come without challenges, he said.

The addition of new residents will accelerate the need to expand key traffic routes that support the area and address stretches of Route 90 already known as major bottlenecks.

“We have talked about the widening of Kenaston (Boulevard). The impetus for that is there is tremendous growth in the south … I know there is a huge debate about the widening and the cost but, unfortunately, the cost of growth is high,” said Distasio.

In June, a city report estimated the Kenaston project would cost at least $586 million, plus up to $151 million more if the city is its sole funder and uses debt to pay for it. That project would overhaul Kenaston between Taylor and Ness Avenues, including new traffic lanes, active transportation pathways and sewage upgrades, if council gives it final approval.

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