CentrePort South industrial development plan believed to be largest ever in city

The city has received an application for what is believed to be the largest industrial development ever proposed in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg-based Jessiman Family Investments has applied to develop a 700-acre industrial park in CentrePort South, the city’s portion of CentrePort Canada.

The “Catalyst Park” project is the first major private-sector investment proposed to follow the city’s decision to extend water and sewer service to the inland port, which aimed to make land “shovel ready” for development.

“It really speaks to the potential to grow Winnipeg’s sky economy (of the aviation, aerospace and defence sectors). We know… already that one of the interested parties in looking at being located within this development is related to the aerospace sector,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.

“The CentrePort South lands are adjacent to the Winnipeg airport, which really helps to develop and grow and continue to create high-wage, high-paying, good-value jobs for Winnipeggers.”

The mayor declined to specify which companies expressed interest in the land.

A $73.7-million project wrapping up in the third quarter of this year will bring sewer and water connections to the area off CentrePort Canada Way, bordered by the Perimeter Highway to the west and Selkirk Avenue to the north. That will connect the services to 1,800 acres of land within city limits, including 1,100 acres of industrial development space, plus additional land for housing.

The province contributed $40 million to the project and the city covered the rest.

“I pushed hard (as a city councillor) to get the water and sewer servicing in the CentrePort South to open up the lands for development, and now we’re seeing that that was the right decision,” Gillingham said.

Sean O’Neil, vice-president of real estate for Jessiman Family Investments, said the servicing will unlock plenty of development.

Depending on the size of each business that moves into the site, the company expects a multi-phase development could roll out over 15 to 20 years.

“It really speaks to the potential to grow Winnipeg’s sky economy (of the aviation, aerospace and defence sectors).”

“Winnipeg’s treated the Jessiman family very well and they want to do something and give back to the city,” O’Neil said. “For everyone in Winnipeg… we want to make sure that we continue to create jobs for the economy and put Winnipeg on the map.”

The family owned Bison Transport from 1969 until it sold the business to Richardson & Sons Ltd. in 2020. Jessiman Family Investments now invests in real estate, equities and companies.

O’Neil said most of Catalyst Park will offer traditional industrial lots, though the plan also includes some amenities for employees, such as restaurants and gyms.

If approved, the project will become the largest development site in CentrePort’s history, said Carly Edmundson, president and chief executive officer of CentrePort Canada.

Edmundson said extending water and sewer service to the site was critical in attracting the investment.

“(In Winnipeg) there hasn’t been serviced land available for a couple of decades. This first phase of water/ waste water is going to be the first… catalyst for so much development in CentrePort South,” she said.

Edmundson said she expects the park to attract aerospace investments, given its close proximity to the airport, along with several other uses.

The space at CentrePort South offers opportunities for Manitoba businesses to expand and out-of-province companies to move in, she said.

“That land in the city is so attractive because it’s going to be close to a new residential development. It’s close to the airport and it’s right along CentrePort Canada Way, with access to rail, as well,” she said.

“You’ve got trimodal transportation access, you’ve got a labour pool nearby…. It’s going to be transformational.”

The project would require some city approvals, beginning at the Assiniboia Community Committee.

The mayor has written to members of that committee to note his support for the project, though it’s not clear when a vote will take place.

While city council members often decline to share views on a development prior to a potential public hearing, Gillingham said he chose to weigh on this project due to its economic potential.

“I’m very open-minded to what may need to change. But, in general, I want to see CentrePort South developed. It represents high-paying jobs. It represents growth (for) Winnipeg’s economy,” he said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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