City seeking proposals to lease, manage, program St. Boniface heritage buildings

The future of three key St. Boniface heritage buildings should soon become clearer, following years of debate over what to do with them.

The city is seeking proposals to lease, program and manage the Carré Civique de Saint-Boniface (St. Boniface Civic Square), which includes the former St. Boniface city hall (219 Provencher Blvd.), former St. Boniface fire hall (212 Dumoulin St.) and the former St. Boniface health unit building (233 Provencher Blvd.)

The city would continue to own the buildings.

“Promotion of francophone art, language, culture and history are all things that I’d like to see continue and thrive and prosper (through this lease),” said St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard.

The future of the buildings has been debated for years, since the city first posted 219 Provencher and 212 Dumoulin for sale in 2019.

In 2023, Manitoba Possible backed out of an “abilities village” plan for those two properties, which aimed to offer employment, training, social enterprises and housing for people with disabilities. The organization cited a surge in construction and interest costs for its decision to cancel the project.

The following year, city council approved the current plan to keep ownership of both buildings, plus 233 Provencher Blvd., and seek a community organization to manage all of them.

Allard said the current request for proposals follows the results of extensive public consultations.

“(The square) is really a cornerstone of francophone culture. I think the city heard loud and clear after the last (request for proposal) process how important that was,” he said.

The RFP notes Entreprises Riel, La Maison des Artistes, and Saint-Boniface Museum are all currently located at 219 Provencher, while Festival du Voyageur occupies 233 Provencher and the former fire hall at 212 Dumoulin is vacant.

Breanne Lavallée-Heckert, executive director of Festival du Voyageur, said it’s integral that the new lease maintains public access to the site and honours francophone culture, noting a “vibrant” sculpture garden between the buildings attracts many visitors.

“It’s just making sure that character and that component of the city’s history isn’t lost and making sure those stories can still be told from an authentic francophone perspective,” said Lavallée-Heckert.

Lou-Anne Bourdeau, executive director of La Maison des Artistes, agreed.

“Since it’s in the centre of St. Boniface, it’s an icon of francophone life in the city,” said Bourdeau.

Both tenants said it’s not clear if a new lease could affect their programs and locations.

Les Ami.e.s du carré civique de Saint-Boniface, (Friends of the St. Boniface Civic Square) is a citizen’s group created to protect the square. The group plans to submit a bid to manage the properties.

“We believe that (this plan) will best ensure the preservation and the development of that square and its long-term commitment to the francophone community,” said Michel Chartier, chairman of the organization’s board.

The city will award 30 per cent of the available points for each contract bid based on how it would ensure public access to the site and another 30 per cent for how it would promote francophone culture and history. With those objectives in mind, the current tenants would be a good fit, said Chartier.

“If the goal is to preserve francophone art, language, culture and history… the tenants that are in there, their missions all fall within one of those categories,” he said.

Housing and business development could be potential additions to the space but it’s too soon to say what exactly could be proposed, Chartier said.

The three buildings have a heritage status that protects them against demolition.

Whoever wins the contract is expected to outline repairs and maintenance of the buildings for 10 years.

The proposals will help determine if the city helps fund repairs at the properties, as well as whether it earns revenue from the lease and/or provides incentives to support it, said Gord Chappell, the city’s acting manager of real estate and land development.

Chappell said the former fire hall may require the most extensive repairs.

“The fire hall likely needs quite a bit of work as it’s been vacant for quite some time…. It wouldn’t be unexpected to see some kind of request to the city (for funding),” he said.

Chappell said the evaluation process is designed to favour proposals that preserve francophone culture and maintain public access.

“(A bidder would) be hard-pressed to have a recommended bid if they weren’t offering those things,” he said.

The city will accept submissions for the work until Oct. 23.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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