Railside at The Forks picks up steam

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This article was published 30/10/2023 (677 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A recent Negotiated Request for Proposal (NRFP) put forth by The Forks North Portage Partnership is all that separates the first phase of the long-awaited Railside at The Forks project from being a full-go.

The NRFP, which opened Oct. 13, will close Nov. 17 at 3 p.m., at which point the organization will “select a development partner to design and develop a mixed-use project.”

“It’s been several years (2019) since we first began engaging in that process with developers for this first phase, and given everything that’s happened — a global pandemic, interest rates rising and cost of construction — it was probable that one of the developers would recuse themselves from the original process. So that’s what happened here,” said Zach Peters, communications and marketing manager for The Forks North Portage Partnership.

“It’s quite a short RFP that essentially we’re looking for interested parties that want to jump on board right now because we are moving pretty quickly at this point now with the next steps of the actual formation of Railside.”

The ground on the first of two surface parking lots being converted has already been broken to install underground utilities and a geothermal system that will heat and cool the 10 mixed-use buildings that make up Phase 1 and is expected to reduce 12,200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Shortly after a developer is selected, the reins will be handed to the 10 developers to begin construction in early 2024. Phase 1 will move quickly and is expected to open to the public in early 2026, Peters said.

Once completed, Railside at The Forks will consist of 30 mid-rise developments with commercial, retail and services on the ground level of each building. It is expected to add about 1,200 rental and condo units to the area and house up to 2,500 residents by two of Winnipeg’s major landmarks — The Forks and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“It’s always been a part of the (Forks Renewal Corp.’s) mandate to have residential be a part of the site and I think that creates a more vibrant place to be,” Peters said. “So to now create a vibrant community that will live here and thrive here, we only see that as adding to what is already a fantastic place to be.”

Peters did not reveal how much it will cost to build Phase 1, but the city and provincial government have certainly shown their favour for the project.

In 2020, city council approved up to a $7.9 million in tax increment financing for Railside at The Forks, which allocates future increases in property taxes in the area to pay for improvements within that area. That decision came on the heels of a significant agreement by the province in 2019 to forgo up to $11.9 million worth of future property tax revenue for the development.

The Forks receives nearly four million visits per year. An annual economics review conducted by InterGroup Consultants determined the economic impact of the entire Forks site to be $165 million.

A projection of the economic impact numbers for Railside at The Forks is in progress.

One question that remains is whether there will be enough demand for prospective renters to live at a tourist attraction like The Forks.

“We’re pretty bullish on it,” said Bryce Alston, whose Alston Properties will develop one of the sites in Phase 1. “The market vacancy is really low right now and the rental market, I’ve never seen it as strong as it is today with just the difficulty to turn over new product and the net migration numbers that we’re seeing.

“In general, the vacancy and the rental markets are strong. And then I liked the fact that The Forks — certainly having residential there would be kind of a nice, distinct offering and there’s nothing really like it in the city. So I think naturally there would be some demand, just because it would be such a bespoke product.”

Though Alston expects the return on investment to be well worth his while, he conceded this project will come with its challenges.

“There’s more involved in building and developing at a place like The Forks. There are just regulatory considerations — you got the (CN) Rail there, the fact that it’s a known archeological site, and just with some development conditions associated with that and monitoring requirements and whatnot and the co-ordination, as well, like doing the master plan community. There’s just that higher level of coordination involved.

“The other thing is that The Forks are going to require and demand a better product from the developers. Like, it’s not something that you can go in there and just slap up whatever you want. There are more demanding requirements from The Forks that are imposed on the development teams to put together a building that kind of fits within the first-class nature that is The Forks.”

One thing that bears consideration for prospective residents is living next to an active rail line. Building materials for each development are still being decided, but perhaps developers will look at soundproofing options to create even a small buffer.

“Obviously, we’re mindful of it, and the name alludes to it and it’s part of it, but it will both be something that will be a part of the process of building but also a part of the comfort level of the people that do commit to living here and being a part of this unique community,” Peters said.

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca