Six-storey housing complex in works for Marion Street

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This article was published 29/03/2024 (553 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new development could add dozens of affordable housing units in St. Boniface and make use of a vacant property on Marion Street.

The proposal calls for a six-storey building, which would replace a vacant lot at 366 Marion St. and single-family homes at 284 and 288 Des Meurons St., if the city approves it. That would create 127 housing units, including 52 that would have “deeply affordable” rents for at least 20 years.

Coun. Markus Chambers said the project appears to align with many city goals.

“We are in an affordable housing crisis. We need this kind of project to come online so that we’re meeting the critical housing shortage that we face… (And) this is the kind of development that we want to encourage. It’s close and walkable to a lot of amenities,” said Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

The building would include a commercial unit on the ground floor with a large transparent storefront area. Its exterior would include light grey and charcoal fibre cement panels and red brick veneer, while it would have up to 66 parking stalls, including one designated for a car-share vehicle.

Chambers said developing the vacant lot would make better use of that property and generate tax dollars.

“That’s the kind of development we want and (it’s) attracting more people closer to the downtown area,” he said.

A city report states the rent would be at, or below, 70 per cent of the median market rate for the area. Affordable units would include one-bedrooms with monthly rents below $700 and two-bedrooms below $1,000, said Jonathon Freed, president of Freedhome Developments.

Freed said there’s a clear need for more housing in the area, which is also well-suited to his company’s desire to enhance mature neighbourhoods.

“(Our) entire focus is doing infill development… We consider ourselves to be city builders. We want to add to the vibrancy in the city in mature communities,” he said. “We try to design our buildings in such a way (they have) ‘sidewalk-focused architecture’ so there’s a presence at the street level that kind of aids in building a pedestrian-oriented environment.”

Freed said the proposed building would include a heated parkade, large balconies, and some private, ground-floor patios, along with a “high-design” lobby lounge and co-work space. He said the building would also be 35 per cent more energy efficient than what is required by national building code standards.

The developer said he hopes to convince city councillors to reject some conditions its planners have recommended for the project, however, such as calling to replace and widen a sidewalk along the entire frontage, and for some hydro poles to be removed.

An additional setback requirement could also force the project to lose one three-bedroom housing unit and some parking spaces, Freed said.

He said those changes would come at a significant cost, making it more difficult to maintain affordable rents.

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“Our submission doesn’t allow for those considerations, so the building itself (would need) to be redesigned to accommodate (that),” said Freed. “I think there’s potentially some merit to maybe widening the sidewalk but not if they’re not going to allow further reduced setbacks.”

City of Winnipeg planners recommend approval of the project, with the list of conditions. The city report notes the proposal aligns with city development goals to provide affordable housing and build homes near frequent Winnipeg Transit routes and businesses.

The Riel community committee will hear the proposal on April 5. It would require full council approval.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.