Lavish and livable

Back in the day, a large tract of land on the 600-block of Wellington Crescent was home to the Khartum Shriners Hospital.

Opened in June 1949, the hospital — which specialized in the treatment of children with physical disabilities or serious illnesses — operated under the Shriners moniker until it was turned over to the provincial government in 1977 and renamed the Rehabilitation Centre for Children.

The centre finally closed in 2016, and the buildings stood vacant until October 2022, when the structures were demolished.

As it turns out, someone was watching the goings-on at the choice plot of land — developer Marc Kipnes of Crystal Ionics.

“It had been on my running path for years — it was a beautiful property,” he recalls. “Then, it was brought to my attention by the province about six to seven years ago. Eventually, the land was committed to Peguis First Nation.”

At that point, Kipnes thought he’d missed his opportunity to acquire the land.

Then, something serendipitous happened.

“About two years ago, Peguis First Nation decided they didn’t want to develop it. A bidding process followed and after several months of negotiating, we purchased the land,” says Kipnes.

Now, Kipnes and his partners — Dwell Design Builders and Monopoly Realty — are getting ready to bring new life to the history-filled site.

“Six Eleven on the River is going to be an exclusive, gated community that will feature 14 detached, custom-designed bungalow condominiums,” says Kipnes. “They will range in size from 1,740 to 2,500 sq. ft. with six placed along Wellington Crescent. There will also be eight river units with terraces, which will be perfect for relaxing to gorgeous river views on summer evenings.”

Most importantly, Kipnes says, each home — all 14 residences will feature laundry rooms, walk-in closets and energy-efficient tri-pane windows — will be unique.

“With a keen focus on craftsmanship, each bungalow with be designed to please discerning home owners. Layouts will be spacious, and finishes will be premium. Our goal is to provide owners with an exceptional lifestyle.”

To that end, Kipnes says the layouts will be exceptionally livable, cabinetry and millwork will be elegantly crafted, and finishes will be rich and luxurious.

“All homes will have 10-foot ceilings with either vaulted ceilings or 12-foot ceilings to create an added sense of space,” says Kipnes. “Finishes will include engineered oak flooring, quartz countertops, custom cabinets and high-end appliances. Interiors will be professionally designed to meet personal tastes. All will have full basements with structural wood floors and high ceilings.”

Plenty of attention will be paid to exterior surroundings, as well.

“The landscaping is going to be amazing, and each home will have a covered deck,” Kipnes says. “All homes will be fenced in for privacy and will also come with a double-attached garage. Most importantly, each home is a unique design that was also designed to fit in with the neighbourhood. Another thing to note is that riverbank stabilization was done in 2025, so that won’t be an issue.”

Kipnes says there were several reasons why he and his partners opted to build bungalow condominiums.

“Basically, they were designed to allow people to age in place in a functional, beautiful environment both inside and out,” he says. “Large, well-placed windows are also going to let in lots of natural light, too.”

At the same time, the lavish, logically designed homes are going to offer another dimension buyers are bound to savour.

“These bungalow condominiums are going to provide the ease of living, privacy and amenities that come with living in a single-family home,” Kipnes says. “You will also appreciate the ease of condo living, where you don’t have to cut the grass or shovel the snow. All you need to do is enjoy residing in a livable, well-appointed home in one of the city’s most exclusive areas.”

Kipnes says construction of the custom-designed bungalows is slated to start soon.

“If you’re interested in finding out more about Six Eleven on the River, we invite you to go to our website at six-eleven.ca. Every home has a full walk-through video, and our presentation centre is ready. All you need to do is fill out a form to make an appointment and we will meet with you to take you through all the details.”

lewys@mymts.net