St. Boniface heritage buildings bid window delayed

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This article was published 06/01/2020 (2245 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Community members in St. Boniface will have an extra nine months to come up with proposals for ways to use their historic city and fire halls — thanks to a deadline extension granted by the property and development, heritage and downtown development committee Monday.

The Riel community committee recommended extending the original request for proposal deadline of Feb. 18 by six weeks.

The city is looking to sell its assets at 219 Provencher Blvd. (which currently houses three non-profits) and 212 Dumoulin St. (currently vacant).

Locals asked for at least a year’s extension on the RFP — which they got — so they could have time to put together comprehensive bids that could compete with private developers.

At least three delegates spoke at city hall about needing an extension until November, including Walter Kleinschmit of Héritage Saint-Boniface, Angela Cassie of La Société de la francophonie manitobaine, and Norm Gousseau of Entreprises Riel.

Kleinschmit said a local consortium is working together on a plan that would result in the city and fire halls continuing as a mixed-use community meeting place. The plan could include added housing and a restaurant or brewery components placed in the vacant fire hall on Dumoulin, he said, adding he hopes to see the campus become a “centre for the expansion and the animation of francophonie in Manitoba.”

There will be open houses at both buildings Wednesday. The fire hall will be open at 1 p.m., and old city hall at 2:15 p.m.