‘Project Chancellor’ takes shape

Waverley Heights

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This article was published 11/12/2024 (293 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Construction on what will eventually be a 95-unit, seven-storey apartment complex, aimed at post-secondary students and owned by the Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, is well underway at 939 Chancellor Dr.

The building, which is being built by Paragon Living, has been funded by a combined investment of $38.5 million provided by the City of Winnipeg, RRAFN, and the federal government through its affordable housing fund, which ended up covering $32.2 million of the total cost.

Plans for ‘Project Chancellor’ were initially approved by the Assiniboia Community Committee in June 2023, when councillors deemed it a “really important” addition to the area: “This is a beautiful piece … the project itself, with the partnership, with the many different players, it’s very positive,” Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) had said, at the time.

Construction officially began this summer and is slated to be complete by the spring of 2025, and RRAFN members will be able to apply to live in one of the units before it becomes available to the general public.

Because 40 per cent of the units — 38 of the 95 — are affordable, RRAFN trustees said they were “confident all discounted units will be rented to our students and members.”

The waitlist is currently open for all to apply, but affordable units will only be made available to the general public if they are not filled by a deadline determined by the RRAFN community.

Project Chancellor aims to be an answer to the difficult shift university students face when they move off reserve and into the city to begin post-secondary education.

Trustees commended the safety of the area in which the building is located — just a 10-minute drive from the University of Manitoba — and the fact that it’s in what is essentially a “transportation hub,” with connections to other areas of the city. Amenities such as water, wireless internet, and efficient heating and cooling will be available in the affordable units through RRAFN’s contribution to the investment.

The units will be separated into one-, two-, and three-bedroom spaces.

There will also be above- and below-ground parking, a lounge for general get-togethers, a common patio space, and in-suite laundry. Twenty five of the units will also be fully accessible.

“We envision a building that is a welcome home for members of the general public, as well, and feel this kind of development is an exemplary way to move reconciliation forward in a positive way that benefits everyone,” said Gary Roberts, chief of RRAFN.

For more info and updates on the project, visit rrafn.com

For more on the building itself, visit www.paragonliving.com/projects/939-chancellor-drive