The developers behind a plan that would have seen a sprawling series of high- and low-rise buildings built in and around shops and businesses in the Polo Park area are back with a new plan.
Cadillac Fairview — owner of CF Polo Park — and Shindico released a new master plan for the area surrounding the mall, including the former Canad Inns Stadium site, Thursday.
“It’s a great place to live. There hasn’t been any new development in the St. James or west Winnipeg area for 30 to 40 years, so there’s a ton of pent up demand,” Shindico Realty Inc. general counsel Justin Zarnowski told Global News Friday morning.
“And this would be the best place to live. You can shop, you can go and get your groceries, you can get your coffee, and you won’t have to get into your car.”
Under the new plan, the developers would partner to redevelop the 84 acres of land bordered by Portage Avenue, St. James Street, St. Matthews Avenue and Empress Street to include what they’re calling a “complete community” around the shopping centre.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a vibrant community around the most successful shopping centre in the Prairies,” Shindico president Sandy Shindleman said in a statement.
Shindico and Cadillac Fairview’s original plans for the space, announced in 2019, included apartment buildings around the perimeter of the mall, parking structures, office spaces and possibly assisted-living units for seniors, Shindico told Global News at the time.
But that plan ultimately failed to get approval from city hall after the Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) argued that allowing more residential construction in the area would impact its ability to do business and increase potential noise complaints if it expands.
Zarnowski says the buildings would be sound-proof to overhead airplane noise due to their energy-efficient design.
“The offshoot (is) energy efficient buildings are also very sound-proof buildings, because not letting air out means not letting sound in,” Zarnowski said.
“So these buildings will be very sound proof just by requirements of the building code and our commitment to them being environmentally-friendly. So we have no concerns about airport noise here; it just isn’t going to be an issue.”
The proposed development announced Thursday would feature a mix of residential, amenity and retail uses, new parks, open spaces and a combination of private and public streets, according to a release from the developers.
There would also be pedestrian and cycling connections built and the addition of “residential and mixed-use density” in parking lots around the mall, the developers said.
The plan is one that has been long supported by Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, since he was city councillor for St. James.
“The Polo Park properties are, yes, very much the focus of St. James, but they’re an attraction for everyone from all over Winnipeg, in fact, all over Manitoba,” Mayor Gillingham said.
“This means development in Winnipeg, which is really critical as well. These kind of investments help our local economy, they create jobs, they create housing, which is needed. These are developments I would like to see all across our city.”
Sherri Rollins, the chair of the city’s property and development committee, said this is a much-needed development for the area.
“It’s about time and what it means for Winnipeggers is some excitement and probably long-awaited development like other cities have around a big regional mall like Polo Park,” Rollins said.
The plans will still need to be approved by city hall, a process that will start in the coming weeks, said Wayne Barwise, Cadillac Fairview’s executive vice-president of development.
“For more than 60 years, the centre has proudly served as a second downtown to Winnipeg and our redevelopment plan extends our long-term vision to further expand the community,” Barwise said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to be in a position today to share the plans and will be submitting an application to rezone the Polo Park lands in the coming weeks.”