Museum for Human Rights

If you drive through downtown Winnipeg, you may be excused for thinking it is the berg that development left behind. The same empty buildings, the same tatty graffiti-tagged derelict dumps waiting for some deus ex machina to drop in and solve the core’s woes.

But the funny thing is, Winnipeg led the nation in growth for building permits over the last two years. Now, that is growth rather than value, but it is an odd stat.

It also points to a continuing problem. There isn’t a lack of money in the city, or a lack of confidence in building, but there is a distinct lack of either will or ability to direct that money and willingness to build toward the downtown.

Each morning, I drive by a couple of large and interesting buildings being built at the Smart Park at the University of Manitoba. I know the concept is to have these research facilities close to the teaching and science centre, but imagine if Winnipeg had someone figured a way to get all that development downtown. What an interesting place the downtown could have been. And with all those boffins and egg heads downtown, the sort of housing and support businesses would also have been pretty cool.

But alas no such luck.

It is also pretty clear that the key to more downtown development is residential. So where are the incentives to put reasonably affordable apartments downtown? There are developers and money enough for this, but most incentives haven’t worked. So time to put up the incentives.

The area near my house has condos and seniors’ places going up all over the place. Why isn’t the city leveraging its money to get some of that development into the Exchange and downtown? And not just more expensive condos on the river drive.

A large chunk of the building in Winnipeg is government funded. The University of Winnipeg buildings, the airport, the museum for human rights, the WHRA building. But this isn’t sustainable. The idea is an expensive one —  that if you build these types of buildings the support infrastructure will move in. It has yet to be proven. Winnipeg has a long history of urban renewal projects that have failed. Time to be radical.

The time is here for the city to make some assertive and aggressive efforts to redirect development away from the ‘burbs and back to the downtown. Create communities and development zones that can take the drive, capital and creativity of those who are willing to build in the donut around the core and direct it downtown. Build it and they will come.

It is time for a plan, and a bold vision. For once.