Vision for a downtown with ‘people’https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/11/city-proposes-massive-changes-in-downtown-redevelopmentA new vision to revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown pitches options to create new green space, calm traffic, reimagine Graham Avenue and attract new residents among its key goals.
Described as a blueprint to redevelop downtown, a preliminary version of CentrePlan 2050 released Thursday sets a target to ensure at least 350 new residential units get built in the city centre each year until 2030, followed by 500 annually after that.
That’s part of a much broader strategy to attract more residents and visitors.
The proposal floats ideas to create “ideal neighbourhood streets” with safe crossings for foot traffic, street trees, pedestrian lighting, on-street parking and narrow road lanes meant to help slow traffic.
“We want more people living in the downtown and staying in the downtown and not just driving through the downtown… I think now’s the time to have a conversation about pedestrian safety, cycling… transit and motor-vehicle traffic,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.
“There’s a couple things I really want to see, (including) finding ways to add more green space in the downtown, finding more ways to redevelop surface parking lots and add the amenities to the downtown communities that people depend upon and rely upon in other communities across the city.”
The proposal doesn’t identify designated “neighbourhood” streets, though a city official suggested Edmonton and Kennedy could be included.
The city is also seeking input to design future bike routes in the areas of St. Mary and York avenues, Notre Dame and Cumberland avenues and William Stephenson Way and Graham Avenue.
Additional goals include attracting major grocery stores, planting trees, creating new parks, adding winter activities and increasing access to riverbanks.
It has been a busy week for proposals and discussions about inner-city Winnipeg’s future. The proposal’s release followed Wednesday’s unveiling by the Osborne Village BIZ of a multi-pronged plan to transform one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods. There have also been two public open houses staged by city planning department staff to get feedback and answer questions about a consultant’s report on a revitalization of the controversial Portage and Main corridor.
The project also aims to “reimagine” Graham Avenue, since the city expects buses will no longer use it within five to 10 years. The report notes car travel is already prohibited on several blocks. It suggests the avenue’s central location could serve as a key cycling connection and makes it “perfectly situated to be downtown’s signature open space.”
The report indicates motor-vehicle access on some sections of Graham, mostly where it is currently not allowed, is “to be determined.”
The future version of the street could incorporate some combination of: a “shared zone” with more room for pedestrians, cyclists and patios; a “green zone” with trees, plantings and recreation; and a “celebration zone” with a flexible space to accommodate street parties, food-truck festivals and active-transportation paths.
Richard Mahé, a senior downtown planner for the city, said Graham Avenue options could be considered “block by block.”
“As the buses leave, it gives us a really unique opportunity to rethink how we want to use that space for people,” he said, noting changes could still accommodate vehicles.
Mahé said the strategy acknowledges downtown has changed as more people continue to work from home.
“We saw a lot of progress in our downtown pre-pandemic, and the pandemic has exposed certain weaknesses in our downtown. We’ve had an (over-reliance) on the office worker to animate our downtown…. We need to provide more housing downtown and a broader range of different housing options to meet different needs,” he said.
While the online survey asks residents if they support efforts to “increase safety by reducing car speeds” downtown, Mahé said that’s not a current focus. The document also notes connector and corridor streets would be treated differently.
An urban-issues expert said Graham deserves special attention.
“Graham is one of these oddities of Winnipeg’s downtown,” said Jino Distasio, a professor of urban geography at the University of Winnipeg. “As a kid that has grown up in the downtown, I scratch my head because I have never understood what Graham Avenue was as a destination… that one, to me, needs help from (public) input to figure out.”
Distasio said all downtown routes should be designed to meet the needs of all forms of traffic.
“You have to have accessibility and the ability to efficiently and effectively move 50,000, 60,000 workers, students and visitors in the downtown but you also want to do it as safely as possible…. All of this is about scale and balance,” he said.
Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said any changes should prioritize quality of life for the 18,000 people who currently live in the area and help attract new residents.
“I think a lot of our streets downtown are treated like a thoroughfare. (This is) more about how… we design our downtown to be for people first,” she said. “That it’s not just a neighbourhood to pass through… that supports businesses as well,” said Fenske.
She believes the initial target to build 350 new homes in the area each year makes sense, since inflation and rising construction costs have recently made development more challenging.
Data shows 352 new residential units were built downtown in 2021, followed by 141 last year. A five-year average between 2017 and 2021 was notably higher at 454, but the number of units is “historically volatile,” partly because new homes tend to arrive through large, multi-year projects, city spokesman Kalen Qually said in an emailed statement.
While some drivers have expressed concern traffic-calming measures could snarl traffic, the head of council’s property and development committee said other cities have smoothly adopted similar changes.
“(As for) the bias… that it’s all going to slow down, I’ve watched other cities do this. Other cities have the same hesitation, the same concerns and then it just doesn’t happen,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins.
The new ideas should help guide the city to build a downtown “for everyone,” she said.
“They’re reimagining many streets in the downtown and, dare I say, even the potential to eliminate some…. Do we need that many or do we need more walkable malls, and so forth?” she said.
Winnipeggers can weigh in on the ideas in an online survey at winnipeg. ca/centreplan2050 until June 15 or attend an open house from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 25 at Manitoba Hydro Place (360 Portage Ave.)
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca