The province wants to make it easier to call a downtown Winnipeg neighbourhood home.
Nearly $8 million is being pumped into Winnipeg’s Waterfront Exchange District, in an effort to make it more attractive to home and business owners.
It's all part of The Exchange Waterfront Neighbourhood Development Program.
With a price tag of $7.8 million for the plan, you can expect to see more street lights, wider sidewalks and expanded car share spaces.
The upgrades start at Market Avenue along Bertha -- up to John Hirsch Place and Waterfront Drive.
Point Douglas MLA Kevin Chief said the goal is to increase the residential population by building a safe, quality environment and bring more business opportunities.
"If you're a business person, if you're somebody who wants to live down here, if you're a young person attending school - what it tells us is that type of partnership and that type of collaboration - it says that our future is bright,” he said.
Residents who already live in the area said the real thing that’s missing is a grocery store.
"Just in terms of having to get groceries. If I have to do a big grocery shop, that's one of the biggest difficulties," said Guy Gaudreau who lives on Waterfront Drive. Otherwise, he said it feels like a great, safe neighbourhood.
Funding for the plan comes from future taxes from approved condo developments.
The full Exchange Waterfront Development Program is expected to be mostly complete by 2020.
