Parking lot dispute with city 'could be the demise' of art supply shop, owner says

Artists Emporium fears city requirements over parking spaces could lead to the demise of the long-time local art businesses. (Submitted: Janeen Junson)

Artists Emporium fears city requirements over parking spaces could lead to the demise of the long-time local art businesses.

The locally-based art supply store has been running for more than four decades but has recently hit a roadblock. Owner Janeen Junson told CTV News she purchased a new building for the business on Roseberry Street in September and has been waiting months to get her occupancy permit from the city and welcome back customers.

"I feel like I'm at a dead end. We complied promptly with every single thing that came that they asked us to do," she said, adding the city required her to make changes to the building's venting and the wheelchair ramp.

After those improvements were complete, Junson said she was told by the city she is required to have 42 parking spots and must pave a gravel lot behind the building – an area she had hoped to use as a green space where artists could paint in the summer months – to make way for the parking.

She said she feels the requirement for 42 parking spaces is excessive as on average she only had six to seven vehicles at any given time at the previous building. On top of that, Junson said the requirement to pave the gravel lot would cost her more than $100,000.

Junson has filed an application for a variance with the city that would allow her to include the parking without having to pave the lot. The city denied the application to keep the gravel lot as is, saying it has an 'adverse effect' on the parking area and on surrounding streets and properties. However, Junson said none of the neighbouring back lots are paved.

She has launched an appeal with the city which she hopes will allow her to move forward without having to pave the lot – a cost which she said could be detrimental.

"It could be the demise of Artists Emporium," she said. "We've had lots of COVID shutdowns and it's just tough as a small business owner at the best of times, let alone running into this."

Junson's concerns are set to be heard by the city's Appeal Committee on Thursday morning. She said she has already received support from organizations and school boards in Winnipeg that rely on her business for art supplies.

"We need to get up and running," she said.