Dozens of people showed up to an open house at the Dakota Community Centre to address their concerns about a proposed apartment complex on Tuesday night.
The proposed buildings would be on Normand Avenue at St. Mary’s Road.
Progressive Real Estate has submitted a pre-application to the City of Winnipeg to build seven five-storey apartment buildings across from Henteleff Park. Developer Geoff Milnes is pitching to buy about 19 acres— including a piece of park land that’s privately owned, as well as a part of Normand Avenue — and build apartments on 7.5 acres while giving 11.5 acres of parkland back to the city.
Developers, a city planner and area Coun. Janice Lukes spent two hours Tuesday night fielding dozens of questions.
“We believe we’re giving a lot back to the city to help continue the park, the park that’s essentially cut off right now because of a private ownership,” Milnes said.
“We feel we’re doing a good thing here. We’re bringing more multi-family to the area, which infill is always important within a city cause you utilize transit better, schools better, roadways, everything.”
But, some residents in attendance see things differently. Jenn Devodder lives in Van Hull estates. She said there is a flood zone behind her property and she was told there was never supposed to be anything built behind her.
“My entire back wall of my house are windows. Purposely because we were supposed to be the dike,” Devodder said.
“Now to put a five-storey building right there, we are never going to see the skyline. It doesn’t matter how far back it is, how big the trees are. It’s a wall.”
Saul Henteleff, president of Henteleff Park Foundation, believes the apartment complex could potentially affect the quality of Henteleff Park, which is limited to a space to walk, bike and run.
“The park is a preserve. It’s not a typical city park like St. Vital or Assiniboine.” Henteleff said. “It was actually set up in order to rejuvenate the existing riparian forest.”
“The payoff, the balance of additional park land versus very high density housing that would have very detrimental effect on the existing park that’s Henteleff Park, in my mind the one doesn’t balance out the other,” Henteleff said.
The developer has yet to make a formal application to the City of Winnipeg. Milnes said his group will discuss resident’s concerns with their architect prior to making a formal application.
