Winnipeg eyeing unserviced land for industrial, commercial uses

Winnipeg is eyeing 1,600 acres of unserviced land for industrial and commercial purposes.

A new report is recommending the city-owned property on the edges of Winnipeg be considered employment lands.

The plan would see pipes and roads go in first to lure big companies to Winnipeg.

"It's a really fair question to ask if we're missing out on opportunities and I don't intend to miss out on any opportunity," said Coun. Sherri Rollins.

The three proposed sites are:

- 564 acres south of the Perimeter and the South Sewage Treatment Plant.

- 574 acres of agricultural land southwest of St. Norbert.

- 464 acres west of the Perimeter, south of Wilkes.

The goal is to have infrastructure like sewers, pipes and roads put in place to show Winnipeg is open for business.

"If you're only starting to think about the opportunity when it knocks on your door, you're probably too late," said Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

Remillard said the RM of Rosser is a great example of how communities can benefit from being shovel ready. This is because of all of the businesses in Centreport, only 14 per cent of property tax revenues come from homeowners in Rosser.

"Over the last seven years, they have seen approximately three quarters of $1 billion in permits issued for development in that area,” he said.

However, the report says the proposed sites have a number of constraints, like the lack of services and their locations, so it would cost millions or tens of millions for the infrastructure.

"Best that we're thinking about this, and best that we're working with our provincial and federal colleagues on understanding the infrastructure needs [and] the jobs that they can create,” Rollins said.

There is another potential roadblock to the plan -- Winnipeg is running out of sewage treatment capacity to house big industries. The mayor is still waiting for help on the costly upgrades for the North Sewage Plant.