Winnipeg Infill Highlight #1

Today we’re starting a new series here on the YIMBY Winnipeg website documenting high-quality infill developments in Winnipeg. The series will aim to include a variety of development types, including small-scale residential, larger multi-family residential, and mixed-use developments. The goal of this series is to highlight quality infill projects to help bring a more positive image to infill development in Winnipeg.

We’ll be looking at 3 infill projects today, each one from a different neighbourhood. The first project is 255 Bell Ave, located near Donald St in Osborne Village. The next project is 316 Des Meurons, located in central St. Boniface. Lastly, we’ll be looking at a small-scale infill project located at 602 Elgin Ave.

Today’s first highlight is 255 Bell Ave. This 4-story apartment building contains 47 rental apartments and was completed in 2022. It is located just off Donald St, close to the Midtown Bridge, and replaces 4 vacant lots and 1 small office building. This development is an excellent example of how infill housing isn’t always “luxury condos.” Right now, you can get a 655 sq ft apartment for $1250/month, plus the building also has slightly smaller and cheaper 1-bedroom units that aren’t available right now. This is a very modest price given it is a new build. The building is also centrally located, being close to The Forks, downtown, and the shops and restaurants on Osborne St.

Apartments at 255 Bell Ave in Osborne Village

For the next project highlight, let’s head over the river to St. Boniface. Located at 316 Des Meurons, Le Market is a brand new 6-story mixed use development located between Marion St and Goulet St. It was completed earlier this year with tenants starting to move in a few months ago. The building contains 65 rental apartments and 2 commercial rental units on the ground floor. The building replaces a furniture and appliance store, also called Le Market, for which the new development was named. This development brings new commercial rental units and many new homes to a very desirable part of central Winnipeg.

New Mixed-Use Development at 316 Des Meurons St

The final project we’ll be highlighting today is a 4-plex located at 602 Elgin Ave in Centennial. This small-scale residential development fits in nicely with the surrounding neighbourhood due to its modest height and simple design. The building contains 4 rental apartments and replaces an old boarded-up house. Small buildings like this one are often favoured by families with young children for their location on quiet residential streets.

A New 4-Plex Located at 602 Elgin Ave

These 3 projects will have many benefits for the City of Winnipeg. Since these buildings are all much more valuable than the previous structures they replaced, they will generate significantly more property tax revenue than before. These projects will also provide over 100 people with a newly built home in central Winnipeg. The three projects together account for a total of 116 new homes. If these new homes had been built on the edge of city, then that would likely be at least 116 new vehicles added to our already congested roads. Instead, these new homes are centrally located within easy walking, biking, or busing distance of downtown. There will likely be far fewer than 116 new vehicles added to the roads, reducing traffic city-wide compared to 116 new homes being built on the edge of the city.

Thanks for reading the first post in this series highlighting high-quality infill developments in Winnipeg. Stay tuned for more infill developments highlights in the near future!