St. James Street Development

M Richard & Associates has been retained to lead the planning and engagement process for the redevelopment of 914 - 980 St. James Street. We are excited to present the vision for a new 8-storey mixed-use building and a 6,000 sq. ft. free-standing commercial building along St. James Street.
We invite you to spend 5-10 minutes reviewing project details and to provide feedback or share your support for the project.
Site Overview
The site is located in the Polo Park neighbourhood at the northwest corner of St. James Street and St. Matthews Avenue. The 3.65-acre site is comprised of three (3) lots:
-
unaddressed parcel, vacant
-
914 St. James Street, vacant
-
980 St. James Street, an existing one-storey commercial building (Tim Hortons)
Each lot is zoned Commercial Corridor “C3” and is located within a 'Regional Mixed Use Centre' Policy Area under OurWinnipeg 2045 and Complete Communities Direction Strategy 2.0.

Existing street view of the subject site
What is Complete Communities 2.0?
Complete Communities 2.0 is one of four direction strategies supporting the City’s long-range development plan (OurWinnipeg 2045). The strategy guides land use and development in Winnipeg.
The site is identified within the Polo Park 'Regional Mixed Use Centre' Policy Area under Complete Communities Direction Strategy 2.0. The area is a prominent retail location within Winnipeg where there are well-connected corridors that offer multiple modes of transportation.
Regional Mixed Use Centre's present an opportunity for intensification and development over time, including accommodating residential infill and mixed-use development. This will contribute to areas growth, stability and revitalization over the long-term and will expand housing options for young adults, families and older adults entering retirement.

Surrounding Context

Why here?
The area is walkable and bikeable, surrounded by an array of retail to meet daily essential needs. It is a prominent location in the Polo Park neighbourhood, a popular destination for shopping, entertainment, dining and a common meeting place for many Winnipeggers.
As the population grows, our community and regional corridors must adapt to meet the growing demand for housing and affordable living arrangements. Adding a mixed use development of this nature meets these objectives and enriches the surrounding area by providing housing and anchoring a population mass to support surrounding businesses.
North: is 1000 St. James St., a one storey commercial building (Ashley Homestore)
East: across St. James, are single-storey retail buildings at 1450 Ellice Ave. (Staples), 947 St. James (Krazy Bins), and 937 St. James (Dollar Tree)
South: across St. Matthews, is 900 St. James (St. James Station) with a variety of single-storey commercial retail and restaurants
West: is 1649 St. Mathews Ave., a predominately vacant lot with a Hydro station and an informal rear parking area for 511 & 525 Madison St.
The surrounding area offers an abundance of community amenities and retail options that serve the greater community and city at-large:
-
Two major national grocery stores are located within a 10-minute walk or under a 5-minute commute using a bicycle, vehicle, or public transportation.
-
Two Winnipeg Transit routes #77 (crosstown) and #14 (downtown), with all transit stops within a 5-minute walk from the property.
-
On-Street Buffered Bike Lane along St. Mathews Ave connecting to surrounding neighbourhoods and other alter
Walk Score (walkscore.com)
Proximity to Amenities and Services

Legend


Proposed Development
The vision for the site is to subdivide the property and to rezone from “C3” Commercial Corridor District to “RMU” Residential Mixed-Use District to provide two (2) new buildings. A 6,000 sq. ft. free-standing commercial or restaurant building will be constructed at the north end of the site, just south of the existing Tim Hortons, and an eight (8) story apartment building with 101 dwelling units (1 and 2- bedroom suites) and approximately 9,300 sq. ft. of commercial spaces located on the main floor.
Existing Property Lines

Proposed Property Lines

Site Plan Features:
-
Parking for both new buildings will consist of 40 spaces underground and 175 exterior surface parking spaces.
-
Vehicle access to the site is proposed to be via access lanes on the southwest corner onto St. Matthews, and one from southbound St. James
-
Landscaping will comprise 49 newly planted trees and 253 shrubs will be located throughout the site. Adding greenery where there is none currently and contributing to the City's tree canopy targets
-
Pedestrian connections to St James Street sidewalks and extensive landscaped setbacks will enhance the "liveability" of this location.
Proposed Site Plan

Exsisting Building
(Tim Hortons)
New Mixed-Use Building
Features:
-
Commercial Units (main floor)
-
4 units, each approx. 1600 sq. ft.
-
1 unit approx. 2900 sq. ft. (restaurant)
-
-
Residential Units (floors 2 - 8)
- 101 suites, a 70/30 split of 1- and 2-bedroom units
-
Units ranging in size from 670 to 1200 sq. ft.
-
Penthouse units on the 7th and 8th floor
Mixed-Use Building
-
Building height of approx. 100ft
-
Indoor and outdoor amenity spaces
-
Parking
-
Underground and exterior parking stalls
- Accessible parking
- Indoor and outdoor bicycle parking stalls
-

Front of building view looking southwest

Mixed-use building view of main entrance
*Details of the development are subject to change upon City and community feedback.

Rear of building view looking northeast
Next Steps
1.
Review all feedback and make any necessary changes.
2.
A formal development application will be submitted to the City of Winnipeg.
3.
The submission of an application will include a public hearing.
4.
Moving forward, there will be ongoing engagement with the community.
Feedback
Our last engagement took place on January 11th, 2023.