Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 24, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba winnipegfreepress. com LIVING WORKING PLAYING DOWNTOWN THIS CITY . OUR WEEKLY LOOK AT THE PULSE OF THE CITY A8 SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012 OUR WINNIPEG I T all started with a booth at the St. Norbert Farmers' Market more than a decade ago, where Brenda Weiss first offered her original beaded pieces to the public. Her creations sold like crazy - so much so, it gave her the courage to quit the insurance business, where she felt like a purple and orange person in a blue and brown industry. She started a shop on Academy Road and set up beading classes as well. That location wasn't the best for her; traffic went whizzing by on the short cut to the St. James bridge. Where many people might have given up the dream, she and her husband, Shane, took the " Go big or go home" attitude. Instead of folding, they went to China, where Brenda loaded up on thousands of unique beads and came back to reopen at 653 Corydon Ave., where her shop, Boutique Unique, is much busier. The sexy split- level shop, which used to be the Ooh La La hair salon, now looks like a fancy French brothel in hot pink and charcoal with demi- mannequins and mirrors on the walls. Most days, it's full of women checking out the glitzy cocktail dresses and funky accessories - although guys are welcome. " If a guy knows what his woman likes, I'll take him around the store, help him pick something great, giftwrap it, get him a card and have him sign it. In a few minutes, he's out of the store looking all thoughtful and ready to go." Weiss tends to think the best of people. When she first arrived in Corydon Village, a busy neighbourhood with lots of foot traffic, she decided to put a display of colourful purses outside to attract people. Quite a few people were attracted - and many went home with " free" purses that day. Now she's got them discreetly chained. Weiss teaches jewelry- making courses in the back, such as Seven Days of Bling, where you take a group of your BFFs and everybody goes home with seven pairs of earrings they made themselves. This month, the shop is hopping with brides and their entourages picking up custom- designed beaded fantasy headpieces to go with their veils. While some brides want a tiara and the whole nine yards, Weiss said a hot trend this season is bird- cage veils - feather and bead " fascinator" pieces on combs for the side of the bride's hairdo, with detachable short net veils. Weiss hasn't forgotten her roots, though. Every Saturday, rain or shine, you can still find her from 8 a. m. to 3 p. m. at Booth No. 59 at the St. Norbert Farmers' Market, selling beaded jewellery and chatting with the locals. " The greatest people come there - people who like to shop local, people who have come year after year." LITTLE SHOP OF COURAGE By Maureen Scurfield KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Boutique Unique owner Brenda Weiss at her store, which started as a booth at the St. Norbert Farmers' Market. KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Boutique Unique on Corydon features clothing, jewelry, sexy art and beading classes. Success at farmers market gave Brenda Weiss the confidence she needed to quit her day job T HE push to get people living downtown has gained a lot of momentum lately, but this process has been going on ever since there was a downtown. Take the Warwick Apartments on Qu'Appelle Avenue. It's hard to imagine this old block changed the way Winnipeggers lived, but after the building opened in May 1909, that's exactly what happened. Prior to the Warwick, apartment blocks in Winnipeg were small, walk- up tenements meant to warehouse the working class. As Winnipeg experienced a population explosion, from 42,000 souls in 1901 to 118,000 in 1908, new housing solutions were needed for the growing middle and upper classes. There were four principals of the company created to build and manage the $ 150,000 building. Sveinn Brynjolfson was one of a couple of dozen Icelandic contractors at the time specializing in apartment- block construction. Architect William W. Blair designed some of Winnipeg's great blocks, including the Kenmore ( Princeton) on Broadway and the Roslyn Court on Osborne Street. William and Arthur Alsip were from the building- materials company that still bears their name. Blair wanted to address the main drawbacks of apartment living: The lack of natural light and poor airflow. To accomplish this, he designed a glassed- in courtyard as the core of the building. This allowed each of the 60 aboveground suites to have balconies at front and rear. Bay windows also helped draw in light. The Warwick could not have had a better setting. Central Park, 15 years old, had grown into an active urban playground featuring tennis courts, a bandshell and large gardens. The building's owners sometimes rented out empty suites for the summer months to locals looking for a " staycation." The Warwick's success set off a wave of large- scale, high- end apartment construction across the city. No longer tenements, these blocks were respectable places for young professionals to raise families. As suburbs grew and the downtown waned as a premier living destination, the Warwick fell into a long, slow decline. By the early 1980s, the building was in a severe state of disrepair, frequented by vagrants and the scene of numerous bloody crimes. A deputy fire chief at the time said the building was on their " critical list" due to the number of arson calls it generated. In 1985, the Core Area Initiative began its redevelopment of the area. Central Park was expanded to Ellice Avenue and nine housing projects were completed. The Warwick received $ 330,000 toward a $ 3 million redevelopment and conversion into a housing co- op. The Warwick is now a Manitoba Housing complex. Highrises were the next big thing in downtown apartment living. The original downtown highrise is also adjacent to Central Park: The 20- storey Regency Towers on Cumberland dates to 1965. After that, there were three distinct downtown- living development phases, each adding hundreds of units to the core. In 1970, Chateau 100, Place Louis Riel, Holiday Towers North and Cumberland House opened. Fast forward to 1979, and 33 Hargrave, Towne Square ( 15 Kennedy St.) and York Estates ( Residences on York) were added to the mix. A new phase in 1986 saw Place Promenade, the Colonade and Fort Garry Place all under construction. The next phase was all about condos, starting with Ashdown Warehouse in 1988 right through to the conversion of the Penthouse Furniture building in 2011. This year and next are on tap to be the best era for new rental accommodations downtown, with almost 500 units announced so far. Christian Cassidy blogs about Winnipeg history at West End Dumplings. How the Warwick changed Winnipeg Trying to get people to live downtown has been a constant in city's history By Christian Cassidy The plots thicken A peek into the world of wheeling and dealing, Winnipeg style I F you're a well- heeled Winnipeg developer or you own a major construction company, then you probably don't need to read the rest of today's column. As a wealthy, powerful and connected individual, you're already well aware which plots of publicly owned land are ready to be sold or made available for development. Your financial well- being depends on possessing such information. But since the vast majority of us aren't privy to the information bandied about on the golf course or at the lake or somewhere warm over the winter holidays, we're a little behind the curve. So you'll have to bear with us as we play catch- up with a list of government- owned properties that will soon be converted into new developments - and potential profits for you or one of your peers. Here's what's coming down the pipe over the next few months: Canad Inns Stadium site Owner: City of Winnipeg Location: Polo Park Market value: Estimated at anywhere from $ 25 million to $ 35 million. What's happening: After the Selinger government agreed to front the bulk of the $ 190- million tab for the Winnipeg Football Club's new stadium at the University of Manitoba, the city started looking at redeveloping the existing stadium site at Polo Park. In 2011, the city issued an expression- of- interest document - basically, a search for prospective developers - with a stated preference for a mixeduse development with residential and commercial components. Earlier this year, the city was in talks with at least one proponent. The delay in the completion of Investors Group Field at the U of M has complicated those negotiations to some extent, as the city was hoping the Blue Bombers would vacate the premises in June as planned. Regardless, the city's preferred proponent is expected to be selected - which is to say, made public - in July, when council's property committee meets for the final time before the summer prorogation. The Bombers, of course, don't have to leave until Investors Group Field is ready, hopefully in 2013. Public golf courses Owner: City of Winnipeg Locations: Canoe Club, Crescent Drive, Windsor Park, Harbour View, John Blumberg, Kildonan Park and Tuxedo golf courses Market value: That would depend on the zoning. Right now, all seven properties are green space. What's happening: Late last year, the city issued another expression- of- interest document for seven golf courses deemed to be responsible for continuing losses at the city's Golf Services Special Operating Agency, a city entity that's supposed to be run like a business. The city is supposed to be open to private and public- sector groups taking over the courses, but leases and sales for other uses are also on the table. The process has enraged some Winnipeggers who believe all green space is sacrosanct, but certainly not all - golf courses have enemies among environmentalists and their conversion into residential infill would please housing advocates, who've been lobbying for more apartment units in Winnipeg. At any rate, the sale of any piece of green space requires 11 votes on city council and the November election of St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes made that magic number slightly harder to reach. By February, St. James Coun. Scott Fielding, who chairs the committee responsible for golf courses, was hinting only two or three of the courses would be sold. And in the face of continuing public scrutiny, Mayor Sam Katz committed to holding public consultations about any developments involving the golf courses. After repeated delays, the final proposals are expected before council in July. The only thing that appears certain is the Canoe Club course will be among the recommendations for sale. 225 Carlton St. Owner: Manitoba Public Insurance Location: Downtown Assessed value: $ 3.4 million What's happening: During the 2011 provincial election, the Selinger government promised to redevelop some surface parking lots it owns in downtown Winnipeg, which is burdened by too much empty concrete. One of the first lots up for grabs is an extremely desirable chunk of MPI- owned land south of Graham Avenue, southwest of the MTS Centre and due west of cityplace mall. MPI issued an expression- ofinterest document in 2011 and has been swamped by the responses for mixed- use developments that may include condos, apartments, a hotel, commercial space and a parkade. MPI has not placed a time limit on making a decision, mainly because it's not making a choice in a vacuum. The expansion of the Winnipeg Convention Centre ( see right), the potential sale and redevelopment of the lower- end Carlton Hotel ( right across the street) and the extension of the tax- increment financing zone around the MTS Centre will all be affected by what happens at this parking lot. What some Winnipeggers don't realize is the downtown SHED - sports, hospitality and entertainment district - is less an entertainment district than it is a funding mechanism for sprucing up an area that already exists. Whatever happens, the scrutiny of this lot is intense, as the right development may prove to be a gold mine in the long run. 370 York Avenue Owner: Province of Manitoba Location: Downtown Assessed value: $ 4.3 million What's happening: Unlike the previous three plots of land, the fate of this massive lot is all but certain. The Winnipeg Convention Centre is planning a $ 200- million expansion across York Avenue, in conjunction with a privatesector partner that will build a hotel. The speculation on this deal involves the identity of that partner as well as how much money it will be expected to contribute to the deal. Even more lucrative, in the short term, will be the construction contract for the expansion, which will be partly underwritten by the province. Given the complaints about the construction of Investors Group Field - another public amenity financed by the province - the public interest in the normally mundane world of construction will be considerable. And if it isn't? Oh, well. They'll certainly be talking about it on the golf course, or at the lake, or way down south over the winter holidays. BARTLEY KIVES bartley. kives@ freepress. mb. ca WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES November 5, 1986: Construction crews work on the renovations of the atrium in the Warwick Apartments. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES July 4, 1984: A man looks out at Central Park from the Warwick Apartments. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS June 20: The Warwick Apartments' interior courtyard still offers plenty of daylight to residents more than 100 years after the block was built. See slideshow at winnipegfreepress. com ;