Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 25, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B1 It just makes sense. CHOOSE * A MEAL* Breakfast, Nip, Winni Dog, Sandwich or Dinner * Excludes the Breakfast Special. .. . Bottomless Coffee OR Tea OR Soft Drinks . French Fries OR Hashbrowns . Cup of Soup . Chili Meat Sauce . 4 Perogies & 2 oz Sour Cream . 5 oz Coleslaw . 5 oz Kettle Cooked Beans .. ADD FOR ONLY 99 � EACH: . Triangular Piece of Red Velvet Cake . Slice of Wafer Pie . Two scoops of Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce 99 � WEDNESDAYS TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY. DISCOUNT DAYS! SALS - YOUR HOUSE, YOUR FOOD, YOUR WAY! CHOOSE ANY COMBINATION OF 2 OR MORE ITEMS & GET EACH FOR HALF PRICE! . Sausage Egg Nip . Back Bacon Egg Nip . Cheese Egg Nip . Regular Nip . Cheese Nip . Veggie Nip . Winni Dog . Grilled Cheese Sandwich . Side Of Coleslaw . French Fries . Cup Of Soup . 7 oz Kettle Cooked Beans . Slice of Pie . Giant Cinnamon Bun 6 AM - 10 PM AT ALL PARTICIPATING SALISBURY HOUSE RESTAURANTS, EXCLUDING HOLIDAYS. DINE- IN ONLY. RESTAURANT HOURS VARY BY LOCATION. ns NISSAN 2012 NISSAN LEAF . T INNOVATION ON EACH PAGE . LEAF T CITY & BUSINESS CITY EDITOR: PAUL SAMYN 697- 7292 city. desk@ freepress. mb. ca I winnipegfreepress. com MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012 B 1 T HE first thing tourists notice when they visit Portage and Main is they can't cross the city's most famous intersection. That's curious enough. Also puzzling is how a gravel surface- parking lot can exist only half a block to the north, within barricade- vaulting distance of Winnipeg's commercial centre. The property known as 416 Main St. is one of dozens of downtown surface lots that occupy seemingly valuable real estate - chunks of a revitalizing downtown that could be put to better use, say planners and politicians. A recent city parking strategy called surface lots the worst use of downtown land, suggesting Winnipeg should redevelop some and get owners of others to spruce them up with landscaping and lighting. But little has happened since the report's release and urbanists say it's time Winnipeg took a hard look at doing something with the acres and acres of parking lots in the city's core. " You really don't want to see something like that," said Jino Distasio, director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg. He joked that Winnipeg has so much downtown surface parking he could " leapfrog" from lot to lot all the way from the university to The Forks. Distasio said redeveloping surface lots is a challenge, since Winnipeggers complain they need parking and market forces have yet to convince many lot owners their land would be more valuable if they develop upwards. While downtown has seen a recent surge in new projects, most have been initiated by the public sector and they have yet to spark any kind of investment " domino effect," Distasio noted. The province and its affiliated corporations, including Manitoba Public Insurance, own 11 surface parking lots in downtown. During last year's provincial election, the Selinger government pledged to redevelop some of these lots into a mix of housing, retail, office and entertainment spaces. A review of potential developments is still ongoing, said a cabinet spokeswoman. The city owns surface lots, too, including Parcel Four, the 5.7- acre lot adjacent to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which was briefly slated to be the home of the now- abandoned water park proposal. During the 2010 civic election campaign, Mayor Sam Katz - who has called surface lots a blight - introduced the idea of a tax- incentive plan to develop upwards on these empty spaces. But a formal incentive program has yet to come forward and the notion of adding some form of punitive stick to complement the incentive carrot doesn't seem to have much traction in his office. A long list of private businesses and individuals own downtown Winnipeg surface lots, including seemingly disinterested out- of- towners in cities as far removed as Baltimore and Boca Raton, Fla. But some are owned by some of Winnipeg's biggest boosters. For example, 416 Main St. co- owner David Asper said it's taken time to identify the right kind of development for the lot. He initially hoped the site would be home to the Hydro building and would still like to place something significant on the property to bring more pedestrian traffic to the area. Part of the problem, Asper said, is downtown Winnipeg's enormous size, relative to the city. The cost of building a new highrise, for example, outstrips the amount of rent you can charge to recoup the investment, he said. Distasio said the vast amount of available downtown land in prime locations shows Winnipeg is still struggling to get more private businesses to invest in the area. " It sends a signal we are still dealing with the challenges of infill projects in our downtown and attracting a significant number of new businesses," Distasio said. Sending signals aside, the fact remains that property owners can still make a pretty penny from leaving their surface lots the way they are - empty and occasionally full of passenger vehicles. The following surface lots are 11 of the biggest contributors to downtown blight, in terms of the sheer space they take up, or are primed for redevelopment given their strategic location: 416 Main St. Location: North of the 201 Portage office tower, within spitting distance of Portage & Main. Size: 23,236 square feet Assessed value : $ 673,500 Owner : Asper Tower Inc. David, Gail, and Leonard Asper serve as directors. Development potential : The Aspers previously hoped the site would house the new Manitoba Hydro building. David Asper said they're " actively exploring" other options. 252 Fort St. Location : North side of Graham Avenue, kitty corner to former Canada Post building. Size : 1.1 acres Assessed value : $ 2.2 million Owner : 2311577 Manitoba Ltd. Alan Borger and Murray Mitchell are listed as directors. Development potential : Another logical plot for transit- oriented development, right along Graham Mall. 370 York Ave. Location : South of the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Size : 2.1 acres Assessed value : $ 4.3 million Owner : Province of Manitoba Development potential : In the 1990s, this yawning maw in downtown Winnipeg was once slated to house a downtown hockey arena. The Winnipeg Convention Centre now plans to expand south across York Avenue on to this site and build more meeting space as well as a hotel. But the non- profit entity has yet to select a private partner in this development. 245 Graham Ave. Location : North of the former Canada Post building, which is undergoing conversion into the Winnipeg Police Service's new headquarters. Size : 1.1 acres Assessed value : $ 2.3 million Owner : 3728162 Manitoba Limited, which purchased the lot in January. Sabino Tummillo and John Garcea are listed as directors. Development potential : Distasio said this chunk of land would be the perfect spot for infill housing, given its location alongside the Graham Avenue transit mall. It's unclear why the city didn't make a play for the land before it went up for sale. In the meantime, hundreds of Winnipeg police officers have a convenient place to park. 106 Waterfront Drive Location : Southwest corner of Waterfront Drive and William Stephenson Way, across from Canadian Museum for Human Rights and north of property owned by The Forks. Size : 5.7 acres Assessed value : $ 6.69 million Owner : City of Winnipeg Development potential : The city- owned land was previously considered as a potential site for the now- defunct water- park proposal. Mayor Sam Katz has since suggested it would make a nice park in honour of the late Izzy Asper. Other members of council want to issue an expression- of- interest document for the land after consulting with The Forks, the human rights museum and Shaw Park. 225 Carlton St. Location : South side of Graham Avenue, kitty corner to MTS Centre and west of cityplace mall. Size : 1.6 acres Assessed value : $ 3.4 million Owner : Province of Manitoba Development potential : MPI put out an expressionof- interest in late 2011 and has received numerous proposals, which suggest possible retail, commercial or hotel space. Spokesman Brian Smiley said MPI is still reviewing the options. Whoever wins the right to develop here will be able to cater directly to Winnipeg Jets fans - and possibly reap the benefits of tax incentives enabled by the city and province for downtown's, sports, entertainment and hospitality district ( SHED). The fight against the BLIGHT Report calls parking lots the worst use of downtown land. What's being done about them? By Jen Skerritt and Bartley Kives Continued Please see SURFACE B 3 B_ 01_ Jun- 25- 12_ FP_ 01. indd B1 6/ 24/ 12 9: 26: 37 PM ;