New neighbourhoods critical to city’s growth

 

by Todd Lewys
Over the past five to 10 years, many new neighbourhoods have been created inside and outside city limits.
The creation of those neighbourhoods has been critical with Winnipeg in growth mode. With more young people electing to stay in the city to start careers and a record immigration rate, the need for single-family detached homes and multi-family housing has never been higher.
While some neighbourhoods are literally new — Oak Bluff West is one that comes immediately to mind — there has been something of a housing revival taking place in established neighbourhoods. River Park South and Canterbury Park — one neighbourhood found in the city’s southeast sector, the other in its northeast quadrant — are examples of neighbourhoods experiencing a housing renaissance.
In River Park South, the city of Winnipeg and Qualico Developments are collaborating to expand the well-established community further south on a tract of land that will eventually contain 650 new homes.
This expansion couldn’t be better timed, as St. Vital is one of the fastest-growing communities in Winnipeg, and one filled with all kinds of young families. Presently, there are six show homes on Wainwright Crescent that offer a good cross-section of choice between affordability and luxury to meet the needs of both young families, professionals and empty-nesters.
Nearby in Normand Park is another recent development, The Enclave. Aimed at 55-plus demographic, The Enclave is the brainchild of Sherwood Developments. A rental community, The Enclave features affordable, well-appointed one- and two-bedroom units in a natural area that’s close to conveniences in St. Vital.
More importantly, it gives empty-nesters a chance to move down to a home that’s located in an area they’ve lived in for most of their lives. 
On the other hand, the new housing in River Park South will give young families a place to move up to while staying in St. Vital where the kids are going to school, and which is close to where they work.  
The same scenario is unfolding in Canterbury Park, where a new development, or pocket neighbourhood, is coming online. Called Atwood Square, it’s located between Bournais Drive and Plessis Road with access off Pandora Road West. The neighbourhood will place an emphasis on providing consumers with a selection of homes that blend style with function, and above all, affordability.
With 48 new single-family homes and 20 multi-family units available, and reasonable prices (about $329,900), Atwood Square is an ideal option for young families to move up from starter homes without overextending themselves financially. Best of all, the new homes will be situated in an established community that is close to all kinds of amenities, and that is beautifully landscaped.
A third community in the city’s northeast sector is also providing home buyers with multiple home buying options. Located off Lagimodiere Boulevard via an entrance off Concordia Avenue East, Harbour View South has quietly blossomed into a thriving community that offers an excellent cross-section of housing, from entry-level family homes to luxury homes.
With rental apartments now available (they can be seen driving into the area to the right of Concordia Avenue East), the community offers the variety and flexibility that consumers are looking for.
The city’s northwest quadrant, meanwhile, features another new community called Deer Pointe Park. Found in Headingley off Roblin Boulevard, just minutes from the Perimeter Highway and a host of services and amenities in west Winnipeg, the community, with its huge lots, water features and century-old stands of trees, has been aimed at high-end buyers.
With designs ranging from modern to rustic, the community is a private enclave that offers those looking to build their dream home a chance to build it in a setting that simultaneously offers seclusion and convenience.
Thanks to forward-thinking communities, such as River Park South, Canterbury Park, Harbour View South and Deer Pointe Park, those looking for a home, whether it be to buy or rent one, will have a wide range of housing options to choose from in the coming years.
That’s a win-win scenario for consumers and the city.