City to begin asking what Winnipeggers want to see on Public Safety Building site

Winnipeg will soon begin public consultations about the future of the land aroundthe Public Safety Building, the city's former police headquarters.

In April, city council voted to demolish the brutalist structure, over the objections of its architect andheritage advocates. Council also voted to ask Winnipeggers what they would like to see at the Princess Street site, which was donated to the city in 1875 under the condition it must have some form of public use.

Those public consultations will begin in the next six to eight weeks, planning, property and development director John Kiernan said Tuesday.

• Public Safety Building to be demolished, no date yet

• Winnipeg's Public Safety Building not worth saving: report

City property officials will meet with downtown development agencyCentreVenturewithin 10 days to get the process going,Kiernansaid.

The city intends to demolish the Public Safety Buildingas well as the adjacent Civic CentreParkadein 2017. Theparkade, which was shuttered in 2012 due to structural issues, is expected to be sold.

Kiernansaid the proceeds of theparkadesale will offset the $1.8-milliondemolition cost, which will be absorbed by the Winnipeg Parking Authority.

The Public Safety Building was vacated by the Winnipeg Police Service in June, when they completed their move into their new headquarters on Graham Avenue.

Changes may be in store for growth-fee plan

The City ofWinnipeg is poised to amend its plan to institutegrowth fees in 2017, but Winnipeg's property director is leaving it up to elected officials to disclose the nature of those changes.

On Wednesday, council's executive policy committee will consider a finance-department plan to begin charging "impact fees" that will add $18,300 to the cost of an 1,800-square-foot new home next year.

• Growth fees coming to Winnipeg on Jan. 1, pending council approval

Mayor Brian Bowman said last week he is prepared to delay a vote on the plan until changes are made, suggesting there ought to be a means to address infill development.

On Tuesday, planning, property and development director John Kiernan, whose department did not prepare the report, said more consultations with developers and changes to the plan may be in store.But he declined to commenton what those changes may be and deferred to executive policy committee instead.

Correspondenceobtained by CBC Manitoba revealed Kiernan expressed concerns in August aboutan early version of the growth-fee plan because it proposed the blanket application of the fees to every area of the city, rather than use the program to direct development in specific areas, such as downtown.

Kiernan said Tuesday the "impact-fee" plan can be made to be consistent with Our Winnipeg, the city's long-term planning framework.

City to study self-driving cars

Winnipeg will study the potential impact of self-driving cars, at the behest of St. BonifaceCoun. Matt Allard.

Council's property committee voted Tuesday to see how other cities are preparing for the arrival of self-driving vehicles.

Allard showed the committee a nine-minute CBC News report about the vehicles.