Unique renovation planned for Bell Hotel

Winnipeg's once notorious Bell Hotel will re-open as a home for the homeless after its closure four years ago.

CentreVenture, a Winnipeg development agency, evictedthe hotel's70residents when it bought the building in 2006.

Ross McGowan, CEO of CentreVenture, said he hopes the building, located on the corner of Main Street and Higgins Avenue, will change how the community views homeless people.

"[If] we can change the perception of the community towards the homeless then I think we've really hit a homerun," said McGowan. "If we could have one of the residents sitting in a lawn chair, reading the newspaper, having a coffee and wishing everybody a good morning, that would be a big deal."

The federal and provincial governments will announce several million dollars worth of funding to repurpose the Bell Hotel Friday.

But McGowan said the hotel's high visibility makes the project's success uncertain.

"I think it's a big risk," said McGowan. "We're doing this right on Main Street. Others would argue if we want to do such an experiment, don't do it in such a visible location."

The project, which is the first of its kind in Winnipeg, is modeled after similar projects in Oregon and B.C.

McGowan said tenants will have the option of renting or leasing rooms for long-term occupancy.

The newly purposedBell Hotel should be open in about two years.