Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/833835
J UNE 2017 | 73 Bridgwater Centre RENDERINGS COURTESY MANITOBA HOUSING AND RENEWAL CORPORATION N ot too long ago, serviced residential land in southwest Winnipeg was dwindling; but that is changing thanks to The Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation (Manitoba Housing) having 75 acres in the Bridgwater Neighbourhood developed to create a unique town centre that will contain commercial, residential, retail and office spaces. The 1,200-acre Bridgwater Neighbourhoods consist of Bridgwater Forest, Lakes and Trails, with the town centre of Bridgwater Centre acting as the hub. Dwayne Rewniak, executive director, housing delivery/ land development, for Manitoba Housing, says, "Our goal was to create a new kind of neighbourhood focused around healthy living, accessibility and a range of housing options." Jaime Patrick, Manitoba Housing's director of Land Development, adds, "Kilometres of trails, pathways and sidewalks all connect each neighbourhood as well as numerous amenities and gathering spaces, so each area is accessible by foot or bike. The town centre will also support this approach through street-level commercial, cafes, restaurants and patios with large sidewalks, bike racks and parking in the rear of the buildings." Bridgwater Forest, the first residential neighbourhood in the development, was designed to feature condos, townhouses and apartments, as well as single-family homes. Bridgwater Lakes consists of single-family homes with rear lanes and detached garages and larger single-family lots. Bridgwater Trails will contain a mix of rental apartments, duplexes and single-family homes with rear lanes and detached garages, and larger single family lots. Bridgwater Centre will feature a blend of shops, restaurants, businesses, and 1,000 multi-family units, including townhouses, attached homes and condo or rental apartments. Although the project is complex, Manitoba Housing maintained a simple vision for the town centre: Bridgwater Centre would be the heart of the neighbourhood, featuring a unique blend of shops, restaurants, business and residential units with an emphasis on pedestrian movement. In order to guide this vision, Nadi Design was retained by MB Housing to provide multifaceted urban design, architectural guidelines and landscape architectural detailing. "Nadi is responsible for reviewing all project designs submitted by proponents in the town centre to ensure they meet Manitoba Housing's architectural requirements for the neighbourhood," says Rewniak. Investors Group and Hopewell Developments (a commercial land owner and development/property manager in Bridgwater Centre) retained Raymond SC Wan Architects to focus on the design aspects of their commercial project, and describes the town centre anchor as a "time-honoured town centre model. Bridgwater caters to the high street theme through on-street parking, large expansive sidewalks for walkability, traffic calming measures and boulevards along Centre street; it also merges modern elements in the double-sided access and interior facing parking pool that is a requirement of the challenging density and setback policies in the master plan." As for the extensive walking, hiking and biking trails that also make the Bridgwater Neighbourhoods distinctive, Hopewell points out that these elements "give people another way to connect to the shopping areas, their homes, and provide a bit of respite from the hustle and bustle of traffic." Sustainability was a key feature for Hopewell regarding their commercial Bridgwater Centre by ROBIN BRUNET