Central Park
Redevelopment Project
CentreVenture Development Corporation Re: IDA Achievement Awards
C
entral Park, originally
constructed in 1893, is one
of Winnipeg’s oldest parks.
Located within the Central
Park neighborhood in
Winnipeg’s downtown core, it
identified Central Park as a
key component of our Public
Destinations program. The Public
Destinations program identifies
opportunities for the private
and public sectors to revitalize
our public spaces through
collaboration
and
partnerships.
Throughout
the 20th
century,
Central Park
and the
Central Park
neighborhood
changed
dramatically.
The once
centrally
located,
upscale
residential
Central Park and the Waddell Fountain (front)
neighborhood
fell into a state
is approximately 4.5 acres in
of decline as city boundaries
size. Through the 20th century,
expanded with the advent of
Central Park has remained a
suburbanization. Residents began
consistent public open-space
to relocate from the Central Park
amongst the changing landscape
neighborhood, buildings began to
of its neighborhood. The park’s
deteriorate, and the neighborhood
timely construction marked
fell victim to mid 20th century
the beginning of Winnipeg’s
slum clearance. Well-intentioned
most prosperous twenty years
urban renewal programs
of growth. Central Park existed
cleared the area of many of its
within one of Winnipeg’s finest
deteriorating buildings. In their
residential neighborhoods, but
place, a seniors’ home and a
throughout the 20th and into the
high concentration of public
21st century, fell into decline
housing developments were
becoming a haven for violence
constructed. These developments
and crime. CentreVenture
also slowly began to deteriorate.
Development Corporation, the
As the neighborhood declined,
City of Winnipeg’s downtown
so did Central Park. It became an
development corporation,
unsafe place for neighborhood
June 15,
2010
residents, transforming from a
neighborhood asset to a liability.
Crime, violence, a transient
population, and drug-dealing
became common occurrences in
the park. The historic Waddell
fountain, originally built in
1914 as a symbol of Winnipeg’s
prosperity, no longer functioned
and sat dilapidated.
Today, the Central Park
neighborhood is the most densely
populated and ethnically diverse
neighborhood in Winnipeg. Much
of the Central Park neighborhood
is comprised of new Canadians;
seventy percent of all refugees
coming to Winnipeg live in
and around the neighborhood.
Residents of the neighborhood
most commonly live below the
city’s average standard of living.
It was unfortunate that Central
Park, in its poor state, was the
most accessible recreational area
for these residents.
The redevelopment project was
a collaborative effort in every
sense. Regarding funding, a
prominent local family donated
$1 million to kickstart fundraising
efforts. This initial contribution
helped to lever significant
investments from CentreVenture
Development Corporation, the
City of Winnipeg, the Province
of Manitoba, the Government of
Canada, the Winnipeg Foundation,
as well as hundreds of smaller
contributions from local citizens.
In total, $5.5 million was raised
for the project. The project
was intended to provide a safe
recreational venue for the
neighborhood’s residents and to continue on with the efforts dedicated
to the revitalization of Winnipeg’s downtown core. Above all else, it was
critical that the project represent the needs and desires of neighborhood
residents. CentreVenture worked closely with Knox Centre, the
community development arm of the neighboring Knox United Church.
In addition to offering support services to community residents, Knox
Centre sponsors a community economic development initiative known as
Central Market. The Market provides a venue for local residents to sell
food they produced or prepared, and other items such as clothing and
home furnishings that they created themselves. The redevelopment of
Central Park provides additional space for the market to operate, and
provided improved facilities in terms of weather protection and utilities.
Consultation and resident feedback sessions were held to determine what
neighborhood residents desired for Central Park. The largest concern
residents had was crime and safety; to mitigate this, crime reducing
design strategies were implemented, such as the improvement of on-site
lighting. Other major features of the redevelopment process included
the restoration of the Waddell Fountain (awarded a Heritage Winnipeg
Preservation Award in 2009), the construction of a water park, play
structure, and sand area, a pavilion building including washroom and
change room facilities, and a ‘hill slide’. The park also includes an
open field, pathways, landscaping, and furniture. The water park offers
a state-of-the-art design including a number of child-friendly water
features such as different types of fountains, a spray wall, and a wading
pool with a waterfall. The ‘hill slide’s’ intent is to be used year-round;
in the winter, as a toboggan slide, introducing new Canadian children to
a favorite Winnipeg winter pastime.
Collaboration between two local business improvement districts
(the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and the West End BIZ) and a downtown
revitalization agency (the Forks North Portage Partnership) will provide
programming, entertainment, and park security. Bike patrols, organized
by the BIZs provide regular monitoring of the park. In addition to the
Central Market, programming activities for the summer include concerts,
organized tournaments, and other supervised recreational activities.
Construction for the park’s redevelopment began in Spring 2009 with
construction scheduled to be complete by the summer of 2010. Planning
and landscape architecture was provided by Scatliff Miller Murray
Landscape Architects, building architecture by David Penner Architect,
and construction management by PCL Constructors. CentreVenture
Development Corporation provided project management. Preservation of
the Waddell Fountain was undertaken by the City of Winnipeg (a related,
though separate initiative).
Although the Central Park Redevelopment Project is newly complete, it
already has generated widespread positive response. From the initial
announcement in 2008, the project has garnered much local, positive
media attention. As a result, the park has been rediscovered by much
of Winnipeg, attracting more local and non-local citizens to the park.
Positive activity and presence in the park has increased while crime
has decreased. Most importantly, the park has been transformed into
a welcoming recreational venue for the citizens of the Central Park
neighborhood and for new Canadians arriving in Winnipeg. It also stands
and as a symbol of pride for Winnipeg and all of its residents.
Key components of Central
Park include::
Turf field:
The field uses artificial
turf and sport field lighting to
create a “field of dreams” like
quality. The turf extends the field’s
use seasonally, in poor weather,
and negates the need for annual
replacement. The field will be flooded
each winter for a skating rink.
Central Market:
The market area
was designed to operate with or
without market activity. Temporary
market tents can be brought to the
site on days when the Market takes
place. Temporary sewer, water and
power allows for future market
growth.
Sand and Water Play:
A play
structure will sit adjacent to the
environmental/educational play
area of the park. Kids can pump
water into an accessible water table
that can be controlled through a
series of weirs. The water is reused
and discharged into a rain garden
feeding tolerant plant species.
Hill Slide:
A fifteen foot artificial hill
provides a unique vantage point
of the downtown. An accessible
pathway rolls up to the top where
large slides invite users all yearround. Immediately adjacent, a grass
hill has been formed to function as a
toboggan hill in winter
Water Park:
A zero-entry wading
pool and spray park has been
designed to meet the needs of
users of all ages and abilities.
Various types of fountains spray in
choreographed patterns as initiated
by the users. All water is recycled
and treated throughout the day.