A Plan for Downtown Winnipeg: Three Downtown Councillors Motion to lead Economic & Social Recovery in the Downtown
A plan for Winnipeg’s downtown is critical to economic and social development and Manitoba’s post-pandemic recovery. Putting money towards the formation of this plan is the right thing to do. If the motion is approved in February's council meeting, we will move forward on a downtown plan embarking together with our residents living in the downtown, and in a partnership with the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone, and CentreVenture, an organization with a mandate to provide leadership in the planning, development, coordination, and implementation of projects and activities in the downtown.
OurWinnipeg and Complete Communities strategic policy have been given first reading at council, both acknowledge that a Downtown Plan is needed for Winnipeg. This plan needs to be expedited but done properly with new research and information. We need to start conversation, research and data collection sooner, work that prioritizes human dignity, public health and that will benefit our existing and future residents in the downtown.
Together, as Councillors we've been leading a discussions on housing supply, social inclusion, and on “Safer City by Design” so residential developments, public spaces, and social and economic investments in the downtown stimulate social development, as well as economic growth. In many respects we have already started collaborating, the three councillors, myself, Councillor Gilory, Santos,through joint advocacy and conversations with our residents like the one we had in Fort Rouge East Fort Garry on Housing and Community Safety.
Downtown needs to be a place where everyone feels welcome and where people want to be. With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, time is of the essence. The motion to contribute funding to assist in the development of a Downtown Plan would help with the economic and social recovery of Downtown Winnipeg for all of us.