September 27, 2010
Province Announces Its Second Neighbourhood for Waverley West
– – –Up to 1,150 Lots to be Offered in Bridgwater Lakes: Irvin-Ross
More housing options will become available in Winnipeg with the development of the province’s second neighbourhood in Waverley West, Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin‑Ross announced today.
As many as 1,150 lots will be offered in Bridgwater Lakes, whose neighbourhoods will include unique new home designs and styles, including those with porches and visitable designs, which benefit both young and older Manitobans, said the minister. Lots will become available to designated builders in 2011.
“Each street has a variety of home designs which provides character and traditional charm, and underscores the uniqueness of the neighbourhood,” said Irvin-Ross, during an event held at a Bridgwater Forest visitable show home today. “The neighbourhoods are in a natural setting with mature forests, pathways, lakes, sidewalks and back lanes.”
Approximately half of the homes planned for Bridgwater Lakes, located in the northwest quadrant of Waverley West, will be what the housing industry calls visitable. This means the homes will be easy to access for young families with strollers, or Manitobans who use walkers or wheelchairs. Bridgwater’s visitable homes will have no front steps, wider doorways and hallways, as well as a main floor bathroom that accommodates people with disabilities and those with mobility challenges.
Bridgwater Lakes will be the second of five neighbourhoods the province will build in Waverley West in the next 20 years, said Irvin-Ross.
The first Waverley West neighbourhood, Bridgwater Forest, was the number one new community in the city with a total of 150 building permits taken out in 2009. In the first eight months of 2010 alone, Bridgwater Forest builders have already taken out 189 permits, once again leading the city, the minister noted.
Funds raised by the province from the development of Waverley West are being used for inner-city revitalization, a key element of the province’s overall housing strategy. Proceeds from the development are invested in revitalizing mature neighbourhoods under the Housing Development and Rehabilitation Fund and will support the government’s two-year investment plan, HOMEWorks! and the longer-term commitment to create 1,500 units of social housing over five years, said Irvin-Ross.
“The government is providing leadership in encouraging a range of housing options for families, from innovative new neighbourhoods to apartments with rent geared to income,” she said.
To date, $4.3 million in proceeds from Bridgwater Forest and Royalwood have been reinvested in neighbourhoods in need. Over the last year, proceeds funded over $2 million in HOMEWorks! projects and $2.3 million toward urban development projects such as McFeetors Hall at the University of Winnipeg, The Edge on Princess and the Avenue Building.
The Bridgwater Forest neighbourhood was named in honour of the late Arthur Bridgwater, a chief of the Fort Garry Police Department from 1945 to 1974. The name also reflects the natural environment of the neighbourhood, which includes several lakes and more than 25 acres dedicated to forest.
More information about Waverley West is available at www.manitoba.ca/housingand www.bridgwaterforest.com.
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