BRUCE BUMSTEAD/BRANDON SUN
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Three development proposals for the former Brandon Police Service building at 1340–10th Street have been received by the city.
Three groups have submitted bids to redevelop the former Brandon Police Service station at 1340 10th St., according to city documents available on Monday.
Vionell Holdings Ltd., Canadian Mental Health Association Westman Region and Western Manitoba Seniors Non-Profit Housing Cooperative Ltd., have all expressed an interest in the three-acre property when the deadline for proposals passed on Friday.
Harvey Douglas of the Westman Seniors Non-Profit Housing Cooperative said the group’s interest in the property is to develop more seniors housing units for those with moderate incomes.
"Our original aims with co-op housing was to develop affordable housing for more than one level of income, and the one on 620 McDiarmid Drive is for mid to lower incomes," Douglas said. "It has had quite a lot of city and other forms of government assistance through the Manitoba Home Program. Because this will need to be purchased, we will need to develop a project for a wider range of incomes including a higher range."
Glen Kruck of the Canadian Mental Health Association said two other partners involved in his bid, including Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corp. and the Brandon Energy Efficiency Program.
"There is a desperate need for low-income housing," Kruck said. "It’s absolutely essential that we get more rentals out there and more low-income home ownership for low-income families."
Kruck said there are three parts to the proposal, ranging from two four-unit townhouses for home ownership to redeveloping the existing former police station building to create approximately 30 smaller suites for singles.
He noted that the CHMA receives 10 applications for housing from singles for every application from a family, and the smaller suites can fill that need. The third component includes the construction of three 12-plexes.
A representative from Vionell Holdings wrote in an email to the Sun that the firm would not disclose its plans, "as we would not want public opinion to sway the decisions of the tender review committee in any way."
The representative added the details of the proposal would be available if the tender is accepted by the city.
» kborkowsky@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition September 11, 2012
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