‘Eddy’ complex exactly what downtown needs

“This is just a huge step in the right direction.”

— Emmy Sanderson, Brandon Downtown Biz

Brandon’s business and political leaders have long looked at the city’s floundering downtown and wondered what could be done to turn things around.

Oh, there have been plenty of ideas over the last three decades. In fact we have been rife with revitalization strategies that have evolved and morphed over the years. New structural plans have come — and gone — along with the creation of specialized groups and agencies. Some are still around, while others failed due to a fragmented execution or a lack of long-term funding.

There have been efforts to beautify the downtown and preserve its historic character and charm by improving lighting, sidewalk reconstruction and introducing business improvement initiatives.

In mid-2007, after the cosmetic fixes proved inadequate to the task of saving the downtown business community, then-mayor Dave Burgess pushed for the creation of what was then called Renaissance Brandon, which was initially modelled after Winnipeg’s CentreVenture development corporation.

The city’s core was rebranded as a heritage and cultural destination, with a heavy focus by Burgess to get rid of eyesore structures like the Beaubier Hotel and the Brandon Inn, and create new facilities that would attract more people downtown. The new YMCA on Princess and the Kristopher Campbell Skateboard Plaza were the end result of this effort.

In October 2010, Renaissance Brandon — now the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation — began rebranding the Wheat City’s historic business district as “The Downtown Hub.” It came with fancy new signs at the corner of 10th Street and Rosser Avenue that were unveiled by a pair of city councillors.

While they certainly generated buzz — and gained support from the provincial government — these initiatives ultimately failed to stem the bleeding as businesses continued to exit the downtown.

That’s not to say there have been no successes. Through the ingenuity and deep pockets of some dreamers and entrepreneurs, a number of heritage buildings downtown have been transformed to the benefit of the community. The former CPR station was renovated and transformed into Westman Immigrant Services. The former Brandon Firehouse Number One on Princess Avenue became a restaurant and catering hub, then a wedding destination, and just this month has morphed back into a restaurant. And the ongoing efforts of the Sneath Group to transform structures like the historic Bass Building on 10th Street, which now houses the successful Chez Angela bakery.

And it must be said that the BDDC has continued efforts at investing and fostering local business growth. Last year, the BDDC disbursed more than $540,000 in grant funding toward business development downtown.

While these are welcome investments, the decay remains, with several empty storefronts in the downtown. Some of the largest tenants, such as the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal on Rosser Avenue, are planning to vacate those locations

Clearly there is still a lot of work to do — and that work is ongoing.

One idea, however, has been taking root over the last three decades — an overarching concept of moving away from “fixing” the downtown through retail-first promotions, and instead adopting residential density as a better option.

This was the idea behind the restoration and reimagining of the Massey Manor building as an affordable housing complex on Pacific Avenue, and it’s what drives efforts to build new infill apartments in the core area.

And while there have been letdowns and setbacks — here’s looking at you McKenzie Seeds building — this approach has been, and continues to be, the best possible guiding principle that the city, the Downtown Biz and downtown advocates could promote.

With this in mind, the announcement this week of a new 72-unit apartment complex at 1200 Pacific Ave. — the Eddy Residences — is exactly what the downtown needs.

The build is the first in the city using the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund, which the federal government in 2024 promised to “fast track 168 homes over the next three years” and spur the construction of more than 761 homes over the next decade. Ottawa pledged more than $6.2 million for the city in funding through the program, and of that the federal fund will provide $936,000 for the Eddy Residences project, and offset eligible development charges estimated at more than $230,000.

The total cost of this project has been pegged at about $19.2 million. That is a hugely significant investment in downtown Brandon. Robyn Sneath, the general developer for the project, is correct when she says that the potential spillover of having this kind of market housing in the downtown core will be beneficial for the community.

Perhaps the best way to fix downtown is by making it livable. Having more people living in the downtown is, in itself, a transformative idea.

Of course, time will tell if this strategy will work — it’s a kind of gentrification of sorts, after all. But after decades of failed efforts, this one would seem to have the best shot at succeeding.