A rendering of the Southwood Circle development at the University of Manitoba. (UM PROPERTIES / HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — A new south Winnipeg development, that will eventually be home to 20,000 people, has broken ground.
Southwood Circle on the University of Manitoba campus dug shovels into the ground Wednesday, marking the start of the largest infill development in Winnipeg’s history.
“In many ways, Southwood Circle will be a model community, based on what we know makes healthy, vibrant neighbourhoods. That means it’s walkable, it’s diverse, it promotes active living, and it’s sustainable,” said Greg Rogers, CEO of UM Properties, the company behind the development.
“This community has been planned with careful attention to Indigenous design principles that embrace the need to live in harmony with nature and with one another.”
Southwood Circle sits on land formerly home to the Southwood Golf & Country Club, which moved south of the Perimeter Highway after the land was acquired by the U of M in 2011. At the time, it was the oldest 18-hole golf course in Manitoba, dating back to 1894.
“Southwood Circle is part of a transformation of the 110-year-old Fort Garry campus from a daytime commuter destination to a complete community,” said Michael Benarroch, president of the University of Manitoba.
“This community answers the call for sustainable housing options. It will be a unique urban experience, distinct within Winnipeg. It will be rich in amenities. It will integrate the university with the surrounding community.”
The university owns UM Properties, which will manage leasing the parcels of land to third-party developers, and generate additional revenue for the U of M.
The first call for proposals went out in summer 2023 and construction on the first buildings is expected to begin in 2024. UM Properties says the neighbourhood is expected to be home to more than 12 million square feet of new residential, commercial and institutional space representing more than $5 billion in private investment.
The future Southwood Circle development at the University of Manitoba. (UM PROPERTIES / HANDOUT)
