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Winnipeg Free Press

Work imminent to create ‘more vibrancy' with green space expansion near Burt

Work to revamp an expanded Odeon Park adjacent to the Burton Cummings Theatre should start soon, with a goal to create a vibrant downtown green space. The City of Winnipeg set aside $890,000 to hire a company to redevelop the park, with work expected to begin in the late summer or early fall, city spokesman Kalen Qually said in an email. Last year, the city realigned part of Smith Street toward King Street, closing the street space immediately in front of the theatre, which aimed to improve traffic flow and create more space for Odeon Park. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Those changes allow the park to grow to 970 square metres from about 335 square metres. 'The well-lit plaza will be about three times larger than the former Odeon Triangle Park, featuring a stage, seating, drinking water fountain and hard surface paving. A large sculptural feature created by a Manitoba artist will be installed, with the site bordered by tree and shrub plantings. The plaza will be available to the public in all four seasons and will be set up to complement programming at the theatre or allow separate events,' wrote Qually. Before the street was realigned, the park was confined to the Smith Street and Notre Dame Avenue rights-of-way. Mayor Scott Gillingham said the project will help add needed green space for downtown residents. 'We may not often think about the fact that the downtown is also a residential area for thousands and thousands of Winnipeggers … People in the downtown also need access to green space near their homes and businesses. So, I'm really excited about the expansion of that park,' said Gillingham. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS The winning bidder of the contract is expected to demolish many of the park's existing features and prepare it for a future water bottle filling station. The company will also install raised concrete planter walls, benches, a concrete stage with wood decking, a concrete surface, planting beds and plants and lighting, tender documents read. City council's public works chairwoman said she expects the changes will help liven up the area around a popular theatre. 'It's going to add to neighbourhoods, it's going to add to the opportunity to create more vibrancy in our downtown. I know the theatre will be using it a lot for barbecue fests, music fests. It's going to be a great spot to activate, where people can come out and enjoy our city,' said Coun. Janice Lukes. Lukes said the density of downtown can make green space scarce, so she expects the enlarged Odeon Park will also take pressure off other options, such as Old Market Square. Related Articles Bigger park, plaza considered for Burton Cummings Theatre The Burt stretches its boundaries with outdoor event space Scatliff-Miller-Murray developed the urban plaza design, while the park's expansion was deemed a 'high-impact' part of the city's downtown recovery strategy following the pandemic, wrote Qually. True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Burton Cummings Theatre at 364 Smith St., had raised the initial request for the city to move the roadway toward King Street, a past city report notes. True North was one of several stakeholders consulted on the park's design, said Qually. The tender calls for the winning contractor to complete the project by Oct. 29. X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.