A long-vacant heritage building at Osborne Street and Morley Avenue is undergoing extensive renovations and will become a mixed-use housing development next spring.
The derelict, fire-damaged 110-year-old Rubin Block at 270 Morley, purchased by Fisher River Cree First Nation, will be developed to include 13 residential units and a community-resource space.
“We thought (the building has) a historical nature to it, but also was in a good part of the city that we thought would support multiple families and individuals living in the area,” Fisher River Chief David Crate said Monday, adding transforming the three-storey structure will be an important revenue generator for the First Nation.
NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS
A longstanding South Osborne vacant building at 270 Morley Ave. has new owners and will be developed to include 13 residential units and a community-resource space.
Multiple partners, including the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corp., were involved in Fisher River’s acquisition of the building.
Renewal corporation CEO Jeremy Read said the Rubin Block is well-located for new housing because of nearby schools and community centres, as well as access to transit.
The renewal corporation will be handling the project management and development on behalf of the First Nation during the remediation process.
“This has been a derelict building for some time,” Read said. “So to see it redeveloped, I’m fairly confident it will be well received by the community.”
Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry Coun. Sherri Rollins said the purchase has been in the works for some time; the city contributed $130,000 for the project during the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
“This felt like it was meant to be,” she said, adding Crate’s work and vision was instrumental in getting the project off the ground.
Built in 1914, the Rubin Block once housed the Merchants Bank of Canada, barber and tailor shops, along with apartment units. It was damaged by fires in 2011 and 2014 before it was boarded up; it was placed on the National Trust for Canada’s top 10 endangered buildings in 2019.
The Free Press was granted a tour of the Rubin Block’s street-level commercial space. Inside, the ornate vaulted ceilings were intact, but the paint was peeling from the walls and the wooden floor was cracked and bulging. An empty bank vault remained in one corner.
Read said the majority of the building will be gutted because all of the copper wiring was stripped, and mould and asbestos were discovered. However, the structure is sound and construction crews will try to preserve many of the historical features.
“We need to have these heritage buildings occupied and be a vibrant part of the community, to have them continue on for decades to come,” said Cindy Tugwell, executive director of Heritage Winnipeg, adding the project is important for reducing urban blight in the neighbourhood.
She said the stability and structural integrity of old buildings such as the Rubin Block are second to none, and rehabilitation is a proven method for sustainable development.
NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS
From left: Project manager Chris Wittig, UWCRC & UWCRC 2.0 CEO Jeremy Read and Senior project manager Daneeka Abon sit on the steps of Rubin Block Monday afternoon.
There have been many South Osborne community rallies since the building closed. Area residents have written possible uses in chalk on the sidewalk. One glued a 2.5-by-3.5-metre statement to the boarded-up doors demanding action.
In 2021, nearly 1,500 people signed a petition demanding the city turn the building into affordable housing.
Tugwell said neighbourhood residents never gave up pushing to save the building.
“It’ll be so nice to see people coming and going from the building rather than garbage piling up and seeing graffiti every day,” said Cait Bousfield, owner of Good Fortune Barber Shop, located across the street at 555 Osborne.
The boarded-up Rubin Block has been a constant eyesore since she opened her shop three years ago.
“I’m happy with anything,” she said. “I just want to see it used.”
matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca