The Red River Exhibition Association has stepped up to the plate to overhaul the John Blumberg sports complex.
The non-profit is the lone bid seeking a 99-year lease to repair and renovate the 696,000 sq. ft. softball and soccer complex, with a multi-phased approach to add more amenities to the site.
“There’s nothing been going on there, it’s a shame, really,” said Red River Ex chief executive officer Garth Rogerson. “So when the the city posted a lease opportunity, I’m like, ‘here’s our chance.’”
The Red River Exhibition Association is seeking a 99-year lease to repair and renovate the John Blumberg Sports Complex.
After renovations and maintenance, the non-profit has plans to add a pickleball court, archery, disc sports, lacrosse area, driving range, sport shop and restaurant.
The site has sat idle, save for a few events, since last year when previous tenant Softball Manitoba gave up the lease it had held for more than 30 years after the city asked the organization to pay $3.2 million for upgrades.
The city put out a request for proposal in April to take over “management, operation and maintenance” for the complex at 4540 Portage Ave., excluding the parking area.
Rogerson said single-use facilities are difficult to manage and wants to add space for multiple sports so it will be profitable for the city in the long run.
“You can do archery on the same field you can do soccer on, or you can do flag football, or you could do lacrosse; there’s so many crossovers that use a similar sized field,” Rogerson said.
He also envisions a walking path, dog park and kayak rentals along the park’s riverbank.
“I just think there’s tons of potential there. This is a solution to the property that’s going to make a significant asset for the City of Winnipeg.”
“I just think there’s tons of potential there. This is a solution to the property that’s going to make a significant asset for the City of Winnipeg,” said Red River Ex CEO Garth Rogerson.
Community services chair Coun. Evan Duncan is backing the bid.
“It’s a big-picture idea, and I think that if they can deliver on it it’ll be a great fit,” Duncan said Tuesday.
The Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood representative compared the potential private-public partnerships the city has seen success with to ones like the 2009 takeover of Assiniboine Park by the non-profit conservancy.
“An organization is willing to come forward and take this essentially off the hands of Parks (department) and keep it as a recreational space that is open to the public … I think it looks like a really good fit,” Duncan said.
The Ex’s bid did not include any asks from the city for money and the non-profit will cover all expenses and operating costs, Rogerson said.
Don Klym, executive director of Softball Manitoba, previously said said only six of the seven diamonds had lights and they needed to be upgraded to LED, a huge expense. The stands also require renovation.
Rogerson said the work needed will come in under the city’s $3.2-million price tag.
“We think that that is an exaggerated number and it’s nowhere near that to do the actual work,” he said.
If the bid is successful, Rogerson plans to hold community consultations for feedback on the future of the site before repair work is to begin.
A city spokesman previously said some improvements have been made to the site since last year, including replacing the main building’s furnace and upgrading the irrigation system in the playing fields.
The Ex employs a staff of journeymen who would undertake site work like plumbing, electrical, excavation and carpentry.
The site could even host miniature Red River Exes in the future.
“You never know,” Rogerson said.
If the bid is successful, Rogerson plans to hold community consultations for feedback on the future of the site before repair work is to begin.
A city spokesperson said there will be a report presented to the standing policy committee in early 2025 with further details on the offer and the city’s recommendations.
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
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