City to spend $1.4M more on public plaza at True North Square

The City of Winnipeg plans to spend another $1.4 million on the public plaza atTrue North Square.

City council's executive policy committee approved a report Wednesday that effectively aligns the city's tax-increment-financing plan for True North Square with a recent provincial commitment to the project.

• Province to contribute up to $12M in tax rebates for True North Square

The project, led by the development wing of the company that owns the Winnipeg Jets, includes two towers and a public plaza on the east side of Carlton Street, with two more towers planned for a second phase on the west side of the street.

As part of a series of changes to the city's plan to offer tax rebates to the downtown project, the city is upping its contribution to the public plaza by $1.4 million, city planning, property and development director JohnKiernantold the executive policy committee on Wednesday.

"This is an economic driver for the core of downtown," Kiernansaid.

The city is now paying for a half of the public plaza, rather than a third of the cost. An earlier city plan called for the province to pay two-thirds of the cost but the provincial government has only committed to covering half the price.

The city is also prepared to spend an additional $517,000 on nearbypublic amenities such as sidewalks and skywalks, but that figure is a contingency and the money may not be needed, Kiernan said,

The first phase of the project, nearing completion, involves two mixed-use towers of 17 and25 storeys, plus parking, on the east side of Carlton Street.

The second phase, led by Northland Properties, will see a hotel, residential tower and parking rise west of Carlton Street.