Winnipeg, also known as the “Gateway to the West,” is a multicultural city with a diverse economy that serves about 800,000 residents and is constantly growing. Like all major Canadian cities, Winnipeg has been struggling with interesting rental dynamics of late as increased immigration has put pressure on housing supply. This, coupled with exorbitant interest rates that discourage potential buyers from purchasing a home, has caused the rental vacancy rate to drop to its lowest level in over a decade.
But change is afoot. Thanks in part to millions of dollars from the Federal Housing Accelerator Fund, multifamily housing projects near transportation corridors have become a priority for the city—and Carrington Real Estate is one of the major players at the forefront of developing dedicated rental housing.
25 Bahnhofsplatz: Phase 1
A new 16-story apartment tower is being built at the corner of Station Place and Rathgar Avenue in the Fort Rouge district, amidst a sprawling mixed-use development called 25 Station Place. Plans for Phase 1 of Carrington’s flagship development include a state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling system that exceeds national standards by approximately 40 percent, a variety of on-site amenities, direct access to over 30,000 square feet of commercial space, and a new rapid transit station.
“This transit-oriented development is a milestone for our company,” said Jared Carrington, president of Carrington Real Estate, at the groundbreaking in June. “Not only does Station Place far exceed the national energy standard, this stunning apartment complex is being built entirely from precast concrete panels.”
Carrington’s first rental project was a 16-unit apartment building on Henderson Highway, built after the company was founded in 2018. Since then, assets have grown from simple, mid-rise wood-frame construction projects to high-density, investor-led multi-family projects. The portfolio has evolved in both size and sophistication, and the new rental tower “STNP01” is set to set the benchmark for all future purpose-built rental projects in Winnipeg.
According to Sam Goszer, Carrington’s business partner, CEO of Carrington Real Estate and attorney, the project will incorporate new, cutting-edge designs, construction trends and residential technologies that will provide an exceptional experience for future tenants – and at the heart of it all is the new Jubilee rapid transit station, which is sure to attract a broad mix of residents.
“Our target audience is really just people who want to easily move downtown to work, to the Red River Campus of the University of Winnipeg or in the other direction to the University of Manitoba,” he said. “That’s kind of our target audience. It’s going to be an upscale apartment building that offers a unique urban experience.”
Energy efficiency targets
The project also aims to attract tenants who value sustainability and the environment. From construction to completion, great emphasis will be placed on energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our goal is to exceed national energy codes by 40 percent — which is no small feat given our climate and other challenges,” Goszer said. “We located this and others in our development pipeline on the rapid transit line to provide convenient commutes for our tenants. We want to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and we want our tenants to be able to reduce their emissions while allowing them to lower their cost of living through easy access to rapid transit and a range of amenities in this community. We want to see more of our buildings move toward net zero — which is a longer-term goal for us — and we hope our tenants want to participate in that to create a greener, more sustainable and more vibrant community.”
A key sustainability aspect of the STNP01 project is the geothermal heating and cooling system, which essentially draws energy from the earth to heat or cool the air in a building. Carrington said the state-of-the-art system, considered one of the most environmentally friendly methods today, was built into the plan from the start.
“It basically draws energy from the ground, which is a consistent temperature year-round,” he explained. “That air then moves up through our heat pumps and is converted into heat or air conditioning. The system was part of the master plan of the property developer we bought the property from. It was an attractive feature for us because it allowed us to work with our architects and meet, if not exceed, our energy efficiency goals. It would have been very difficult to do otherwise.”
Numerous amenities
With completion slated for summer 2026 and construction currently on schedule, future tenants can expect a number of impressive amenities in the building and the surrounding community that Carrington and other neighboring developers have dubbed “Midtown.” From party spaces to cafes to lifestyle-focused services and a parking garage, a broad mix of commercial offerings will keep residents engaged and entertained while attracting visitors to the conveniently located area.
In the meantime, the Carrington team is looking to the future and planning the second phase of development, which will see groundbreaking on a 20-plus-story tower in one year.
“Transit-oriented high-rises are exactly what Winnipeg needs for a number of reasons,” he said. “But nothing is more important than energy efficiency and improving the vibrancy of our city. Carrington Real Estate plans to be there and deliver on all fronts.”
For more information, visit www.carringtonholdings.ca.
Project facts & milestones
Construction: March 2024 – Summer 2026
Location: 250 Station Place, just steps from Jubilee rapid transit station
Unit: 150+, comprising a variety of sizes and floor plans in multi-storey and single-storey townhouses
Developer: Carrington Real Estate based in Winnipeg
Architect: MMP Architects
