Dawson Crossing, one of the last large development sites available in Winnipeg’s southeast district, is being marketed by Avison Young for sale or lease.

“The whole site is just over 119 acres,” Avison Young vice-president Todd Labelle told RENX. 

“We've got approximately 55 acres that's commercial and about 44 acres that’s either commercial mixed-use or residential multifamily, but we expect those to primarily be filled with multifamily. And we've got 12 acres of parkland.”

The current owner is a local developer going under the name of Dawson Crossing Developments, which Labelle said he’s had involvement with for eight years. It purchased the site about 20 years ago and, aside from a gas bar in the northwest corner that’s now been removed, it’s a greenfield location. 

The site fronts Fermor Avenue, part of the Trans-Canada Highway, and serves as a gateway to cottage country in eastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. It’s adjacent to Sage North and Sage Creek, two master-planned communities of residences, retail, parkland and trails.

Favourable market conditions

Market conditions are now right to move on Dawson Crossing, according to Labelle, as there’s a need for both more housing and retail in the area.

“Multifamily has definitely started picking up a lot more. Everybody readjusted after the dip in all asset classes after the interest rate hikes," Labelle said. "Everybody had to re-evaluate their business models. 

“Everybody seems to have that in check now and land in Winnipeg is becoming harder and harder to find. So with the push for more housing, you're seeing everybody trying to gather the last bits of land that they can because they don't know what the future holds.”

Labelle said interest in retail development has also picked up across Winnipeg after a lull where there was very little activity.

Approvals and zoning are in place

All approvals and zoning are in place at Dawson Crossing and heavy equipment has moved on to the site to begin servicing, including the installation of sewer and water systems, retention ponds, roads and traffic lights.

Labelle believes it may be possible for some developers to get foundation permits and start construction by approximately October as the balance of the servicing on the site is completed. The work is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2027.

“The trend we're seeing is most people either want to try to get in this fall or first thing in the spring of 2027 and get the project going so, by the time the whole site is done, they're ready for tenancies,” Labelle said.

Dawson Crossing’s commercial component

The proposed development will include approximately 250,000 square feet of retail capacity for large-format anchor parcels and street-facing storefronts that will be highly visible to the more than 65,000 vehicles that pass by daily. 

Avison Young’s commercial team is in discussions with retail anchors including grocers, banks and gas bars, while medical clinics have also expressed interest.

“This is the right time for anybody to call on the commercial side because, once you have your big competitors in there, it typically becomes a lot harder for you to get in,” Labelle observed. 

“We start with all the anchors, but our retail team is taking letters of intent from smaller users so, when we have the full site configuration based around the anchors, we'll be ready to go on a first-come first-served basis.”

Retail in the surrounding areas report strong absorption and consistently limited availability. Vacancies are approximately 3.4 per cent in St. Vital, 1.3 per cent in St. Boniface, 1.2 per cent in Transcona and effectively zero per cent in East Kildonan. 

An unnamed company has conditionally tied up a parcel of land for a six-storey hotel.

Housing at Dawson Crossing

Dawson Crossing should help ease Winnipeg’s housing shortage by providing up to 3,000 residential units near future planned public transit.

Labelle said there are both conditional and firm deals in place with unnamed developers for a 14-acre parcel that will accommodate six-storey purpose-built apartment buildings.

“Multifamily always moves faster,” Labelle said. “Commercial likes to see what we're doing with that.”

Interest has primarily come from smaller local developers and mid-scale Western Canada-based developers, according to Labelle.

Discussions have also taken place with seniors housing providers.