5 days ago
Redeveloping Alexander Docks to cost nearly $11M
The Forks unveiled designs to turn the Alexander Docks into a park through an estimated $10.8-million project Thursday.
The docks — located along the west banks of the Red River, off Waterfront Drive and between Steve Juba and Fort Douglas parks — were fenced off because of safety concerns with the structure in 2015.
The revamped area would include a new dock allowing canoes, kayaks and other watercraft to dock adjacent to the Exchange District, The Forks North Portage Partnership said in a news release Thursday. The dock is envisioned to be a new Waterbus stop.
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The area would also feature gathering spaces, seating terraces, improved lighting and dedicated areas 'for reflection and ceremony,' The Forks said.
'We are not just rebuilding a dock. This will be a new park that will restore beauty and joy to this part of the waterfront,' Forks president and CEO Sara Stasiuk said in the release.
'This team is rebuilding a place for people, a lush urban oasis for everyone in our community to enjoy.'
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A memorial that has been maintained at the site since 2014 is part of the design, The Forks said. The body of Indigenous teen Tina Fontaine — whose death sparked calls for action on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls — was found at the foot of the docks that summer.
City council directed staff members to study future uses for the site after it was shuttered. Public consultation on the project began in 2016, when the City of Winnipeg tasked The Forks to lead the project.
'Alexander Docks will become one of Winnipeg's great riverfront parks — a place for everyone to gather, reflect and enjoy the water. The Forks has a strong record of developing and managing outstanding public spaces that connect with Winnipeggers, and I'm confident they'll do the same here,' Mayor Scott Gillingham said in the release.
Fundraising for the redesign will be led by The Forks Foundation, which has begun discussions with public and private funding partners.
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