Winnipeg, MB – November 25, 2009 - Winnipeg City Council voted unanimously today to purchase of the Canada Post Building at 266 Graham Avenue for redevelopment as the new headquarters of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS).

"I am confident that redeveloping the Canada Post location to consolidate our core WPS services under one roof allows us to continue providing the best tools and resources for our officers in the Winnipeg Police Service to ensure Winnipeggers receive more reliable and more efficient service."; said Mayor Sam Katz.

The purchase cost of the site, as negotiated with Canada Post is $29.25 million and redevelopment of the new WPS headquarters, expected to be completed in 2013, is estimated to cost about $105 million.

Benefits of relocating the WPS headquarters to the former Canada Post site include:

• Greater presence of WPS foot patrols and itinerant officers on streets and in covered walkways in the downtown.
• Consolidation of core WPS functions that are currently dispersed at several locations throughout the city, thus enabling better service delivery and easier access to the public for information and services.
• Easier access to the Law Courts complex, cutting transportation time and costs for WPS members attending court.
• Ability to accommodate both the current and anticipated needs of the WPS.

The Public Service recommends that the Public Safety Building at 151 Princess Street – the current location of Police Headquarters – be declared surplus once consolidation at the new headquarter site has been completed.

Winnipeg, MB – November 25, 2009 - The transformation of the 37-year-old Millennium Library Park from an underutilized park into an inviting and sustainable green space has begun. The park is situated between Smith Street and Donald Street on the north side of St. Mary Avenue.

The public will see a flurry of activity taking place behind the downtown facility between now and 2011, when the project is expected to reach completion. Improvements are also being made to the underground parkade roof.

The City of Winnipeg, The Winnipeg Library Foundation and The Downtown Winnipeg Biz have partnered to create an active and viable urban green space which will include a learning terrace, outdoor classroom, urban wetland and the Millennium square. The City and the BIZ will undertake the role of future programming of educational, cultural, recreational and entertainment events. The Downtown Watch will have an active role as downtown ambassadors in the park.

As part of the renovation, about a dozen mature basswood trees will be removed from the area and transplanted at the Tuxedo Business Park.

Crews are now in the process of enclosing the park and will begin demolishing those parts of the park related to the redevelopment project. Appropriate corridors to allow the public to continue to use the parkade are being created. There will be no access through the park during construction, and pedestrians will have to use the other side of Donald and Smith Streets.

In 2008, City Council approved funding of $700,000 for the redevelopment project. The Federal and Provincial governments provided matched funding through the Manitoba Rural Infrastructure Fund for a total of $2.1 million.

Last July, Council approved additional funding of $1.7 million for the park and parkade redevelopment.