ManitobaThe owner of a Charleswood property once famous for its elaborate model train and Christmas light display has plans to transform it into a mix of commercial, residential and recreational uses.Proposal could face hurdles including sewer capacity, airport vicinity, neighbour concernsCameron MacLean · CBC News · Posted: Nov 12, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The owner of 3001/3009 Roblin Blvd. has proposed building a mix of commercial and residential space, as well as a spa, on the Charleswood property next to Assiniboine Park. These conceptual designs were shown at an open house on Oct. 24. (Cibinel Architecture Ltd.)The owner of a Charleswood property once famous for its elaborate model train and Christmas light display has plans to transform it into a mix of commercial, residential and recreational uses.Paul Taylor — whose late father, Bill Taylor, built the Assiniboine Valley Railway model train and a massive holiday light show at 3001 Roblin Blvd. — has unveiled plans to redevelop that site into what he calls a community-focused project, combining small-scale businesses, housing and a Nordic-style spa.The proposal has been met with unease from some neighbours and city officials, who say its scope and timing have raised questions about zoning, infrastructure and trust.Taylor says the project, developed with Cibinel Architecture and Landmark Planning, would unfold in three phases. The first calls for three one-storey commercial buildings facing Roblin Boulevard. The spaces could be used for coffee shops, personal services or a medical clinic, he says.Behind the commercial buildings, a three-storey, 82-unit residential building would be designed for people aged 55 and older who want to downsize without leaving Charleswood. The final phase would include a spa complex inspired by Thermëa near Crescent Drive Park.A file photo shows the Assiniboine Valley Railway, a model train created by Bill Taylor at his property in Winnipeg’s Charleswood area that children could ride through the trees. His son, Paul Taylor, now plans a multiuse development at the property. (CBC)”We’ve got some ideas — a mix of light commercial … [with] a spa concept that we think would be really cool that ties into the Assiniboine Park, and then a more … modest multifamily building. There’s a portion of the land that would be suitable for that,” Taylor said in an interview.”Not one of these big five- or six-storey buildings — something more conservative that fits with the neighbourhood.”Trees clearedTaylor said the redevelopment would replace what’s now an unsafe, vacant property repeatedly targeted by thieves and vandals. Earlier this summer, Taylor hired crews to cut down hundreds of trees that covered the property and demolish two homes, including the family home where he grew up. At that time, Taylor told CBC News he had no immediate plans to redevelop the property and was focused on safety. He now says the planning process was still in early stages then, and that the tree-clearing was separate from development discussions.”The decision to clear everything out and get rid of those buildings was a liability issue,” he said. “Once that work is done, it makes sense to engage the community about ideas we have.”Crews began clearing trees from the property at 3001/3009 Roblin Blvd. in August 2025. Since then, two houses on the property have been demolished. (Randall MacKenzie/CBC)He also pledged to plant about 150 decorative trees and add a perimeter of evergreens to restore the wooded character lost when the site was cleared in August.Taylor held a public open house on Oct. 28 to share renderings and gather feedback. He says a market study by Landmark Planning supported small-scale retail and services in the area and that the response from residents was “largely positive,” with most concerns focused on traffic, green space and building height.But area Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) says the project faces major obstacles, including sewer capacity, zoning and noise restrictions tied to the Winnipeg airport vicinity protection area, where residential development is restricted in order to avoid complaints about noise from the operations of the airport. “[This] clearly has changed, in a very short period of time, to now not just the development plan, but a mega-development that has residential, commercial — you name it,” said Duncan, who chairs council’s property and development committee. “There are several challenges that include water and sewer capacity, with the Wexford [sewage pumping] station being at capacity for any type of multifamily, not to mention commercial use potentially as a spa.”Duncan said much of the site falls under an area of the airport-vicinity protection area that bans new residential construction, and his office has received “outrage” from residents who feel misled by the earlier explanation for the tree removal.Neighbour concernedNeighbour Larry Stefanec, who lives directly behind the property, said he supports development in principle, but believes consultation came too late.”The consultation should have happened prior to any destruction on the property,” he said.Stefanec said he’s concerned about the proposed apartment building, which he estimates would stand about six metres from his property line. He said a smaller, single-family development would make more sense for the area. “We aren’t anti-development,” Stefanec said. “But when you build a three-storey apartment building and commercial space in an area with homes, it really is a huge impact.”Taylor says his team plans to refine the design before applying to the city.”We want to see if our concepts can align with people’s concerns before we go ahead,” he said.ABOUT THE AUTHORCameron MacLean is a journalist for CBC Manitoba living in Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He has more than a decade of experience reporting in the city and across Manitoba, covering a wide range of topics, including courts, politics, housing, arts, health and breaking news. Email story tips to cameron.maclean@cbc.ca.
Owner of Charleswood property once home to beloved Christmas display plans multipurpose development
