Preliminary proposals for the development of a riverbank park in downtown Winnipeg were presented to Metro officials Monday by a firm of landscape architects in order to provide "food for thought."
The park development plan, drafted by Man Taylor Muret Ltd., of Winnipeg, suggests the development of (a) national historic monument at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, an amphitheatre west of Main Street, a cluster of restaurants and other public facilities on a strutre across the Assiniboine River near the Midtown Bridge, and the establishment of a marina at the foot of the Legislative Building grounds at Osborne Street.
James Taylor, presenting the plan, emphasized it was only a conceptual idea to show what can be done to develop the riverbanks in the downtown area. The plan wasn't a concrete proposal, he said.
Metro Councillor B. R. Wolfe, council's vice-chairman, said the architects' proposal was an imaginative long-range plan but commented it couldn't be implemented with the financial resources now available to Metro. Other sources of money would have to be found, he said.
The landscape architects prepared their plan on their own, at no cost to Metro.
Metro's parks division officials now are preparing another plan for the development of a riverbank park on the south side of Assiniboine between Main Street and the Midtown Bridge.
Development of the area for a park is expected to begin next year, after the existing transit garage is demolished.