Bridgepark Manor expansion underway

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This article was published 10/04/2020 (1851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bridgepark Manor in Steinbach is a bustle of activity these days, as crews construct Phase 3 of the independent living campus, located on Stone Bridge Crossing.

Sieg Hiebert, CEO of the non-profit Bridgepark Manor Inc., said the new building is on track to open by the end of the year.

Construction began in November, three years after the completion of Phase 2. Phase 1 opened in 2011.

“We initiated Phase 3 a little bit quicker than we did Phase 2, but there’s just such a demand that we thought we might as well complete our campus,” Hiebert said.

The three-storey building will add 29 more life-lease apartments, bringing the total number of suites in Bridgepark Manor to 131.

Hiebert explained land limitations necessitated the building’s slightly smaller footprint.

Seventeen of the new apartments will have a two-bedroom floor plan.

“In Phase 1 and Phase 2 we had more one-bedrooms,” Hiebert said.

All three complexes are connected, and residents of Phase 3 will use the dining hall in Phase 2.

Phase 3 will house a new amenity: a “bistro lounge” and patio with views north onto Stone Bridge Crossing.

Earlier phases of Bridgepark Manor received external funding. The Manitoba government contributed $2.3 million to Phase 2, and the City of Steinbach waived development fees on Phases 1 and 2.

But Phase 3, a $9 million undertaking, is proceeding without any government funding, Hiebert said. 

The first hint of further expansion at the site arrived in February 2017, when city council approved a rezoning application for a 1.6-acre lot on the Bridgepark campus.

At that time, Hiebert said the organization wanted to make the parcel “shovel ready.”

Fast forward three years, and Hiebert said Steinbach continues to need a range of senior’s housing options.

Bridgepark Manor residents receive two meals per day, plus light housekeeping, chaplaincy services, and activities programming.

The goal, Hiebert explained, is to support independent living as long as possible.

When Phase 3 is complete, it will bring to a close a decade of planning and development on the Bridgepark campus.

“It’s a privilege and an honour to walk alongside the aging, and we really believe in what we do here. We think it makes a difference, and it’s gratifying to be a part of,” Hiebert said.

Phase 3 suites haven’t yet been marketed to the public, but Hiebert said those interested can call to join a waiting list or receive more information.