published 12/03/2024
TDS helps transform century-old heritage building into multi-purpose community hub
St. Michael and All Angels Church in Winnipeg has a proud history that dates back over 100 years, and now, thanks to its purchase by Mark Chipman, it has an exciting future.
“It’s a unique situation,” says TDS’s Bradley Zander, who assisted with the sale of the church from the Anglican Archdiocese. “As a heritage building, there’s benefit to keeping it around.”
Built in 1920, the single-storey, stone church at 300 Hugo Street has long been a staple of the Fort Rouge community. It currently holds services on Thursdays, a traditional Sunday Mass, and is also available for rentals. It’s designated as a municipal heritage site, and due to a variety of factors, was struggling to stay financially afloat and fulfill its potential.
As Zander says, “the church’s congregation was getting smaller, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for it to fund its operations. The maintenance of a heritage building can also be very expensive and difficult to do.”
Enter Mark Chipman and TDS.
Known best as the chairman of True North Sports & Entertainment and co-owner of the Winnipeg Jets, Chipman is also a supporter of the city’s music scene and a longtime recreational musician. When approached with the prospect of purchasing the church, he had a vision that would see it continue its current role while also evolving into a cultural hub for the neighbourhood and city.
This commitment to the arts dovetails with TDS’s community-minded approach and passion for local art. So, Chipman reached out to TDS and, specifically, lawyer Bradley Zander for assistance.
In addition to his extensive background in corporate and commercial securities law, Zander is also the Chairperson and Interim President of CentreVenture Development Corporation, an arm’s-length agency of the City of Winnipeg whose mandate is to provide leadership in the planning, development, coordination, and implementation of projects and activities in the downtown core.
This gives Zander valuable insight into the challenges that come with heritage buildings.
“A big part of what I do is assist with the purchase of these kinds of buildings—assisting with grants, navigating zoning, and things like that.”
A municipal heritage designation, such as the one held by St. Michael and All Angels Church, is defined by the Province of Manitoba as a building that holds special place in the community and is legally recognized and protected. It’s been identified as having value to the whole community and is a source of local pride.
“Can the building be used for anything else? What changes can you make? There are a lot of questions,” says Zander.
Just as important for TDS was to help negotiate a deal that would benefit to all parties involved.
For Mark Chipman, that was evolving the building into the sort of space that houses and brings together musicians, artists, and other local groups, while also ensuring it can remain a resource and gathering place for churchgoers.
“The church and its congregation being able to continue their mission in a building owned by somebody else is kind of a novel concept,” says Zander, who helped draft and complete the lease agreement. “Yeah, it’s a unique arrangement: a long-term lease that addresses specific times and rooms within in the building. It provides the congregation access to the building for their services and purposes.”
This more flexible style of lease will also see the church now used as a recording studio: it’s slated to be the new home of Birthday Cake records, a local label run by Winnipeg-based musicians, and friends of Mark Chipman, Joey and David Landreth.
Being able to balance the usage of the building was a key priority—one that TDS took pride in being able to achieve. It was vital that everyone has access to the facilities and spaces they need and that they also feel welcome.
“If you walk in one Sunday morning and the pulpit is removed and there’s video screens, smoke machines, and lasers it doesn’t quite work,” says Zander.
Overall, it’s a win-win everyone, and it’s also an idea that more churches with a heritage designation may seek to explore in the future.
“At TDS, we have the knowledge and skills to draft and negotiate an agreement that considers heritage designations and the parameters of zoning,” says Zander. “It’s a solution that can help people who are looking to buy and use buildings like this—an opportunity for purchasers and communities to come together.”
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