Winnipeg has purchased a four-kilometre stretch of riverfront land in St. Boniface, making way for a scenic walkway and green space, and likely attracting condos to the area.

St. Boniface Coun. Dan Vandal said the property, located along the Red River west of Tache Avenue in his ward, was acquired for $465,000 from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs after years of negotiations.

It is industrial space, but Vandal said he hopes work will begin this spring on clearing it and making the walkway. Once completed, it would allow people to walk along the Red from the Norwood Bridge to Whittier Park, he said.

"There's going to be a lot of space for green space, for [a] play area, for throwing a Frisbee or football. Walkways, bicycle paths," Vandal said.

"We're going to put some kind of commemorative signage, commemorating the First Nations [and] Métis presence in the area. It'll be a beautiful development."

Nice area to build

It could also make the area very attractive for condominium developers wanting to build in the neighbourhood, he said.

"The developers are reluctant to construct an expensive condo project when you're looking onto basically an industrial storage site," Vandal said.

"It's much more attractive … to front onto a park development, and a vista of the downtown. [It's] probably one of the most desirable places to live and to develop condominiums."