Mayor wants Steinbach's downtown to remain vibrant as city grows

Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk says keeping the city's downtown vibrant is important as the community continues to grow, with new developments, businesses and amenities helping to attract people to the city's core.

Funk says successful cities need a downtown where people want to spend time, and he hopes Steinbach can avoid the challenges faced by communities where businesses and services gradually move to the outskirts.

"Every very successful city has a vibrant downtown," he adds.

Funk describes the result of allowing businesses to continually move farther away as creating a donut, with activity happening around the edges but very little taking place in the middle.

He points to other Manitoba communities that are now working to bring activity back to their downtowns, something he would rather Steinbach avoid having to do.

"I don't want to spend extra money on our downtown if we don't have to. I want our downtown to stay vibrant," he says.

Related Stories:

• 6-storey building coming to Steinbach’s Main Street
• Housing boom brings new affordable options in Steinbach

Bringing more activity downtown

Funk says the City is working with developers to encourage multifamily housing, new commercial buildings and businesses in the downtown area.

He points to the new development taking place near the intersection of Friesen Avenue and Main Street, along with the arrival of medical clinics and other businesses, as examples of the activity helping to strengthen the downtown.

The Southeast Event Centre is another important piece of that vision, bringing people and activity into the core. Funk also believes keeping the arts centre downtown and continuing to bring services and amenities into the area will help create a more active community.

He hopes those developments will create opportunities for smaller, niche businesses and restaurants to establish themselves downtown.

"You will have a downtown that is not just busy between eight and five, it'll also be busy between eight and ten," he says.

He describes that as having both a daytime and nighttime atmosphere, giving people more reasons to visit downtown throughout the day and evening.

Related Stories:

• Land prep signals new development at 247 Main Street in Steinbach
• Steinbach building permits near $100 million for 2026

Not everything needs to be downtown

While Funk wants to see more activity concentrated in the downtown core, he says that doesn't mean every major recreational facility or community amenity needs to be located there.

He believes the Steinbach Aquatic Centre has worked well in its current location, particularly because of its proximity to the park and golf course.

He also points to the city's soccer park as an example of how spreading facilities throughout the community can make sense.

Having every major destination in one area could create unnecessary traffic congestion, he says.

Instead, Funk believes different parts of Steinbach can serve different purposes while remaining accessible to the people who use them.

Ultimately, his goal is to see a downtown that continues to evolve alongside the growing city, with a mix of housing, businesses, services and attractions giving people reasons to make it part of their everyday lives.