BACKGROUND
Located in Winnipeg’s St. Vital neighbourhood, St. Mary’s Road United Church (SMRUC) approached Relèven in 2023 amid serious financial pressure. Like many Canadian churches, SMRUC faced a familiar narrative: declining attendance, falling offerings, increasing maintenance costs, and a building that was underused throughout the week. Though the congregation had made progress in reducing annual deficitskey sustainability indicators remained troubling: the number of donors had halved, the sanctuary sat unused, and cumulative deficits rose.
LIFTING THE LID
Objective: Conduct a comprehensive strategic and property review to assess whether a mix of redevelopment, rental optimization, and new partnerships could lead to long-term sustainability and community impact.
Key Actions by Relèven
- Delivered a full seven-scan assessment: financial, building, development, neighbourhood, congregation, stakeholder, and scenario analysis.
- Conducted extensive stakeholder interviews across housing, food security, Indigenous organizations, youth services, and government.
- Led a congregational workshop showing 70% support for redevelopment.
- Proposed multiple scenario pathways, including rental maximization and three redevelopment models.
- Identified the highest-impact strategy: a joint venture for mixed-use housing and a reimagined community hub.
- Provided a 5-year financial pro forma showing the potential to return to surplus through new rental and shared-use revenue streams.
- Helped quantify deferred maintenance and the value of the land asset.
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Building Use
- Of 17,000 sq. ft., only 1,600 sq. ft. is used regularly.
- The sanctuary and ancillary spaces unused but could generate significant additional revenue annually with minimal changes.
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- A renovated kitchen could unlock further in new income.
Neighbourhood Context
- Located in a car-dependent, multi-family corridor with growing newcomer and senior populations.
- Local challenges include food security, access to services, and a shortage of senior and Indigenous-friendly housing.
- City of Winnipeg has aligned its master plan with aggressive affordable housing targets and is supportive of density along the St. Mary’s corridor.
Preferred Scenario: Reimagined Housing and Hub in Joint Venture
- Reduce church footprint and dedicate remaining land to 6–8 storey mixed-use development.
- Create a new multi-purpose space to house the church and a hub for community programming.
- Enter joint venture with a trusted developer (for-profit or non-profit) to generate annual income and protect long-term ownership interests.
- Working with Relèven has opened our eyes to new possibilities for our church and community. Their guidance has been invaluable in helping us reimagine our space and mission. - Adam Gerhard, St Mary’s Road United
KEY RESULTS TO DATE
- Congregational and community alignment around the need for affordable housing and a hub.
- Strong early interest from the developer community in an EOI-led process.
- Clear understanding of building constraints, rental potential, and renovation needs.
- Congregation exploring governance and legal frameworks for joint development.
LOOKING AHEAD
- St. Mary’s Road United Church is now positioned to enter a new chapter—one that honours its deep roots in the neighbourhood while adapting its footprint and financial model for the future. The church has just selected a development partner who can co-create a space that includes housing, social enterprise, and worship under one roof.
- Relèven continues to support SMRUC through early-stage planning, community engagement, and deal structuring as it prepares to move from vision into reality.
