470 Stella Avenue in Winnipeg

This building is for sale and does not seem to be in danger of being demolished. Sadly it was renovated years ago. Its missing the original front door and windows have been sealed over. But the basic structure is there on the outside.

Inside, well a church renovated it and it does look like it was renovated by someone thinking of function, not history, romance, or beauty. The building is for sale.

I noticed it a first time, months ago. I don't even live in Winnipeg, just wandering around online, looking at buildings on real estate sites. Today I found it a second time, still for sale. Probably a bad sign as far as the building's qualities. The real estate post says the structure is good. But, that leaves a lot for the guessing.

Few photos included with the real estate post. I found some which were on a Remax page but no longer show up on the live site. Not sure they are all for the same building, just because they say they are.

For some illogical reason I really like this building. I don't have the money to buy it, to fix it (I'm sure it needs some kind of fixing) or to care and maintain it. Also, its kind of messed up with the churchly renovations. There isn't much heritage charm left on the inside. But... I like the space, the high ceilings the real estate post says it has. I'd like to live there. But, its not at all practical.

The Manitoba Historical Society has one photo and a little bit of information of the building's history. Not much. The interesting thing I found is that this building has a clone, also in Winnipeg but still currently in use and better renovated.  The building on 119 Sutherland Avenue is very much alike, no coincidence. I thought they were the same building being given a different address by mistake. But they are different. Especially now with one being maintained and the other... sort of a mystery. I think the church/ a church still owns it.

 The Winnipeg Free Press has a post about the church closing in December 2010. Has it been empty since then? That would be another bad sign. Chances are something has been living in there - human or animal. The newspaper also repeats over and over that Stella is in a bad neighbourhood. So there is nothing logical about wanting to live here, in any practical sense. But, I'm not likely to forget about the idea entirely.

 This photo (following) is quite likely part of the old building's collection of photos but I'd be hoping it wasn't if I were buying it. The rest of the photos to follow I don't think are the same place. They don't match the look but they were posted as being from the same address. Likely a mistake.

 

 If you want some reading - I did find an entire file about 119 Sutherland, the twin to 470 Stella. It has one photo of Stella, but nothing older to show it in its better years.