Sidestage, a new entertainment venue, is in the works along Osborne

Winnipeggers will soon have a new place to enjoy live music and entertainment, as a new facility is planned to open along Osborne.

A siding will appear at 700 Osborne right next to the Park Theater. Jenna Priestner and Corey Thomas both work at the Park Theater and when the opportunity came to take over the building, they jumped at it.

“We all want our own space and a smaller place in town, because that's what we need right now, especially when Goodwill is closing,” Priestner said. “It's kind of an idea that's been floating around for at least six months, maybe longer.”

Inside Sidestage, which has not been renovated. Eventually, the stage takes over the back of the room for live performances. April 11, 2024. (Devon McKendrick/CTV News Winnipeg)

The building used to house Nerman's Books and Collections, but the owner retired and sold the store in 2023.

Now the bookshelves have been removed, and the floor and ceiling have been torn off. Exposed brick was left behind the shelves — which both Priestner and Thomas like — and a few tables were brought in to fill the middle of the room. Once they begin renovations, Sidestage will be transformed into a 200-seat entertainment venue with a bar and stage for live performances.

“Since Cory is the main customer of the park, he does a lot of shows that have about 200 people. So some of the shows that are in the park are now held here, and if the shows start selling out here, we can move them to another place. The park and vice versa. So it's a good collaboration between the two of us. It will definitely happen.”

Thomas said he hopes to book a variety of shows, from metal and punk to folk and indie. But he also wants it to be a place to host parties and other events.

“I think people are trying to play here. We're getting a lot of interest from bands and tours waiting for this room to open up. So I think we're going to hit the ground running,” Thomas said.

It's currently empty, but a bar is expected to be installed here at Sidestage. April 11, 2024. (Devon McKendrick/CTV News Winnipeg)

He noted that it's important to have a venue of this size in Winnipeg because when the pandemic hit, everyone noticed how much the arts were missed.

“Now I find it's firing on all cylinders because all the shows are doing really well. People are hungry for live music, live entertainment. So I think it's going to be great out of the gate.”

The duo is waiting to get permission before they can start transforming the city into the place of their dreams.

“Once we build this space, we can figure out how to configure the various events, including seated events. Until the renovations are done, it's hard to see how that will happen,” Priestner said.

If all goes according to plan, they hope to open the doors in September.