Steinbach City Council has given the green light to a proposal that will see the Steinbach Bible College move to a new location at 333 Loewen Boulevard, the former site of the Steinbach Family Medical Clinic. During the November 19th council meeting, members passed the third reading of the re-zoning application, changing the property’s designation from C4 (Commercial Regional) to E/I (Educational/Institutional).
The application by Steinbach Bible College indicates a plan to develop the property with and include student housing along with other facilities to support its academic programs. In total, the project is expected to include a multi-million-dollar addition, said City Councillor Jac Siemens. The development is seen as a major step for the college, which has outgrown its current location at 50 PTH 12N.
Siemens, who moved the motion to approve the re-zoning, is enthusiastic about the potential benefits of the new location.
“You know the Steinbach Family Medical Center, when they moved down Stonebridge Crossing, this building has been sitting empty probably for five years,” Siemens said. “We’ve had three or four different groups come forward and want to do things with it, but nothing's happened. Now, an opportunity arose for the Bible College to purchase the property.”
Siemens went on to emphasize that the college’s move will breathe new life into the empty building and help revitalize the area.
“It’s going to do something with the property. It complements the area. They’ve got working agreements with the Crossview Church to use the gymnasium, and potentially they’ve got neighbors who want to host students,” he explained. “I’ve talked to a lot of people in the area, and I live there myself. The neighbors are excited about this type of business coming in. They’re going to be good neighbors.”
The proposed location on Loewen Boulevard is seen as an ideal fit for the college. Siemens noted that the area is already home to several community-focused institutions, making it a natural setting for an educational facility.
“There’s a lot on Loewen Boulevard—from churches to a cemetery to different things in that area. Red River Community College is nearby, and the hospital is close by,” he said. “It just seems to really fit in that neighborhood.”
In addition to its educational functions, the Steinbach Bible College's new campus will provide opportunities for collaboration with other community organizations. Siemens highlighted that the college’s move could lead to further growth in the area, although the full scope of potential developments remains to be seen.
“I think there are a lot of things we don’t know about where the educational piece of that building goes, but potentially there are other opportunities for them too,” Siemens remarked. “It’s a good fit, and I’m just happy, and I think they’re happy coming off of #12, a busy highway.”
Steinbach Bible College plans to be moving the new campus in 2026.