Hundreds of West Alexander residents are worried about what could happen to their homes if the city approves a proposal to build a "Bio-Med City," in their neighbourhood.
The plan involves building a conglomerate of bio-tech industry labs north of the Health Sciences Centre.
Critiques worry it could mean the demolition of as many as 300 homes.
Hundreds of people attended a town hall meeting organized by the West Alexander Residency Association Saturday.
Some residents worried about what the expansion would mean for their property values, while others worried that they might have nowhere to go if their houses were expropriated.
"We really feel like we're being left in the dark," one woman told CTV News.
An urban planner tried to field some of the residents' questions, but admitted it was too early to know how the plan will develop, citing the fact that it has yet to be reviewed by the city, and no funding has been secured.
City Hall will review the proposal in May.
According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Bio-Med City would involve the participation of the International Centre for Infectious Disease, the Canadian Public Health Agency, the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, and the University of Manitoba's department of medical microbiology.
The city says it is up to the Health Sciences Centre to pitch a concrete proposal for a Bio-Med City.
And officials say any houses that are torn down in the process would be replaced elsewhere in the West Alexander area.
With a report from CTV's Shaneen Robinson
