Thunder Bay: Prince Arthurs Landing/Marina Park Redevelopment

[Danny D]

"Thunder Bay has, quite simply, one of the most beautiful natural settings in the world:
Lake Superior, framed by the boreal forest and the ancient Nor-Wester Mountains,
watched over by the Sleeping Giant. The lights of the city sparkle like jewels. How
unexpected: an international port city in the centre of Canada!"

Last night the Waterfront development committee and city council introduced its master plan to redevelope Thunder Bays more than 52km of waterfront. it is being aproved at the end of the month and have investors waiting for the aproval to start developing this land acording to the guildlines set in the master plan.

http://www.freewebs.com/clannoscope/city.jpg

[MolsonExport]

Where is Vid?

[vid]

Danny posted this, so this does not fall under guideline 4a: Vid shall not shove Thunder Bay in people's faces outside of the Canada Forum and Skybar. Therefore, ha. :)


This one has a chance of being built! :D

[trvlr70]

The design is great. But, how many months of the year is the lake unfrozen and navigable? Would only half a year make this proposal viable?

[vid]

The lake front is unfrozen and navigable for a scant 9 months. It is frozen from mid-late December to early April, if that. The boat slips there are actually quite popular, compared to the ones on the Kam Delta Islands.

The park hosts numerous other festivals and has general walking trails and an ice rink in winter, including the multi use facilities on the location that would make it viable. It isn't just a boat slip, it's an urban park.


We should move the Farmers market into this area.

[Evergrey]

great news for Canada's Lakehead!

[vid]

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1192/waterfrontrenderingan4.png

More here: http://tbaydevelopments.googlepages.com/home including an updated list of all current developments in Thunder Bay

[Derek]

a marina like that would make me want to visit Thunder Bay :)

[AJphx]

that will look nice, but are they really going to ever have cruise ships docking there?

[vid]

Yes. Currently cruise ships dock at the main shipping terminal, so this will give them a more proper place to dock. The cruise ship lines have been whining about it for a while, so this will shut them up.

[vid]

The design is great. But, how many months of the year is the lake unfrozen and navigable? Would only half a year make this proposal viable?

Icebreaking starts soon
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 3/12/2007 2:27:43 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=93475

With the arrival of warmer weather ice breaking is scheduled to get underway soon on Thunder Bay's waterfront.

Canada Coast Guard reports the cutter Biscayne Bay will begin breaking up ice in the harbour on March 20. Snowmobilers and other recreational users are advised to stay well clear of the ship's track. Ice breaking on the upper lakes gets underway this week.

There were crews doing serveying on the site today, I think. Could have been cleaning crews and I'm just excited or something? :shrug: They had orange vests. :)

[1ajs]

holy shit!

so any updates on this?

[vid]

It was officially approve a while ago. They're working on rerouting one street, and building a new bandshell, due to be complete by July 1st for Canada day and the bluesfest.

They have also activated a new set of lights, which stays green for water street traffic and only changes when pedestrians need them.

[1ajs]

It was officially approve a while ago. They're working on rerouting one street, and building a new bandshell, due to be complete by July 1st for Canada day and the bluesfest.


kool keep this thread updated man :whip:

[vid]

Watefront ball rolling [sic!]
By Jim Kelley | Monday, January 14, 2008
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Thunder Bay city council kick-started the long-awaited waterfront development project late Monday night by approving $22 million as the city‘s share for the $126-million complex.

Work is to start this year with construction of the skateboard park and BMX plaza.

“The waterfront development project is something that all of Thunder Bay can be proud of,” waterfront development chairman Coun. Mark Bentz said. “Tonight is a very important night,” he said. “It‘s something we‘ve been dreaming of for the past 30 years,” he said.

After a two-hour discussion, council. by an 11-2 vote, approved its share to develop Prince Arthur‘s Landing and the New Marina project.

The provincial and federal governments will be contributing $22 million each. Chief administrative officer Robert Petrie said the city‘s $22 million is contingent on the other sources of funding.

The total cost for the project is $126 million, with $60 million coming from the private sector for a condo/hotel project.

Council earlier approved the master plan for the waterfront so Monday‘s decision paves the way for work to get going.

Bentz said the project is a good investment for the city, with the $22 million leveraging $126 million. “That‘s a pretty good return on the dollar,” he said.

Bentz said two local developers have expressed interest in the condo/hotel project and the city is getting good feedback from the province and federal governments.

Some councillors weren‘t happy with the location of the condos while others were uncomfortable with the funding but in the end there was a consensus.

“I don‘t agree with every single component of this project,” said Coun. Rebecca Johnson. “This is a scary thing but I believe that it‘s time to move forward. If we don‘t go ahead this time, I don‘t know when we‘ll ever go,” she said.

Other recommendations approved by council include creation of a waterfront development office, that administration provide estimated costs to build a road connection to the 106th Street overpass as well as an analysis of traffic impacts and costs associated with the proposed transformation of Water Street.

The city will proceed first with the Prince Arthur‘s Landing Project, delaying development of the New Marina until an environmental assessment is completed and approved. That is expected to take up to two years.

==

More details can be found here (http://tbaydevelopments.googlepages.com/).

The condo component:

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/9962/62736210hj2.jpg
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/914/77899780qi3.jpg
These are just placeholders, an example of what it might look like.

I'm not sure what they mean by "106th Street Overpass"; 106th street is in Fort William, its the street the Bascule Bridge was connected to. They city can't really build that as CP now owns the bridge in its entirety and it doesn't really have anything to do with this project. If they mean 16th Avenue, that's the Main Street Bridge by the Thunder Centre. They probably mean Central Avenue Overpass as there is no road connection between the two?

Additionally, the city should make Water and Cumberland one way streets, each with two lanes. Water being northbound and Cumberland being southbound. The way they split would make the transition pretty easy and this would allow for more street side parking on Cumberland which will really help businesses as it can be hard to get parking there on some days.

[Rocket1964]

The skate park has opened November 1st. There was a turnout of over 200 I would say using the park the first day.

[vid]

There have been kids using it at 10pm in freezing rain.

[vid]

Images from the Waterfront open house display.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4357/im006424.jpg
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1706/im006428.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/461/im006425.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/871/im006429.jpg
The Baggage Building, constructed in the early 1900s, will be preserved and renovated for year-round use. Combined with the CN Building the two structures form a historic 'gateway' to the site once the Red River Road pedestrian crossing is established. The existing building will be expanded with a new two-storey addition. This complex will be a public destination for art and artisan exhibits and demonstrations, with artisans working in studios that can be viewed by the public. These activities may involved painting, sculpture, ceramics, woodworking, jewelry, video art and other media. Display space will be used both for exhibits and a retail area.
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/5092/im006426.jpg
Piers One and Three will each have a beacon - a tower element that will be highly visible from the City and from boaters approaching from the water. The Pier One beacon will be located close to the Sail Club. the Sail Club itself will be rebuilt as an expanded building potentially(?) suitable for year-round use. The Beacon at Pier One is proposed to be used as an ice climbing tower in winter and will be one of several winter-time activities at Prince Arthur's Landing.

The Pier Three Beacon will provide an overlook platform with seating - a place for the public to have a higher view over the lake.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/8559/im006432.jpg
The Market Square is a multi-function, central public space that can be adapted to a range of functions including an out-door market, event venue and/or parking. It also serves as a transition space between Marina Park Drive and the pedestrian oriented Waterfront Plaza. When not in use for programmed events, the Square will accommodate parking, providing an easy access to the surrounding shops and restaurants lining the sides of the Square. This is especially important during non-summer seasons where ease of access to the retail and food uses will be important in sustaining year round operations.

The splash pad area, in winter:
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/192/im006430.jpg

and in summer:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9650/im006431.jpg

The object in the centre of the splash pad/ice rink, in the summer, will be a fountain, and in the winter, will have a wood stove and be a place to warm up. At night, the outer shell of the object (that's what I am calling it :)) will be lit up with LEDs, which I am really exited about.

Not too much new in this presentation, just adding some more detail to what they have already designed and an explanation of the environmental assessment processes.

We will hear the results of the environmental assessments next month and by July, we will know whether or not the project will receive federal and provincial funding. If it does, the whole project starts construction beginning this fall when lake infill begins. If not, parts of the project will continue but many aspects will be scaled back.

[Zach6668]

Wow.

I moved away from Thunder Bay a year ago, but I was certain nothing would ever happen on the water front, lol.

Looks awesome.

Thanks for the updates.

[rapid_business]

interesting looking project vid, I hope it goes ahead as planned...

[vid]

It's already starting. The baggage building is beginning its renovations.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/438/im007452.jpg

The art gallery is still open while work is going on outside. If they aren't doing the expansion now, they're at least going to have to re-brick it. The bricks are in really bad shape from the paint removal process (many are half eaten away) and the mortar seems to have turned to dust between many of them. It's in absolutely horrible shape. Structurally, however, the building seems perfectly fine.

[wrab]

The beacon/ice tower is a great idea.