Winnipeg Construction X

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

Nooooo 300 Main is way more than that. Dunno where you got that figure.

Not trying to be an ass, but it's a large project. Probably $200M or so. I mean, TNS with it's 2 smaller structures plus world beater plaza (lol) was over $400M, and 300 Main appears nicely spec'd.

Check out the first page of the 300 main thread, it states it as $140 million which includes the $35 million recladding of 360 Main and build of 330 main. I was claimed to be so cheap because the foundation was already in place and it was a steel build instead of concrete.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...373789981.html

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by dmacc

Check out the first page of the 300 main thread, it states it as $140 million which includes the $35 million recladding of 360 Main and build of 330 main. I was claimed to be so cheap because the foundation was already in place and it was a steel build instead of concrete.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...373789981.html

Have to agree, this was fairly public at the time. Even some of the updated estimates for skycity (taking that with a grain of salt) were showing around 200 million with a foundation for a 45 floor building.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

I believe that after the mall is renovated, it will for sure have a new name like for example..City Centre etc..
I thought the 2 potential towers on each pad had some separate entry ways and staircases in place perhaps?
At some time, I had read the possibility of 17, 18 no more than a 20 floor tower capacity can be built on each pad site.
A hotel would be great one one side but the mall and safety concerns addressed before investment plus the other tower likely apartment rental.
We shall soon find out.
I would imagine the layout of the mall might be centered around a larger open glass frontage .Time will tell.
There will have to be a new way of thinking regarding loitering and safety.
Once it is no longer a public space and private, that can be an easier road to pave.

[Wpg_Guy]

hopefully we will see redevelopment of the walkways as well, even just aesthetically to bring them out of their 80's time warp.

[Danny D Oh]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The student housing to me seems like a bait and switch. Student housing sounds great on paper, maybe that wording was used to entice this deal and to ensure it cruises through the government sector approval process. Kind of how True North Square was to have an affordable housing component that was scrapped for market rentals.
Hopefully with 300 Main, TNS, Medical Arts and 285 Smith, completed or nearing completion by the time this development gets underway the market demand will be there for more then student housing.

I agree. What is "student housing" that is not owned by a university? Is that not just affordable housing? Are they going to have specific floors only available to "students?" Are they planning to lease units to the U of W and/or RRC?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Danny D Oh

I agree. What is "student housing" that is not owned by a university? Is that not just affordable housing? Are they going to have specific floors only available to "students?" Are they planning to lease units to the U of W and/or RRC?

To me, student housing is micro apartments like how the Sterling Window Lofts were marketed.

[lilwayne]

Any chance this sale doesnt get approved or is this pretty much a formality

[harls]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Nice shots Adrian.

That dead tree at the far left of the first photo.. you guys aren't infested with the Emerald Ash borer yet I hope?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by harls

Nice shots Adrian.

That dead tree at the far left of the first photo.. you guys aren't infested with the Emerald Ash borer yet I hope?

Yep, it’s here, they say all ash tress will be dead within ten years.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Yep, it’s here, they say all ash tress will be dead within ten years.

Shit.

It's terrible in Ottawa. Lots of old mature trees dead. Apparently you can inject some trees with a serum, but it's costly.

https://treecanada.ca/tag/treeazin/

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by Biff

This was the original.

Actually, that's just one of the iterations. I'm dating myself here considerably but I still remember the '86 or '87 phone book used to have a picture of the fully-developed proposal. In that version, there was a square looking office tower on the east pad.

Then there were various proposals at various times including hotels and condos (I believe) In any case, retail was a bad idea right from the start.

There can be no such thing as a retail destination in the modern economy as far as downtown is concerned. Who can it serve? There simply aren't enough people in the core to support a mall as a place to get things for daily living. Without free and convenient parking, there will never be a means of attracting customers. How could they possibly compete with any suburban mall or power center? Even if they work downtown, it still makes more sense to get whatever you're after at a mall on the way home rather than walking to the mall. People make excuses and dismiss human behavior but I've been saying this same thing for at least 20 years now and every time I hear about the sadder and sadder state of Portage Place, I'm reminded of how right I am. The solution has always been the same: More residential. Get a sizeable standing population and then at least you've got something to work with. The days when going downtown was a good idea for families are long, long gone.

As for the current hopes for development...well, I'd hope that they included some residential on the pads but for 300 million, that would get you a hell of a lot more than just a couple mid-rises (on pre-built pads, no less) and a mall makeover. There must be more going on or planned than just what they've let slip so far.

[esquire]

After digesting this news I'd say some of the initial excitement has worn off a bit for me. I think it's fair to say that Starlight will give the block a good makeover and put their new assets to work in a way that they just haven't been lately. But I don't think that the underlying problems of the area will be swept away... I mean, the entire Portage Place project was conceived as a way to clean up a down at the heels type of area, and despite the massive injection of capital into that stretch of North Portage I don't think much has really changed... it's still down at the heels. It probably won't be much different once Starlight is done, but perhaps they can at least bring the complex back to the more respectable level that it was at in, say, the early 90s as compared to where it is now.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by esquire

After digesting this news I'd say some of the initial excitement has worn off a bit for me. I think it's fair to say that Starlight will give the block a good makeover and put their new assets to work in a way that they just haven't been lately. But I don't think that the underlying problems of the area will be swept away... I mean, the entire Portage Place project was conceived as a way to clean up a down at the heels type of area, and despite the massive injection of capital into that stretch of North Portage I don't think much has really changed... it's still down at the heels. It probably won't be much different once Starlight is done, but perhaps they can at least bring the complex back to the more respectable level that it was at in, say, the early 90s as compared to where it is now.

Fair enough. The issue is that the area to the north is kind of like the DMZ between corporate winnipeg and the rundown parts of centennial and the west end, which is a real shame since those neighborhoods have huge potential given their location and character. Ellice just cant seem to attract any new development which I think will be a big part of the puzzle to rejuvenating PP and the surrounding area to the north of Portage.

Edit: I'd love to see all that parking in the area around central park be absorbed by mid rise mixed use stuff but I'm guessing the parking is too lucrative for the owners to give up.

[blueandgoldguy]

^^ Not only Ellice. It seems like Sargent and Notre Dame/Cumberland receive little investment as well. Notre Dame/Cumberland is my go to route when driving to downtown Winnipeg coming in from north of the city. It seems like there has barely been any development along that route - other then the redevelopment of the Christie's warehouse and new additions to HSC - in 25 years.

[EspionNoir]

I’d say it has to start somewhere, and if this purchase of Portage Place goes through well, it can potentially be the kickstart of the redevelopment of Central Park and it’s surrounding area. Before projects like TNS and 300 Main came out, it was understandably difficult to imagine how nice things could turn out, and now thee projects are right there, transforming downtown.

I believe whatever will replace Portage Place will boost that area a lot, because it’s for sure going to be a modern and outgoing design. But as someone in Canadian City Proposal thread pointed out that Starlight Investment had little taste in design, I just hope it will turn out to be at least visually pleasing, at least better than that Saskatoon proposal made by a Chinese money-backed developer posted in that thread not long ago (Page 627)......

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by EspionNoir

I’d say it has to start somewhere, and if this purchase of Portage Place goes through well, it can potentially be the kickstart of the redevelopment of Central Park and it’s surrounding area. Before projects like TNS and 300 Main came out, it was understandably difficult to imagine how nice things could turn out, and now thee projects are right there, transforming downtown.

I believe whatever will replace Portage Place will boost that area a lot, because it’s for sure going to be a modern and outgoing design. But as someone in Canadian City Proposal thread pointed out that Starlight Investment had little taste in design, I just hope it will turn out to be at least visually pleasing, at least better than that Saskatoon proposal made by a Chinese money-backed developer posted in that thread not long ago (Page 627)......

I get the impression from your post that you think they plan to tear down Portage Place. I'm not sure where you got that idea from but I find that to be an extreme unlikelihood.

[esquire]

John Dobbin made an interesting case on twitter that FNP has been neglecting a large part of its mandate area which goes all the way up to Cumblerland... he accuses FNP of starving this area of money in favour of redirecting it to The Forks, something that will continue when FNP allocates the sale proceeds to The Forks.

https://twitter.com/jdobbin/status/1147540913876590593

On one hand it is a little disappointing that FNP has been neglecting a large part of their mandate area, but on the other hand, what if there was only enough money to improve one of the two areas it is responsible for? They have certainly done a good job with The Forks... I don't think many would love the idea of seeing those improvements undone.

[BariasEC]

Regarding the student housing, I believe it is an excellent idea! There is an ever growing demand for housing for international & out of province students near the University of Winnipeg. This is a similar concept to what Mission Group does in Kelowna near UBCO, by building private rental communities very close to campus, if not within it. There is huge benefits both for students and for the universities trying to attract them.
Let’s remember you can see portage place directly from the Faculty of Business at the Buhler Centre... 2 min walk.

[Wpg_Guy]

Smokey in Winnipeg this weekend


Sasha Sefter / Winnipeg Free Press

[oftheMoon]

I think it may have been on the weekend or very recent anyway, but construction fencing and barricades went up around 185 Smith St. Some serious reno must be starting soon. Looking forward seeing that building be transformed.