Winnipeg's Exchange District | East/West | Development

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I like their aesthetic, it's classy and a nice change from the garish and ugly head shops. "The Joint" is the prime offender in that regard.

That honestly has more to do with government restrictions. Head shops, and as of last year vape shops, are not allowed to fave product or paraphernalia visible to the public/street. So unfortunately they all have to cover or fronts their windows. Not sure if weed shop rules have been decided yet, but I certainly hope this is not going to be the same (I’m sure it will be though).

Hopefully with Tokyo Smoke they’ll at least be able to have the coffee shop counter up front and maybe weed hidden behind, but it forces what should be nice storefronts to cover up, or waste a bunch of rented space. Why don’t Liquor wine and beer stores need to cover up?

[Wpg_Guy]

I believe they will in fact have to cover the windows

[esquire]

It isn't so much the window coverings as just the generally garish signage and approach to design.

For example, they took this somewhat plain looking office building on St. Mary's Road and made it downright ugly:

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Turns out the "office from the states" was just a deflection...

Tokyo Smoke is opening in the former Berns & Black space. They're starting to clear remaining stuff out today. Will be a stunning addition to Main Street – for those unaware, it's one of the 4 dispensaries opening here, fairly high end lifestyle concepts. Have clothing, coffee shop, do yoga, etc.

https://ca.tokyosmoke.com/

Well that's great news if true! Sort of like having lulu lemon moving into the space lol! Seriously though they are great marketers with an interesting lifestyle brand and a huge financial backing. They could help in a big way this urban area of Main. Too bad they didn't get the space in the Woodbine though.

[buzzg]

It's true – confirmed with someone I know at Hiku, the parent company.

I've said it before, I have no problem with the Woodbine. It's gotten significantly better the last few years, there's hipsters that go there now and they actually have great live music some nights, the vendor provides a good service to the area.

The new owner has been slowly cleaning it up over the last year – new signage in the back and windows, they just refurbished the neon sign (looks great) and they've taken a lot of the junk out of the bar inside. I've spoken to him before, and he says he wants to slowly clean it up (as he is) but doesn't want to dramatically change it for what it is – serves its own community well. He will try and get the windows facing Main cleaned up a bit soon.

As someone who has worked beside and across the street from it for 4 years – I have rarely seen any issues beyond people being a little loud smoking outside. Seen much worse things at nicer nightclubs. The thing is – Woodbine provides cheap housing for a large group that likely wouldn't be able to afford to live anywhere else, and would likely be on the street, causing more "issues," if they couldn't live there.

[Wolf13]

It's just a shame that it's such a prominent location and not maximized for a different, more applicable use. Obviously, where in an ideal world, someone would do what they do just in a less excellent spot.

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by buzzg

It's true – confirmed with someone I know at Hiku, the parent company.

I've said it before, I have no problem with the Woodbine. It's gotten significantly better the last few years, there's hipsters that go there now and they actually have great live music some nights, the vendor provides a good service to the area.

The new owner has been slowly cleaning it up over the last year – new signage in the back and windows, they just refurbished the neon sign (looks great) and they've taken a lot of the junk out of the bar inside. I've spoken to him before, and he says he wants to slowly clean it up (as he is) but doesn't want to dramatically change it for what it is – serves its own community well. He will try and get the windows facing Main cleaned up a bit soon.



As someone who has worked beside and across the street from it for 4 years – I have rarely seen any issues beyond people being a little loud smoking outside. Seen much worse things at nicer nightclubs. The thing is – Woodbine provides cheap housing for a large group that likely wouldn't be able to afford to live anywhere else, and would likely be on the street, causing more "issues," if they couldn't live there.

I have no issue with the social housing component of the Woodbine and yes the restored neon sign is an improvement. Raise the price of beer $1.00 and the problem goes away. Any property stakeholder within 2 blocks will all say Woodbine is and continues to be an issue in its current business model and format.

Cars continue to be smashed in the lot behind the building for a quarter in an ashtray...

Sorry, but hipsters drinking cheap beer with marginalized people in need is not entertaining nor helps the problem.

I'm just on the other side of the onion skin airmail paper from you on this one...

[windypeg]

Originally Posted by buzzg

It's true – confirmed with someone I know at Hiku, the parent company.

I've said it before, I have no problem with the Woodbine. It's gotten significantly better the last few years, there's hipsters that go there now and they actually have great live music some nights, the vendor provides a good service to the area.

The new owner has been slowly cleaning it up over the last year – new signage in the back and windows, they just refurbished the neon sign (looks great) and they've taken a lot of the junk out of the bar inside. I've spoken to him before, and he says he wants to slowly clean it up (as he is) but doesn't want to dramatically change it for what it is – serves its own community well. He will try and get the windows facing Main cleaned up a bit soon.

As someone who has worked beside and across the street from it for 4 years – I have rarely seen any issues beyond people being a little loud smoking outside. Seen much worse things at nicer nightclubs. The thing is – Woodbine provides cheap housing for a large group that likely wouldn't be able to afford to live anywhere else, and would likely be on the street, causing more "issues," if they couldn't live there.

You must not have faced the parking lot in the back. I worked in the Mckim building last summer and it wasn't that uncommon that a fight would break out back there or that there would be loud drunk people screaming at each other in the middle of the day. I'm not often in the exchange late in the evenings anymore but I can't imagine what goes on back there at night. The place should be put to a better use.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

It's just a shame that it's such a prominent location and not maximized for a different, more applicable use. Obviously, where in an ideal world, someone would do what they do just in a less excellent spot.

I dunno, mixed use residential, hospitality, and commercial seems pretty good to me

Originally Posted by windypeg

You must not have faced the parking lot in the back. I worked in the Mckim building last summer and it wasn't that uncommon that a fight would break out back there or that there would be loud drunk people screaming at each other in the middle of the day. I'm not often in the exchange late in the evenings anymore but I can't imagine what goes on back there at night. The place should be put to a better use.

I park there occasionally and haven't had an issue. That lot is owned by the Woodbine. I'm not saying things never happen there, but there isn't really many more issues than in Air Canada Park, Thunderbird House, near the river, or any other random street or lane. Look what happened when the Ellice LC stopped selling cheap brandy and Stone Cold for a while – people turned to toxic products.

Obviously down the road I would love to see a luxury boutique hotel take it over, but I just think there's things much more important on the list. And like I said, if it were to close, many of those people would end up on the street, and actually make things worse.

[Biff]

Market Lands international design competition for the redevelopment of 0.8 Acres (0.32Ha) for the southern most portion of the former PSB property.

The competition is for a design that includes a new 100 unit affordable housing complex, a 700 sm (7500sf) market building and a1500 sm (16,150sf) plaza.

http://centreventure.com/get-engaged

[buzzg]

"Pedestrian oriented internal plaza" frightens me. It should not be internal... it should open to the SE corner to integrate with OMS. Closing it off from the street is an awful idea for safety and street-interaction reasons. Also seems a little bizarre to do this content only for the south third of the property with no context or plan for what's happening with the rest. Why wouldn't the contest or plan before the entire block?

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by buzzg

"Pedestrian oriented internal plaza" frightens me. It should not be internal... it should open to the SE corner to integrate with OMS. Closing it off from the street is an awful idea for safety and street-interaction reasons. Also seems a little bizarre to do this content only for the south third of the property with no context or plan for what's happening with the rest. Why wouldn't the contest or plan before the entire block?

I think there need be a master plan for the full site first.

It's also unclear to me who the final proponent is.

Who is overseeing and funding this development? The city? Centre Ventures?

Why are the parcels not sold to private developers within a Masterplan and design guide lines in place as they did on Waterfront?

Lots of questions...

As I have said before, these lands should be for and are needed by RRC. They are the ONLY user to continue adding to the revival of this area. The call for tender should be for STUDENT HOUSING not social housing...

It seems to me CV is competing with instead of enhancing the ability of RRC to expand and prosper...

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by buzzg

"Pedestrian oriented internal plaza" frightens me. It should not be internal... it should open to the SE corner to integrate with OMS. Closing it off from the street is an awful idea for safety and street-interaction reasons. Also seems a little bizarre to do this content only for the south third of the property with no context or plan for what's happening with the rest. Why wouldn't the contest or plan before the entire block?

Only the southern portion of the site had the historical covenant on it that it must be for public use.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Only the southern portion of the site had the historical covenant on it that it must be for public use.

Yes but the whole block needs to be planned together. Insane to plan the “public” portion in isolation of the rest. Competition should be for whole site and take into account the caveat on the affected portion.

—

In other news, The Mitchell Block has relaunched the bar upstairs as a separate cocktail bar entity, Wet & Dry Department.

https://www.instagram.com/wetanddrydept

ALSO, it appears there a reason the K9 armour building has been refreshed. There are nicely designed signs in the basement windows saying some business is opening August 24. There are stilletos in the window, so maybe some sort of women’s clothing/shoe store.

[buzzg]

Update on Tokyo Smoke:

They want to be friendly neighbours, so they will not be putting a coffee shop in this location as they share the main floor with Parlour. Great move. Will be interesting to see what they do with the front space, hoping they don’t have to cover windows.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Update on Tokyo Smoke:

They want to be friendly neighbours, so they will not be putting a coffee shop in this location as they share the main floor with Parlour. Great move. Will be interesting to see what they do with the front space, hoping they don’t have to cover windows.

As far as I can tell, the provincial legislation just says that cannabis can't be visible to minors. There might be ways to deal with this without having opaque windows.

The bad guy here is actually the city -- their rules are basic signage only and opaque windows.

In other words, despite attracting a very high end retailer, this is going to do little to nothing for the streetscape. No more 'eyes on the street' or interaction between storefront and street.

This is actually going to make a long stretch of Osborne feel very dead as well -- the former TD Bank is reportedly going to be a dispensary (though I'm not sure whose. I heard Delta 9 but then they've announced their location on River).

Really frustrating. I wonder who at the city people could complain to about this.

[Wpg_Guy]

ALA Masonry & Contracting Inc (@alamasonryandcontractinginc) on Instagram
It’s nice to see a project you worked on as it nears completion. 52000 mods, and 8 months of restoration, new opening cut ins and 8000 sq ft of enerfoil insulation. I’m very proud to have worked on this one.

[buzzg]

It's such a fantastic project. It honestly makes me giddy. On it's own the new part is great – but add in the restoration and of the old warehouse, and its location... I'll take 10 more please.

[buzzg]

Anyone know what's going on here? It's the lot between the police garage and Peck Building. [Also – is the police garage going to remain here? Can't find anywhere better?]




Also, what the hell is this bullshit? Alycia's covered up the atrium of the Royal Albert to try and keep sun out. Been like this for 2 weeks – disgusting the city/BIZ hasn't forced them to take it down yet.

[Wpg_Guy]

Meire Porto (@porto_adventures) on Instagram