Downtown Winnipeg Bay store what to do with it?

[EspionNoir]

Third & Bird urban market took place earlier in the Bay downtown and the response was phenomenal. The waiting line was so long that people had to wait outside the building.

Here's an shot from Third & Bird's official IG account:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5QXUP9g...=1pesmaxe0we8n

So it seems that the building isn't the problem, but what's going on inside the building is the problem. I agree with what joshlemer said, more needs to be done about downtown retail. But the Third & Bird urban market indicates that successful things are currently being done. Hudson Bay also had sale in the Bay downtown not long ago, and many people were going there, too.

[headhorse]

Originally Posted by joshlemer

I don't really understand what makes the Bay so difficult to repurpose for other uses. People bring up that ht has large floor plates but it seems pretty easy to find tons of other buildings in downtowns and outside of downtowns with similar dimensions that are being utilized for office or government:

Here's a few from Montreal:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4961...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5032...7i16384!8i8192

I've personally been inside these buildings which are full of a mix of artist offices and tech companies including ubisoft https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5275...7i16384!8i8192

Here's a 6 storey corporate office in Kanata Ontario that is probably even wider than the Bay https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3401...7i13312!8i6656

As has been mentioned there's also huge bay stores in other canadian cities like vancouver: https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2818...7i16384!8i8192 with pretty much the exact same dimensions and it's doing fine.

I think if the Bay can't find an economic use here it is much more to do with how we are failing to get people downtown than anything intrinsically wrong or outdated with the building. I don't buy at all that large department stores are unworkable today. Go to the outlet mall where the stores are almost department-store-sized, or to the Bay Polo Park and see both locations so full of shoppers it's hard to walk around. The issue is that Winnipeg isn't doing a great job of supporting retail downtown.

So I don't think we should tear down the Bay, or even gut it and turn it into a donut. Slowly, as more people move downtown, there will be plenty of use for that building.

^ I think it's more so that the Bay doesn't want to pay the costs to maintain and fix the building, so they just don't do anything with it... but the media will tell us some other funny story. they're bad community members so I don't why people are obsessed with saving them.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by joshlemer

I think if the Bay can't find an economic use here it is much more to do with how we are failing to get people downtown than anything intrinsically wrong or outdated with the building. I don't buy at all that large department stores are unworkable today. Go to the outlet mall where the stores are almost department-store-sized, or to the Bay Polo Park and see both locations so full of shoppers it's hard to walk around. The issue is that Winnipeg isn't doing a great job of supporting retail downtown.

So I don't think we should tear down the Bay, or even gut it and turn it into a donut. Slowly, as more people move downtown, there will be plenty of use for that building.

Bang on. As more and more people move downtown, and Portage Place gets redeveloped (likely with less retail and more residential), the building and business will become more and more viable.

Originally Posted by EspionNoir

Third & Bird urban market took place earlier in the Bay downtown and the response was phenomenal. The waiting line was so long that people had to wait outside the building.

Here's an shot from Third & Bird's official IG account:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5QXUP9g...=1pesmaxe0we8n

So it seems that the building isn't the problem, but what's going on inside the building is the problem. I agree with what joshlemer said, more needs to be done about downtown retail. But the Third & Bird urban market indicates that successful things are currently being done. Hudson Bay also had sale in the Bay downtown not long ago, and many people were going there, too.

And the day after Third + Bird moved out, Lights of the North moved in. They'll be in there for 8 weeks total, with the event running Dec 5 – Jan 5.

Originally Posted by headhorse

^ I think it's more so that the Bay doesn't want to pay the costs to maintain and fix the building, so they just don't do anything with it... but the media will tell us some other funny story. they're bad community members so I don't why people are obsessed with saving them.

The Bay is paying a fortune to maintain the building actually. It's just not generating enough money at the current time investing in major upgrades to their existing space. But that's not to say upgrades are ut of the question....

[joshlemer]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Bang on. As more and more people move downtown, and Portage Place gets redeveloped (likely with less retail and more residential), the building and business will become more and more viable.



And the day after Third + Bird moved out, Lights of the North moved in. They'll be in there for 8 weeks total, with the event running Dec 5 – Jan 5.



The Bay is paying a fortune to maintain the building actually. It's just not generating enough money at the current time investing in major upgrades to their existing space. But that's not to say upgrades are ut of the question....

Third + Bird... Lights of the North... where do you guys find out about these things?

[esquire]

In the Canada subforum, this Vancouver project gives an idea of the ideal type of redevelopment for The Bay... assuming money were no object.

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The story from Techvibes, with an additional rendering:

Amazon Announces Plans to Expand Vancouver Tech Hub and Create 3,000 Additional High Tech Jobs






Source: https://techvibes.com/2018/04/30/ama...uver-tech-hub#


Here is another rendering found on Daily Hive:


https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/amaz...-redevelopment

Here's a photo of where the floors have been cut open to create an atrium space:

[EspionNoir]

Originally Posted by joshlemer

Third + Bird... Lights of the North... where do you guys find out about these things?

Through Instagram, personally. It's a great way for businesses to spread their news. Fast and rich presentation at the same time.

[EspionNoir]

Originally Posted by esquire

In the Canada subforum, this Vancouver project gives an idea of the ideal type of redevelopment for The Bay... assuming money were no object.



Here's a photo of where the floors have been cut open to create an atrium space:

Considering how Portage Place will potentially turn out, this can be a nice example of direction for tge Bay imo.

[CoryB]

Sorry, was early in the morning so notes are a little scattered.

According the the quick Bloomberg BNN hit that CTV Winnipeg runs in the morning the Hudson Bay executive team/board (?) has approved a plan to sell the Portage Ave building to an unnamed party. A large institutional investor (?) is actively opposing the plan.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by CoryB

According the the quick Bloomberg BNN hit that CTV Winnipeg runs in the morning the Hudson Bay executive team/board (?) has approved a plan to sell the Portage Ave building to an unnamed party. A large institutional investor (?) is actively opposing the plan.

Sentence one is surprising, sentence two is intriguing

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Sorry, was early in the morning so notes are a little scattered.

According the the quick Bloomberg BNN hit that CTV Winnipeg runs in the morning the Hudson Bay executive team/board (?) has approved a plan to sell the Portage Ave building to an unnamed party. A large institutional investor (?) is actively opposing the plan.

Are you sure this is not in reference to the fact the board wants to sell the company to the largest shareholder, but a new report (which HBC refutes) suggests they should do otherwise?

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/hudson-s...-bid-1.1359778

Can't seem to find anything talking about what you mentioned anywhere online, including CTV or Bloomberg's channels. And by all accounts HBC has said they're in a holding pattern with their property when it comes to sales due to the potential sale of the company.

[CoryB]

Like I said it was early but pretty sure they specifically called out the Winnipeg building which seemed out.

[robertocarlos]

A big problem with the Bay is you'd have to buy and destroy the parking garage. Why would the owners sell that cash cow unless you really over-paid for it.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

A big problem with the Bay is you'd have to buy and destroy the parking garage. Why would the owners sell that cash cow unless you really over-paid for it.

A what? It's a Parkade.

[LilZebra]

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/third-bi...tion-1.4742737

Third + Bird moving out of downtown Hudson's Bay location

WINNIPEG -- Third + Bird announced Monday night it will be moving to the Red River Exhibition Park next year.

The urban market, currently located in Winnipeg’s downtown Hudson’s Bay store, puts a spotlight on small, Canadian businesses.

According to an Instagram video by co-founders Chandra Kremski and Charla Smeall, its making this move in order to accommodate the needs of shoppers and vendors

Reading between the lines on this story... could this mean the total closure of The Bay downtown in the next 12 months or could it be more related to downtown safety or lack of "ample parking"?

[CoryB]

^^ I would not read too much into the move. Red River Ex has a huge event space they need to fill and they are out there looking for events that make sense. The Hudson Bay building isn't normally in the event hosting business. Just a guess but there could be electrical issues with the event in the Bay basement that wouldn't existing at the RRX site.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

Reading between the lines on this story... could this mean the total closure of The Bay downtown in the next 12 months or could it be more related to downtown safety or lack of "ample parking"?

Originally Posted by CoryB

^^ I would not read too much into the move. Red River Ex has a huge event space they need to fill and they are out there looking for events that make sense. The Hudson Bay building isn't normally in the event hosting business. Just a guess but there could be electrical issues with the event in the Bay basement that wouldn't existing at the RRX site.

Yeah there's nothing to read into here, mostly due to loading logistics and some other behind-the-scenes things. Will be funny if they still call it an "urban market" – whatever that means lol.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Yeah there's nothing to read into here, mostly due to loading logistics and some other behind-the-scenes things. Will be funny if they still call it an "urban market" – whatever that means lol.

Not that I go to Third & Bird, but yeah, the RREX barn that is better suited to agricultural shows is not exactly in keeping with the somewhat chic urban image of the event.

I couldn't think of a more drab and lame venue to host the market... maybe a CanadInns banquet hall?

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Yeah there's nothing to read into here, mostly due to loading logistics and some other behind-the-scenes things. Will be funny if they still call it an "urban market" – whatever that means lol.

Well the RRX site is still inside Winnipeg. Also the product selection of Third & Bird is very urban focused (ie not a farmers market).

Originally Posted by esquire

Not that I go to Third & Bird, but yeah, the RREX barn that is better suited to agricultural shows is not exactly in keeping with the somewhat chic urban image of the event.

I couldn't think of a more drab and lame venue to host the market... maybe a CanadInns banquet hall?

They won't be "in the barn" but rather the event/conference space. It is essentially a hockey arena without an ice plant. Sure it lacks that "character" of an abandoned and gutted Zellers store that was shoehorned into the space of a different abandoned department store. In terms of flow in the space it should work a lot better. The big question is how many people will it be able to hold at one time?

In terms of a more lame venue? How about the abandoned Sears store at Polo Park? Assinboine Downs also comes to mind.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by CoryB

They won't be "in the barn" but rather the event/conference space. It is essentially a hockey arena without an ice plant. Sure it lacks that "character" of an abandoned and gutted Zellers store that was shoehorned into the space of a different abandoned department store. In terms of flow in the space it should work a lot better. The big question is how many people will it be able to hold at one time?

In terms of a more lame venue? How about the abandoned Sears store at Polo Park? Assinboine Downs also comes to mind.

Lol exactly what I was thinking. I'm more curious how many people will make the trip out there to see the same vendors that are at T+B and all the other markets every season.

I do know for the first time they're opening vendor applications up to people from outside Manitoba, so there's a mix of wanting to expand while also trying to refresh selection.

[esquire]

Well, when you call it an urban market, wouldn't it seem right to have it in an actual urban location instead of a glorified horse barn past the Perimeter?