CentrePort Canada | Winnipeg

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by CoryB

"You can't win if you don't play." I am sure with an almost 13 year lead time we could start importing garbage from all over North America and build up Brady Rd to sufficient heights that it could host all the Nordic events for the winter Olympics in 2030. We just need someone with a vision to make this happen. /s



My thinking is with so many cities wanting to pursue Amazon's HQ2 it is going to be the exact same sort of race to the bottom as a Olympic bid with very few positives and mostly negatives when the dust settles.

That said, for argument sake, if Winnipeg is putting in a bid for HQ2 where does everyone think the location would be proposed. As Winnipeg is part of the bid committee choices need to be only within existing city limits.

One final thought -- data centers are not something Winnipeg should really bother pursuing. The benefits from a giant warehouse filled with computers sucking down power and employ very few actual humans isn't exact the way to grow the city. If anything that is even less of an ideal use of space that a power substation.

A race to the bottom where the winner gets 50000 jobs. That bit is kinda important. Also data centres would still create a few jobs not to mention the boon to our construction industry.

Well I would imagine that the bid could also include other nearby locations because the city would be the primary beneficiary of the bid. Plus the province is involved.

And seriously, why so negative? It seems every time something nice is discussed, the vitriol of the negative nancies comes out in full force.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

And seriously, why so negative? It seems every time something nice is discussed, the vitriol of the negative nancies comes out in full force.

[CoryB]

^^ Being a realist not negative. The reality is if absolute no one outside Amazon tried to influence the process Winnipeg isn't even on the list. To try and get on the list cities, not necessarily just Winnipeg, are going to promise them all sorts of perks like "pay no property tax". The amount of competition the Amazon HQ2 is attracting it is very likely that what benefits the community as a whole would receive are going to easily by offset by the incentives that need to be given to get Amazon here.

That said, would love to hear ideas on where in Winnipeg people would pitch Amazon to locate instead of if we should be pitching them. I am not sure vacant lots/buildings around downtown is the right approach.

[MG922]

Originally Posted by CoryB

That said, would love to hear ideas on where in Winnipeg people would pitch Amazon to locate instead of if we should be pitching them. I am not sure vacant lots/buildings around downtown is the right approach.

Is Amazon looking for strictly corporate/business person type employees? Are they building a distribution centre for fulfilling orders?

For distribution, Centreport has to be in the conversation. I doubt Centreport would be a desirable location for a corporate/business HQ. What about a new building over the parking lot north of the WCB building?

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by MG922

Is Amazon looking for strictly corporate/business person type employees? Are they building a distribution centre for fulfilling orders?

For distribution, Centreport has to be in the conversation. I doubt Centreport would be a desirable location for a corporate/business HQ. What about a new building over the parking lot north of the WCB building?

As for actual corporate headquarters take your pick of vacant lots in the downtown. As for distribution hub and facility the centreport area could also easily support the growth. Man I'm just salivating thinking of what it would do to our airport alone.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

As for actual corporate headquarters take your pick of vacant lots in the downtown. As for distribution hub and facility the centreport area could also easily support the growth. Man I'm just salivating thinking of what it would do to our airport alone.

Man, if Amazon did open up a distribution centre alone, there would be a significant increase in cargo transportation through the airport alone. The existing carriers would be even more busy, which is a good thing if you think about it. They may even have to expand their facilities if necessary.

It's only a big if though, but it doesn't hurt to imagine the possibilities either.

[CoryB]

My understanding is Amazon is looking for a business park. Think something continuous like the U of W, U of M or RRC campus. A single vacant lot in downtown isn't going to cut it for what they want.

Also this is not a distribution centre/warehouse. Amazon Canada and Amazon USA run complete separate distribution networks. The Seattle campus has, by my estimate from searches online, about 12 buildings in a close proximity with over 3,000,000 million sq ft, which would be about 3 times the size of True North Square. Another comparison would be to Hydro Place which is just under 700,000 sq ft so would be approximately four copies of that building needed.

Now in terms of downtown if they took over the WCB lot, the Charter House (demo) and attached parking lot, the lot at York & Hargrave, the old Pizza Hut and surface lot south of York and the MPI lot on Donald. You then have a pretty nice parcel of land in downtown to pitch to something like the Amazon HQ2 campus.

I am still not sold that we should be actively pursuing it but that assembly of land would give them, or someone similar, a nice chunk of relatively prime and mostly vacant land to work with.

[esquire]

^ If the unthinkable happened and Winnipeg landed Amazon, I cannot imagine that they would go downtown... they would probably want a lot of room to grow. There just isn't that much in the way of sites with large amounts of contiguous space that would support a full-on campus.

The only way it could happen is if the government expropriated a bunch of parcels as with North Portage in the early 80s, and I can't see that playing out a second time.

[factis]

Below is a link to the RFP. Looks like mostly office jobs to me.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....516043504_.pdf

[drew]

^ interestingly enough - there is nothing in that RFP that would exclude interest from Winnipeg, or like I have mentioned before - any other reasonably sized Canadian city.

I am not sure what people are getting their knickers in a twist over this, and the fact Winnipeg is showing interest.

We won't get it, but we should definitely "apply".

[Wolf13]

Forget about actually landing Amazon, it's critically important for the city and major developers to consider this.

It forces us to actually think and plan, not just dream, of what it takes to land a game-changer like Amazon. That way, when Amazon jr roll through town we can be prepared to do it right. That way the city can ask the bigger question, namely "if not Amazon, then who should we consider chasing?" and position itself properly.

These RFP's force us to think right.

[buzzg]

^Agreed Wolf, and it's not just a matter of attracting new companies - it's retaining these young tech companies like SkipTheDishes, Bold Commerce, Geofilter Studio, etc. Winnipeg has built a great young tech scene – but it is critical that the city and province (and private sector) do what they can to ensure these companies will want to/be able to stay here.

Also in terms of creating an Amazon "Campus" downtown - they have billions of dollars, lets not pretend like they won't just buy out and tear down a 6 storey office building to build their new buildings. We probably have more surface lots than any other city they'd consider... so let's not pretend we can only offer them surface lots or wholly under-utilized lots like Spice Affair.

And I'm not sure why expropriation is coming up... they're not asking governments to assemble land and hand it over to them. They want pitches on good ideas - they're not gonna have any issues assembling whatever land they need.

[Bluenote]

I'd give them free land and free taxes for 10 years. Why? The amount of taxes collected from that many new people here in Winnipeg would be astounding. And then the spin offs from having such a huge player here. I'm sure having their HQ here would make other huge companies eye this city up. TBH. We should do whatever it takes.

On the other hand. Imagine they did land here. 50,000 new jobs. But imagine them tanking in 10 years and we would've 50,000 unemployed people and a lot of homes in foreclosure

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

I'd give them free land and free taxes for 10 years. Why? The amount of taxes collected from that many new people here in Winnipeg would be astounding. And then the spin offs from having such a huge player here. I'm sure having their HQ here would make other huge companies eye this city up. TBH. We should do whatever it takes.

On the other hand. Imagine they did land here. 50,000 new jobs. But imagine them tanking in 10 years and we would've 50,000 unemployed people and a lot of homes in foreclosure

Fortunately Winnipeg won't have to worry about that as Winnipeg has as much chance of landing Amazon headquarters2 as landing the Winter Olympics.

[CoryB]

^^ Love the subtitle nod to my suggestion.

In terms of Amazon HQ2 bid, if we aren't pitching them the York Ave corridor sites where do we suggest they build their campus? As Winnipeg is at the table and annexing neighbouring RMs is clearly off the table (see RM Roser and CentrePort) where else could it reasonable go in Winnipeg. I mean The Forks railside is another possibility but the public backlash over that would make it a non-starter. The old sugar beet lands on Bishop would have been a workable site but that is already under development. The old stadium site might be another possibility but the airport height restrictions might limit that and even if it doesn't would promoting a 50,000 worker development there make sense? Would anything north of the Assinboine even be seriously suggested to them? Separate from if Winnipeg should bid the other realities we need to stare down is the city hasn't been good at retaining companies (New Leaf) and we are really starting to face a crunch on a lack of developer land for larger projects like this within city limits.

This aren't just Amazon issues but much bigger picture issues. Our house is a mess and we really need to clean up our act before we have a serious chance of getting something like Amazon HQ2.

[esquire]

If Winnipeg landed the vaunted HQ2 (and that's a pretty damn monumental if), I'd wager that it would go somewhere in proximity to Route 90. I wouldn't expect an office complex to end up at Centreport, but I could see it go somewhere near the airport, Polo Park, the Kenaston commercial area, or closer to the University.

[Biff]

My suggestion would be the lots to the east of Portage and Main. The biggest exposure in all of Winnipeg. The majority of Winnipeg photos are from the Forks/St B. There are 4 or 5 lots there i'm sure Amazon could buy. Huge infill for downtown.

That is where I would want them.

[buzzg]

Yeah Biff, I was thinking those lots around the Nutty Club, as well as really anywhere up and down Main Street. They should develop earls' land and put them in the podium.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by Biff

My suggestion would be the lots to the east of Portage and Main. The biggest exposure in all of Winnipeg. The majority of Winnipeg photos are from the Forks/St B. There are 4 or 5 lots there i'm sure Amazon could buy. Huge infill for downtown.

That is where I would want them.

Originally Posted by buzzg

Yeah Biff, I was thinking those lots around the Nutty Club, as well as really anywhere up and down Main Street. They should develop earls' land and put them in the podium.

DING DING DING! Or if the Forks can't get it's various parcels going, put it there and watch that land inbetween the forks, east exchange and P+M become viable again.









Also, allow me to play The Joker for a second and ask:



How many heritage buildings would you permit to be demolished for Amazon? Let's a assume a stock size of 4-6 storeys and 50-80k sf, and that Amazon builds a half decent campus.

[Urban recluse]

Incorporate them.