Winnipeg | True North Square | 86.9M | 77.8M | 25F | 17F | 22F | 17F | 19F | U/C - Page 23

BigG · #**441** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 4:05 PM**

Looks like MPI will be in after all. Here's a link in the Freeps:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...362218241.html

CoryB · #**442** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 4:08 PM**

The challenge with a conversion on 201 Portage Ave is you wouldn't want a hotel on say 3,7,10,15,21 you would try to have continuous floor span. With all the vacancies have evolved I don't think that is currently possible.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by BigG

Looks like MPI will be in after all.

Sounds like they are a silent partner owning the land and getting annual payments from it similar to property taxes.

bomberjet · #**443** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 4:17 PM**

If there was a serious effort at conversion of 201 Portage, they could relocate existing tenants within the building to get a solid block of floors for other uses. Say move everyone up so they get floors 1-8 for a hotel, for example. Cost money to move the existing tenants for sure.

esquire · #**444** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

When did Viterra vacate? They were still in there about 6 months ago.

The current operations are a far cry from the head office functions that they used to have in there back when it was still Agricore.

esquire · #**445** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 4:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

If they are unable to fill the space, they should look at converting to residential. I could see many people wanting to live there! They could also look at converting some floors into hotel space if there is enough vacant space to make it viable.

Possibly nice in theory, but I have to say there would be something pathetic about converting Winnipeg's tallest and supposedly most high profile office tower into residential space because it can't be filled with office tenants. I'd like to think that things haven't gotten that dire yet.

bomberjet · #**446** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 4:56 PM**

Ah yeah, gotcha. They have one floor of people in there. Not sure if its even a full floor or just partial.

Urban recluse · #**447** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Possibly nice in theory, but I have to say there would be something pathetic about converting Winnipeg's tallest and supposedly most high profile office tower into residential space because it can't be filled with office tenants. I'd like to think that things haven't gotten that dire yet.

Worst case scenario. I would like to think they would not need to go this route, although there are many office vacancies downtown in buildings which would benefit from such conversions.

CoryB · #**448** Posted **Dec 16, 2015, 9:59 PM**

The challenge 201 is facing is it was once the prime location and priced itself accordingly. It lost a number of larger, multi-floor tenants. There just aren't those same tenants looking for space currently and if they do they are building their own space, ie MLLC. The problem is only going to get worse when True North Square comes on the market and could impact more than just TDS. It is actually an issue all the Class A buildings will be facing and having one of them do either a full or partial conversion could take some of that pressure off. That said, if 201 Portage Ave becomes a hotel and the NHL business moves to True North Square as speculated the Fairmont then would be under a similar pressure. If you go residential condos it puts pressure onto SkyCity being viable.

Only The Lonely.. · #**449** Posted **Dec 17, 2015, 11:35 AM**

If memory serves me correctly, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman is an original tenant of the TD tower (201 Portage).

I guess they like being in the newest skyscraper possible.

Charleswood · #**450** Posted **Dec 17, 2015, 5:22 PM**

I work at 201 Portage and it now has a collection of a lot of smaller tenants who share floors and amenities. A lot of professionals that left big firms (and have their own growing client base) make up a large percentage of the new tenants at 201 Portage Avenue. These smaller firms will absorb future vacancies that might arise if TNS lands a few big tenants from 201 Portage.

oftheMoon · #**451** Posted **Dec 31, 2015, 3:58 PM**

In terms of action at this site, they've put up concrete "jersey barriers" along the perimeter of the parking lot over the last few days. For certain all along Hargrave and Carlton, but I didn't see the Graham or church side. The barriers are placed right on the curb closing in the sidewalk.

cheswick · #**452** Posted **Dec 31, 2015, 7:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

In terms of action at this site, they've put up concrete "jersey barriers" along the perimeter of the parking lot over the last few days. For certain all along Hargrave and Carlton, but I didn't see the Graham or church side. The barriers are placed right on the curb closing in the sidewalk.

I don't think there are any along Graham that I saw, but there's also no street access along Graham.

There's some machinery on the old hotel lot as well. Not sure how long it's been there. Couldn't tell you what type it is as I'm clueless about that sort of thing.

cllew · #**453** Posted **Dec 31, 2015, 8:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

I don't think there are any along Graham that I saw, but there's also no street access along Graham.

There's some machinery on the old hotel lot as well. Not sure how long it's been there. Couldn't tell you what type it is as I'm clueless about that sort of thing.

they have had a site office the old hotel site for about a month or so and various pieces of equipment move in and out between that site and the parking lot.

I am currently on holidays so is the whole parking lot closed down now as they had it about 1/2 fenced off when I left work two weeks ago?

cheswick · #**454** Posted **Dec 31, 2015, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

they have had a site office the old hotel site for about a month or so and various pieces of equipment move in and out between that site and the parking lot.

I am currently on holidays so is the whole parking lot closed down now as they had it about 1/2 fenced off when I left work two weeks ago?

No, the lot is completely open now, but they have some barriers (as mentioned above) just stored along the sides.

esquire · #**455** Posted **Jan 4, 2016, 4:21 PM**

The parking lot was closed this morning... the EB bus stop was also moved one block east to under the Cityplace skywalk where it was previously. (If they're going to do it this way, I hope transit removes the stop just north of the Millennium Library as having stops on consecutive blocks is ridiculous even by Winnipeg Transit standards...)

factis · #**456** Posted **Jan 4, 2016, 4:57 PM**

They are tearing down the wooden fence and removing the existing parking curbs. Looks like this project is a go!

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

The parking lot was closed this morning... the EB bus stop was also moved one block east to under the Cityplace skywalk where it was previously. (If they're going to do it this way, I hope transit removes the stop just north of the Millennium Library as having stops on consecutive blocks is ridiculous even by Winnipeg Transit standards...)

esquire · #**457** Posted **Jan 4, 2016, 5:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by factis

They are tearing down the wooden fence and removing the existing parking curbs. Looks like this project is a go!

After that whole episode of being teased by the Portage and Main hotel a couple of years ago, I won't believe it's a go until there is actual construction taking place!

trueviking · #**458** Posted **Jan 4, 2016, 5:49 PM**

I did learn that the geotechnical tests they were doing cost about a quarter mil each, so they must be pretty confident. Its not a test you would do on a whim....far beyond typical testing.

drew · #**459** Posted **Jan 4, 2016, 6:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

I did learn that the geotechnical tests they were doing cost about a quarter mil each, so they must be pretty confident. Its not a test you would do on a whim....far beyond typical testing.

True. But they did the same thing for the W hotel at P&M. And that project did not proceed.

esquire · #**460** Posted **Jan 4, 2016, 7:07 PM**

If True North Square gets built, we'll finally start to have a critical mass of blocks filled with buildings that are uninterrupted by large parking lots. Considering that one of the giant lots south of the RBCCC is now gone and there is hope for the lots north of the Medical Arts Building and south of the WPS HQ (where SkyCity is supposed to go), it does seem as though Winnipeg is finally starting to make progress on the previously intractable surface lot issue.

I'm sure many of the smaller accessory lots will be with us forever and ever, but those little 15-car lots next to a small office building are nowhere near the kind of problem that a sprawling block-long 300 car lot is. Hopefully we'll see some movement on the lots along both sides of Donald Street near York, which is really the last huge tract of surface parking left downtown with no public plans for development as yet.