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  #1461  
Old Posted Nov 14, 2019, 5:20 PM
CoryB CoryB is offline
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Originally Posted by borkborkbork View Post
Can you explain this a little further? I've never fully understood it.
I do not accurately know the exact history but it is likely some form of the City lacked usable office space at the time and a department (property and planning?) moved into the difficult to lease commercial space in Fort Garry Place.

Next in the timeline, Canada Post moved out of their downtown space, including the office tower on Graham.

Then the city took ownership of the full block and built a new police hq with a plan to lease out the tower.

It then learned the tower cannot be put on the market for generalized leased due to security concerns for police hq.

This leaves the city owning an office tower and playing upkeep while it sits mostly vacant. They also separately pay to lease space in privately owned buildings.

The challenge I have is us taxpayers on on the hook for the office tower that is being highly underutilized and the City needs to find a way to change that. Giving up leases in buildings they do not currently own is the best way to address that and lower the overall property costs for City operations.
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  #1462  
Old Posted Nov 14, 2019, 10:38 PM
blueandgoldguy blueandgoldguy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CoryB View Post
I do not accurately know the exact history but it is likely some form of the City lacked usable office space at the time and a department (property and planning?) moved into the difficult to lease commercial space in Fort Garry Place.

Next in the timeline, Canada Post moved out of their downtown space, including the office tower on Graham.

Then the city took ownership of the full block and built a new police hq with a plan to lease out the tower.

It then learned the tower cannot be put on the market for generalized leased due to security concerns for police hq.

This leaves the city owning an office tower and playing upkeep while it sits mostly vacant. They also separately pay to lease space in privately owned buildings.

The challenge I have is us taxpayers on on the hook for the office tower that is being highly underutilized and the City needs to find a way to change that. Giving up leases in buildings they do not currently own is the best way to address that and lower the overall property costs for City operations.
I don't understand why they can't use that tower next to the police headquarters for government workers? This issue has been known for a few years and yet the offices still sit empty.
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  #1463  
Old Posted Nov 14, 2019, 11:17 PM
bomberjet bomberjet is offline
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Craaaaanes.

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  #1464  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 1:18 AM
cllew cllew is offline
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Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy View Post
I don't understand why they can't use that tower next to the police headquarters for government workers? This issue has been known for a few years and yet the offices still sit empty.
City does not have the money to renovate the tower. Apparently there would be major asbestos abatement required if the existing office spaces were demoed.

The 311 center renewed its lease in City Place earlier this year as the property management company gave them a monetary incentive towards repainting and carpeting.
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  #1465  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 2:28 PM
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esquire esquire is offline
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^ That is such a weird predicament the City is in regarding that tower. Can't sell it because it's joined at the hip to the police HQ and the cops don't want just anyone in there. Can't renovate it and use it because the City doesn't have the money.

So we end up with this situation where the City is paying to lease office space while a large chunk of office space it bought sits vacant and gathers dust.

It will be 28 degrees in Scottsdale today.
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  #1466  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 4:23 PM
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Originally Posted by esquire View Post
^ That is such a weird predicament the City is in regarding that tower. Can't sell it because it's joined at the hip to the police HQ and the cops don't want just anyone in there. Can't renovate it and use it because the City doesn't have the money.

So we end up with this situation where the City is paying to lease office space while a large chunk of office space it bought sits vacant and gathers dust.

It will be 28 degrees in Scottsdale today.
Must be nice to retire to that weather after leaving a trail of destruction in his wake
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  #1467  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 5:39 PM
bomberjet bomberjet is offline
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And crane coming down.

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  #1468  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 5:59 PM
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Originally Posted by esquire View Post
^ That is such a weird predicament the City is in regarding that tower. Can't sell it because it's joined at the hip to the police HQ and the cops don't want just anyone in there. Can't renovate it and use it because the City doesn't have the money.

So we end up with this situation where the City is paying to lease office space while a large chunk of office space it bought sits vacant and gathers dust.

It will be 28 degrees in Scottsdale today.
it is so completely stupid. The half a million square feet of space in the main building wasn't good enough for the police so they just took random space in the tower to make it that much more difficult to redevelop. Had they just sealed off the tower it could have been done. It's true there is asbestos. But the police take the ground floor, then the third, half the fifth or something like that. It makes the tower completely unuseable...and of course the police don't want just anyone occupying the floors above, below or between where they are. The city will eventually have to bite the bullet and put some office workers in there at some point.

whoever designed the police station didn't stop for one second to consider how the tower could be re-used. They just took random space wherever they wanted it.

The city pays almost nothing to be in fort garry place...that's why they never move...its hard to make the economic case for it.
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  #1469  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 7:18 PM
buzzg buzzg is offline
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Is it possible that more of this insanity could come in in the legal proceedings around the redevelopment? AKA is it possible there was gross negligence on the consultants and planners hired for this project that the city could recoup more money to help fund proper redevelopment of the tower?
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  #1470  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 7:21 PM
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Originally Posted by trueviking View Post
The city pays almost nothing to be in fort garry place...that's why they never move...its hard to make the economic case for it.
Well in that case, it makes sense to keep PP&D at Fort Garry Place. It stands to reason that the rent would be low... I can't imagine what company would ever want to set up shop in there.
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  #1471  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2019, 7:35 PM
cllew cllew is offline
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I have not been down on the main floor to look at the 266 Graham building directory so I don't know the answer to this.

Does Canada Post still have some of their admin offices left in the tower (10th floor)? I recall that when the mail plant moved the admin offices were left in the tower.
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  #1472  
Old Posted Nov 18, 2019, 5:38 PM
CoryB CoryB is offline
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^^ CanadaPost has maintained basically a retail service centre at their former downtown location. They might also have a local carrier office there. That is about it.
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  #1473  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 10:33 AM
hofnik hofnik is offline
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Live from the future demolition of Public Buildings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxxQnRO7Kds
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  #1474  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 5:12 PM
headhorse headhorse is offline
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Losing lots of great mid century buildings lately that we’re going to regret in 10 years (if not already)
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  #1475  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 5:26 PM
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Losing lots of great mid century buildings lately that we’re going to regret in 10 years (if not already)
Very true. It would be nice to see the City's historical buildings and resources committee start focusing a little more on the mid century modern building stock.
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  #1476  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 5:45 PM
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rrskylar rrskylar is offline
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Originally Posted by trueviking View Post
it is so completely stupid. The half a million square feet of space in the main building wasn't good enough for the police so they just took random space in the tower to make it that much more difficult to redevelop. Had they just sealed off the tower it could have been done. It's true there is asbestos. But the police take the ground floor, then the third, half the fifth or something like that. It makes the tower completely unuseable...and of course the police don't want just anyone occupying the floors above, below or between where they are. The city will eventually have to bite the bullet and put some office workers in there at some point.

whoever designed the police station didn't stop for one second to consider how the tower could be re-used. They just took random space wherever they wanted it.

The city pays almost nothing to be in fort garry place...that's why they never move...its hard to make the economic case for it.
The whole project was a clusterfuck from start to...well where we're at now, a new police headquarters in a appropriate spot should have been built from the get go but it wasn't because of the few who benefited from what we have now!

And who exactly is going to the city going to go after Caspian? , is ownership of that firm even still in Canada? And what is the severely compromised police investigation going to ever come up with and in what decade?

A real black eye for Winnipeg when those with ties to organized crime are involved in the development of a new police headquarters!
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  #1477  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 5:58 PM
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Originally Posted by rrskylar View Post

And who exactly is going to the city going to go after Caspian? , is ownership of that firm even still in Canada? And what is the severely compromised police investigation going to ever come up with and in what decade?
In Winnipeg, new firm, new name
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  #1478  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 6:21 PM
headhorse headhorse is offline
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must be nice to be part of the ruling class and have the money where you can change laws, countries, company names, whatever to escape responsibility... capitalism, eh..
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  #1479  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 7:29 PM
bomberjet bomberjet is offline
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Changing a company name is relatively easy and cheap. Biggest expense would be on your branding and if all you have is a non-descript building, super easy. You don't need to be an elite, billionaire, criminal to change your business name.

Now on the side of being buddies with the Mayor and being awarded a project that has had endless issues and potentially outright fraud. Ya that's BS.

I guess the RCMP investigation hasn't turned up anything conclusive? I haven't heard much of anything Re: Caspian issues.
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  #1480  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2019, 7:42 PM
headhorse headhorse is offline
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more than 50% of the population lives paycheque to paycheque.. even what you’re suggesting is so far from most people.
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