Winnipeg | RBC Convention Centre | Expansion | Completed

[Wigglez]

Originally Posted by Biff

The older portion was just recently reclad. The new portion will match the existing cladding.

Do you know if they are going to renovate the old interior at all?

[ctochico]

Originally Posted by Wigglez

Do you know if they are going to renovate the old interior at all?

from what I remember, they are, but that will be later on

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Wigglez

Do you know if they are going to renovate the old interior at all?

Tenders for that are out right now. Will be fairly comprehensive.

[Wigglez]

Originally Posted by Biff

Tenders for that are out right now. Will be fairly comprehensive.

Very cool! Our convention centre will be pretty impressive when this is all said and done!

Hopefully this leads to some more development in that area, specifically on Broadway (still my favourite street, I would love to see that street built up and developed further)

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by Wigglez

Very cool! Our convention centre will be pretty impressive when this is all said and done!

Hopefully this leads to some more development in that area, specifically on Broadway (still my favourite street, I would love to see that street built up and developed further)

There is momentum, no doubt. I have a feeling that once the Convention Centre expansion and renovation is completed, there will be definitely be more projects around downtown.

[wags_in_the_peg]

then vote for Bowman, not Judy, nothing will happen with judy in charge

[njaohnt]

I thought this article was wrong until I heard that demand is declining, and city pays $4 million per year to bail out the convention centre.

http://spectatortribune.com/article/...ention-centre/

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by njaohnt

I thought this article was wrong until I heard that demand is declining, and city pays $4 million per year to bail out the convention centre.

http://spectatortribune.com/article/...ention-centre/

If you think that's on the dire side, take a read through this. It serves to explain why the Carlton Inn sits as a surface lot now. The myth persists that convention center and hotel combinations are downtown saviors even though all evidence runs to the contrary. The private market hotelier partners of the expansion figured this out early on and killed their deal. However, never ones to be stifled by niggling matters of fact or evidential findings, three levels of government and CentreVenture plowed ahead in the face of all reason and destroyed $8MM in value like it was already suffering a slow death.

Anyway, read on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...8ce_story.html

[Cyro]

^ Two good articles explaining the feasibility of the expansion to the re-branded RBC Centre from the Post and the Spectator.

The Red River Ex proposal also throws a great deal of pressure on this project to perform with increased competition in our market area.

It is difficult to make a (very positive) case for this expansion when many centres already constructed or in the planning stages are discovering, it's not a guarantee, "If you build it they will come", scenario. Unfortunate, but I do see increased functionallity leading to an increase in the over all usage of this centre.

On that note
Update from Oct.10th.

Source

Looks like they may have the exterior all buttoned up before the snow flies.
That space over York is quite impressive.

[trueviking]

The red river ex thing will never happen.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by trueviking

The red river ex thing will never happen.

Curiously, what makes you say that?

I have more faith in Shindico than I do in the city. And the way I see it, if you're coming from out of town and have to rent a car to get downtown for your 'convention', you're far better off having somewhere to park for free and a relatively traffic-free commute down route 90 and west on the perimeter.

Fact is, most of what might be held at any convention center in this city really plays to the local crowd anyway. There are very few events booked at the existing convention center that require thousands of people from all over the continent. The vast majority of the local crowd - whether you're going to the boat show, wedding show, or kitchen and bath show - would rather drive to the west perimeter than pay to park downtown.

If this were a level playing field - and given that both will be new - I'd bet Shindico's would take a lot of the business the convention centre currently gets. But it won't be. The downtown convention center will just cut rates because of their subsidy and we'll be no better off than before.

[esquire]

^ That ST article was written a year ago. How much closer is the RREA to building their convention facility? Given how long it has taken the RREA to do anything with their site in the nearly 20 years they have been hosting events there, I'd be pretty surprised if they built anything on a large scale.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ That ST article was written a year ago. How much closer is the RREA to building their convention facility? Given how long it has taken the RREA to do anything with their site in the nearly 20 years they have been hosting events there, I'd be pretty surprised if they built anything on a large scale.

A year in development time is a very small amount of time and the Westport Festival grounds have already started site servicing; It may not be that far behind. I have no idea of what their plans are at this very moment - and you're right about this proposal being a few years old by now - but I don't doubt they're still out looking for potential long-term bookings before committing.

I'm just looking at this from a practicality standpoint. If I'm any of the trade shows currently using the convention centers, I'd be interested in having a place that was logistically an easier go. Don't count it out quite yet. I wouldn't be surprised to see something like the boat show or World of Wheels interested in having a venue that made transportation and parking a much easier experience.

[Riverman]

It is true that convention centres have been falling out of favour for years now - I must have first read about it 15 years ago. I was surprised when the expansion went ahead but I guess I shoudn'the have been. Cough, Portage Place, cough cough.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Riverman

It is true that convention centres have been falling out of favour for years now - I must have first read about it 15 years ago. I was surprised when the expansion went ahead but I guess I shoudn'the have been. Cough, Portage Place, cough cough.

Why knock portage place ? Let's be real. The place fell apart due to the management period. They don't care wtf happens there as long as they get their rent cheques. And remember those owners are also the ones blocking any development on top of portage place. Which was kinda the entire point of the joint. Reality is ( don't sell your shit to out of town companies and expect them to care )

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

Why knock portage place ? Let's be real. The place fell apart due to the management period. They don't care wtf happens there as long as they get their rent cheques. And remember those owners are also the ones blocking any development on top of portage place. Which was kinda the entire point of the joint. Reality is ( don't sell your shit to out of town companies and expect them to care )

umm

portage place flopped cause it was big ideas mega project. now we have a mall that came with every bell and whistle for urbanist gold mine. as with the rest of winnipeg and manitoba we have all the peaces to be a have place we just need a vision and a 20 year plan as a whole to build the puzzle for our future genirations its in our hands we got this amazing opertunity to be the heart lets just do it already!!!

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Curiously, what makes you say that?

I have more faith in Shindico than I do in the city. And the way I see it, if you're coming from out of town and have to rent a car to get downtown for your 'convention', you're far better off having somewhere to park for free and a relatively traffic-free commute down route 90 and west on the perimeter.

Fact is, most of what might be held at any convention center in this city really plays to the local crowd anyway. There are very few events booked at the existing convention center that require thousands of people from all over the continent. The vast majority of the local crowd - whether you're going to the boat show, wedding show, or kitchen and bath show - would rather drive to the west perimeter than pay to park downtown.

If this were a level playing field - and given that both will be new - I'd bet Shindico's would take a lot of the business the convention centre currently gets. But it won't be. The downtown convention center will just cut rates because of their subsidy and we'll be no better off than before.

The problem is, Shindico isn't involved in the proposed convention centre at the downs. It was proposed by the Red River Ex. Shindico is just building the power centre. I haven't heard much from RREX in a while about this project.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by Biff

The problem is, Shindico isn't involved in the proposed convention centre at the downs. It was proposed by the Red River Ex. Shindico is just building the power centre. I haven't heard much from RREX in a while about this project.

Nor have I.

My understanding was that Shindico would be managing this along with the rest of the development. Hence the talk about lining up long-term convention tenants. It's possible I'm completely mistake about this, though. My understanding was that the Ex was partnering with a couple of Bands and Shindico. That was the only reason I had any real confidence in the project.

If this is the RREX trying to development and manage this on their own, they'd may as well just give up now. There's no way they have the money or the expertise.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by Biff

The problem is, Shindico isn't involved in the proposed convention centre at the downs. It was proposed by the Red River Ex. Shindico is just building the power centre. I haven't heard much from RREX in a while about this project.

Judging by a presentation I watched from the RREx the other day... they are very out of touch. I would be shocked if they somehow made this happen.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

umm

portage place flopped cause it was big ideas mega project. now we have a mall that came with every bell and whistle for urbanist gold mine. as with the rest of winnipeg and manitoba we have all the peaces to be a have place we just need a vision and a 20 year plan as a whole to build the puzzle for our future genirations its in our hands we got this amazing opertunity to be the heart lets just do it already!!!

Mts should flop to
Forks should flop to
Alt and Glass should flop

Catch my drift?
For a person like you AJ I would have thought you could see past the blinders most winnipeger a have on. It's in plain writing that the management / owners of portage place allowed it to go to shit. I believe the first people we sold or leased it to for a stupid amount of time are from Texas. Guess where they make their money? From the parkade under it. They don't care about the MALL.

Same thing when a developer wants to FINISH this project. As in the TWO missing towers. The owners block it.