Winnipeg | 300 Main St.- Phase II / 360 Main St. | ~142M | 465 Ft | 42F | U/C

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

lol

Agree. Hmmm...-1 with rain or -40 without rain. Tough choice.

[BAKGUY]

Is this Thread about 300 MAIN ST or about homelessness?

[Wigs]

[QUOTE=Labroco;7577905]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Well having just come from the Anchor Bar and eaten 2 lbs of Buffalo wings in Buffalo I can safely say to you things are looking up in that town! LOL! While some progress is being made there it's a small town without the diversity of Wpg or a modern highrise CBD. Part of the reason some of their heritage stock is now being absorbed...

[QUOTE=Urban recluse;7578144]

Originally Posted by Labroco

Milwaukee. I know it is a larger city, but its numerous streets of redeveloped heritage buildings is inspirational. I have never been to Buffalo, but it too has benefited from using TIF to transform decrepit areas...

since you guys mentioned Buffalo, if you want to get an idea of the resurgence happening there check out

http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/...le-street-view
AND
http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/...formation-2007

[Urban recluse]

Good stuff.

[905er]

[QUOTE=Wigs;7585639][QUOTE=Labroco;7577905]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

since you guys mentioned Buffalo, if you want to get an idea of the resurgence happening there check out

http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/...le-street-view
AND
http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/...formation-2007

Wow!! buffalo has made some great improvements!! The city is looking much nicer than I remember and I was there just a few years ago. Thanks for sharing! I'll have to go back.

[Urban recluse]

Applicable to Winnipeg for sure.

[buzzg]

Walking through the Graham skywalk yesterday I had a few thoughts.

1) more art and/or better design between buildings is really needed. it's so dated in the skywalks.
2) SkyCity & 300 Main are going to make an insane difference, hopefully even allow the "Mall" title to seem deserving. Not to mention TNS further down.
3) If Artis/Albos are so set on improving Fort and Graham area, there's a perfectly good massive lot still available between 300 and SkyCity for development without demolition...

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.89300...7i13312!8i6656

[Urban recluse]

Is SkyCity not going to occupy that whole section?

[Gm0ney]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Is SkyCity not going to occupy that whole section?

SkyCity is going on the lot in front of the old Canada Post tower between Garry and Smith.

[Urban recluse]

Duh, I completely forgot about Garry Street.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Walking through the Graham skywalk yesterday I had a few thoughts.

1) more art and/or better design between buildings is really needed. it's so dated in the skywalks.
2) SkyCity & 300 Main are going to make an insane difference, hopefully even allow the "Mall" title to seem deserving. Not to mention TNS further down.
3) If Artis/Albos are so set on improving Fort and Graham area, there's a perfectly good massive lot still available between 300 and SkyCity for development without demolition...

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.89300...7i13312!8i6656

Agree on points 1 and 2, and only partially on 3... not to beat a dead horse, but it is about what currently IS there that's the problem, not only what's missing.

A critical mass of commercial and residential improvement can certainly help if it's on the said surface lot, and but that's speculative. Right now businesses may be scared of Fort because of the Vendome. New development can help the street, but an absence of streetside users and agitators is needed first.

Last factor is the price... if the price is reasonable, you can bet Artis would have bought it up a while ago.

[Urban recluse]

Garry is in the same boat with the Garrick. 289 Garry was beautifully renovated, but I believe it still has vacant space.

[GarryEllice]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Garry is in the same boat with the Garrick. 289 Garry was beautifully renovated, but I believe it still has vacant space.

The Garrick and the Vendome are not even remotely comparable. I live up the street from the Garrick, I walk past it twice daily, and I would say it makes a positive contribution to the street. It looks great, there's a variety of live music, a unique restaurant (Cookem Daisy's). And they obsessively keep the sidewalk scraped clear of snow in the winter. I really don't see anything negative.

The Vendome is a whole other story. Unpleasant to walk past, and you can't even cross the street to avoid it because the sketchiness spills over into the heated bus shelter.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by GarryEllice

The Garrick and the Vendome are not even remotely comparable. I live up the street from the Garrick, I walk past it twice daily, and I would say it makes a positive contribution to the street. It looks great, there's a variety of live music, a unique restaurant (Cookem Daisy's). And they obsessively keep the sidewalk scraped clear of snow in the winter. I really don't see anything negative.

The Vendome is a whole other story. Unpleasant to walk past, and you can't even cross the street to avoid it because the sketchiness spills over into the heated bus shelter.

Agreed, the Garrick Hotel (yes, hotel) is a really popular music venue these days, I'd liken it the the Sherbrook Hotel bar... maybe even better.

Also in terms of the Vendome Wolf, the Woodbine certainly didn't scare people too much to set up shop around it on Main, and since lots of new (hip) businesses have moved in around it, it's gotten much better.

I think if there was actually any leasable CRU space around the Vendome and some drive to develop the street, people would move in and the Vendome would change over time just as the Woodbine has.

[Urban recluse]

I still think the Garrick scares some people/business away, justified or not. I am curious to know what Artis, etc have discussed in terms of what they want Fort Street to become.

[buzzg]

Change takes time.

[Urban recluse]

Yes, I have heard that for 30 years. I think from this point on things will change faster than they have before.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Also in terms of the Vendome Wolf, the Woodbine certainly didn't scare people too much to set up shop around it on Main, and since lots of new (hip) businesses have moved in around it, it's gotten much better.

I think if there was actually any leasable CRU space around the Vendome and some drive to develop the street, people would move in and the Vendome would change over time just as the Woodbine has.

Originally Posted by buzzg

Change takes time.

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Yes, I have heard that for 30 years.

You and Recluse (edited to suit my point :p) have aptly responded to the first quote... Sure development can help, but in Winnipeg it takes an eternity. For the last 20+ years, Woodbine has been a bane to the street.

Let's think about it... it's on MAIN street. It's in the name. It's two blocks from Portage and Main. and it takes an eternity to get Parlour (a great coffee shop) and Berns and Black in next door, and you still have the riff raff. Main street should be awesome near P+M, and it's been everything but.

Keep in mind those are specialty shops. I for one like exceptional coffee. I'd drive across the city for Parlour, as do some of their clientele. Similar with a hairstylist. You live in the exchange, have your favourite stylist and you stick to them. It's not like Starbucks would have opened up there.

And yet the woodbine and its patrons still hover around. It's taken decades to get something happening and they are still there.

[1ajs]

have u been to fourth?

anyhow woodbine has been improoving. remebers working in the bookstore nextdoor and the problems we had then..

[buzzg]

I don't think it'll be too long before we see places like starbucks or even some fast food in the Exchange. I think we're lucky that so far the only chain there is Subway. If McDonalds opened around there it would no doubt do very well.