Saskatoon Construction

[circle33]

Originally Posted by Rob D

I would like to see a company like Cameco build their own office tower in Saskatoon. Sure they only have nearly 400 people in the administration end of things but Saskatoon's long overdue for a new office tower.

Cameco has a fairly extensive head office in the southwest, I doubt they will be vacating that anytime soon. I'd heard (and cannot in any way verify) that there was some spat between Cameco and either the city or a downtown property owner or something or other that drove them to their current location.

I certainly share the wish that they had located in the core.

[circle33]

Looks like we know more thatn the Star Phoenix and city council....


Former downtown grocery store will be demolished next week

Janet French, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, July 14, 2006

A building that housed Saskatoon's last downtown grocery store is coming down early next week.

Al Sarich, manager of Silverado Demolition, confi rmed Thursday the company is preparing to knock down the former Extra Foods building on Third Avenue on either Monday or Tuesday.

A fence is up around the property and services are disconnected from the building. Crews are waiting for another construction project in the back lane to wrap up before they begin demolition, he said.

In October 2004, Westfair Foods closed the city's last downtown grocery store, saying operating it was no longer economical. In April, John Williams, co-owner of North Prairie Developments Ltd., con- fi rmed the company had bought the property.

North Prairie is a house building company. Williams did not return phone calls Thursday to explain how they will use the property.

Lorne Sully, with the city's planning department, said he's received no applications for zoning changes or work on the property.

Coun. Elaine Hnatyshyn, whose ward includes downtown, says she received a voicemail telling her the building was destined for demolition, but she doesn't know what kind of development will ultimately appear. Regardless of what pops up, she hopes shelves stocked with food are part of the picture.

"I'd like to see a grocery store there, ideally," she said. "Outside of that, I hadn't really given it any thought." Downtown "desperately" needs a grocery store, she said. A market-style store selling a large variety of smaller portions would be ideal for seniors and condominium and apartment dwellers, she said.

If condominiums appear on the lot, that would also bode well, she said, as a higher-density downtown will help attract more businesses to serve residents. Upscale housing might also help draw younger professionals downtown to help balance out an area populated by many seniors, Hnatyshyn said.

The future of the Third Avenue lot is also a mystery to Terry Scaddan, executive director of The Partnership downtown business improvement district.

He's heard the lot will serve as parking in the short term and that development will happen there soon.

"We would hope that it isn't long-term parking on one of our main commercial streets," he said




Source

[macca]

I beleive Camemco wanted to build either on the riverbank in south downtown or on block 146 and the administration at the time did not want an office building on that land. It's a shame, the space constraints likely would have resulted in a taller building than what they have now. Not to mention that as one of the world's leading uranium mining companies, they should have their HQ in the downtown.

[macca]

Originally Posted by jaysfan99

I think that the empty parking lot on the corner of 22nd st and 3rd ave would be a great spot for a mix use office, condo and hotel development (25-30 storey),.............with the bottom being a bank (banks have a lot of money), large food court (perhaps a new McDonald's), or a book store (maybe an Indigo). Saskatoon is a nice city, and it's about time we had a really nice tall structure in the downtown area (I think that it's a possibility, and it will happen sooner or later). Now I just need to come up with the 50 mill to build it.

If I remember correctly, when Ken Achs bought the building on the corner of 22nd and 2nd (now the Starbucks/Fuzion/Rogers) he tried to negotiate with National Bank to build something much larger on that corner, using the National Bank site. Apparently, NB was not interested. That makes me sad. The NB building is hideous, and they could have done a really cool mixed use building such as you suggested.

As for the SP article about the Extra Foods site, I would not be surprised if all those interviewed (especially Lorne Sully and maybe Terry Scadden) knew more than they are letting on. People here, in this anonymous forum are being careful about what they say and their sources. I don't imagine any public officials will be qouted in the paper if the developer is not ready to go public with his plans. If he's still assembling investors, its likely he wants it kept hush-hush.

[jaysfan99]

Originally Posted by macca

If I remember correctly, when Ken Achs bought the building on the corner of 22nd and 2nd (now the Starbucks/Fuzion/Rogers) he tried to negotiate with National Bank to build something much larger on that corner, using the National Bank site. Apparently, NB was not interested. That makes me sad. The NB building is hideous, and they could have done a really cool mixed use building such as you suggested.

As for the SP article about the Extra Foods site, I would not be surprised if all those interviewed (especially Lorne Sully and maybe Terry Scadden) knew more than they are letting on. People here, in this anonymous forum are being careful about what they say and their sources. I don't imagine any public officials will be qouted in the paper if the developer is not ready to go public with his plans. If he's still assembling investors, its likely he wants it kept hush-hush.

I wouldn't really call "National Bank" a real bank,....................lol, at least not in Western Canada. But I'm getting off topic. You are right about public officials not wanting to get quoted in the paper,....................If I wanted information they would be the last place I'd go.

[macca]

Okay, this isn't much, but I'm starved for news about the Extra Foods site....

According to the city's road construction schedule on the website, the working being done on 3rd Ave is "sanitary sewer construction", and it goes from the corner to about the mid-way point of the block. If the city doesn't know about any plans for that site, why repair or upgrade the sewer line to it? To me this indicates that plans are much more finalized than anyone is letting on. It makes no sense to do this work unless something is going there for sure and it certainly makes no sense to do this if that is going to be a parking lot for a few years.

[circle33]

Nice detective work. It certainly adds up.

One thing my source did tell me way back in April, just after the sale was announced, was that a parking lot was not the plan. I asked him that point blank. At that time he was extremely tight lipped about the plans but was willing to offer that much.

[macca]

Well that's nice to hear. It's so disheartening to see a building torn down, anticipate something new and then see another gravel parking lot. Examples abound, but I'm especially displeased with the recent 2nd Ave gravel pits: the one created behind the new Affinity building and the one on the corner of 2nd and 25th. Anyone know anything about that one? What a brutal place to have a vacant lot.

[circle33]

Yea, that one got my blood boiling. The one on 21st beside the HSBC pisses me off as well. These are our prime retail strips with these gaping holes cut into them.

The optimist in me says the gap on 2nd is only temporary and once the Affinity Parkade is complete the Sasktel vans will go live inside and a fantasic retail/residental building will fill the gap.

Unfortunately the optimist in me tends to be an idiot.

[macca]

Originally Posted by circle33

Yea, that one got my blood boiling. The one on 21st beside the HSBC pisses me off as well. These are our prime retail strips with these gaping holes cut into them.

The optimist in me says the gap on 2nd is only temporary and once the Affinity Parkade is complete the Sasktel vans will go live inside and a fantasic retail/residental building will fill the gap.

Unfortunately the optimist in me tends to be an idiot.

Paging Ken Achs to 2nd Ave, Ken Achs to 2nd....

A little something like he did with the CBC building would be great.

[swilley]

^agreed, when I saw the 'P' word it brang back memories of the Oilers losing game 7, same sinking feeling.... Whatever it is, I just hope its not red brick!

[circle33]

Originally Posted by swilley

Whatever it is, I just hope its not red brick!

Or pink stucco I'm sure.

[macca]

Originally Posted by circle33

Or pink stucco I'm sure.

You put that building in the Erindale Suburban Centre and you're thinking "hey, not bad, now they have Starbucks and crappy sushi". Downtown and you're thinking, "so, this is the best we can do with one of the premiere corners in the city?"

[jaysfan99]

Originally Posted by circle33

Cameco has a fairly extensive head office in the southwest, I doubt they will be vacating that anytime soon. I'd heard (and cannot in any way verify) that there was some spat between Cameco and either the city or a downtown property owner or something or other that drove them to their current location.

I certainly share the wish that they had located in the core.

If I remember correctly, they built an addition not very long ago,.....................it really is a shame that companies like Cogema and Cameco don't invest in the downtown area. Maybe the city of Saskatoon should be a little more proactive in getting these large corporations to come downtown.

[circle33]

/\ maybe when Shore Gold starts hauling diamonds out of the ground they'll have the cash for a tower.

We can hope.

[macca]

Just wait until the Uranium inudstry really takes off and Saskatoon becomes the centre for that industry (more so). If not for Cheyrnobl and 3 mile island, we might be as big as Calgary.

[swilley]

Riverfront Condo update......

[circle33]

Thanks. I really don't mind this building. Not great, but much better than Parkdale which it hides nicely from several angles.

I was busy too.

Riverl Landing, often forgotten amid all the other [ahem] excitement



Roundabouts are sooo Euro...looks like the pedestrian will be king around here.



Galaxy. I'm not sure they're gonna pull it off



That one without a name. (Scooters are sooo Euro...)



Affinity of course



TCU...looking fairly sharp.





2nd Ave. Lofts. They keep plugging away. You can see pretty clearly inside. Long, long way from done.



Get your last gander in now. It'll be gone before the weeks out.



Tower 21 site. If they're gonna be ready for 2007 as they claim they better get started.



Meridian on Broadway site. I'm assured that as Ken Achs is involved, it'll be a quality project. That sure would be sweet.







Last and least, Homstead.

[jaysfan99]

can't figure out how to post pics still

[swilley]

Thanks for the huge update circle, I can't wait to see some cranes at the broadway and extra foods site......

Nice photoshopin Jaysfan, I only wish they would have built those two that tall... To post a picture, use the 'insert image' button at the top of the message window......