Regina Construction III

[Stormer]

YMCA Downtown and East locations closing permanently. Northwest to continue to operate.

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by Stormer

YMCA Downtown and East locations closing permanently. Northwest to continue to operate.

East YMCA was a terrible location, stuck in behind Home Depot.

Downtown is a big location. I can't imagine what happens to that block now. Haven't they done a ton of renovations there in the last few years?

Evolution Fitness is in trouble.

Maybe the explosion in gyms the last few years is going to be reversed by COVID.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by Stormer

YMCA Downtown and East locations closing permanently. Northwest to continue to operate.

Link to story from CBC...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/ymca-regina-closes-locations-east-downtown-1.5804406

[UPP]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

The first thing the City needs to address on the Scarth Street Mall is replacement of the pavers. I think we all agree that the existing ones are in terrible condition. Use the same pavers as the ones on 12th Avenue. Those pavers have stood up very well. IIRC, those pavers are from Germany. (Could someone confirm that?)

There is no need for a single-lane roadway. There would the no benefit to that. 11th Avenue is a narrow and busy street, with most bus routes using that street. God forbid that the buses get moved off of 11th Avenue! As long as it is designed to allow for emergency vehicles (police, fire, ambulance) as well as City Parks vehicles to traverse it, that is all that is needed. I don't think it should be re-opened to traffic otherwise. Keep it as a pedestrian mall. Hello Mayor Masters?

Remove the ugly planters, and replace them with something more attractive, along with more trees, shrubs and perhaps an imposing piece of public art that people will come to see and pose for pictures with. A fountain would be nice, but I would be worried about vandalism - even something as simple (and childish) as emptying a bottle of dish soap into the water. It has happened at the SaskPower and City Hall fountains several times.

Install attractive and comfortable seating. I work downtown. I know how awful the seating is. Most planter-seats are too high off the pavers for people to be comfortably seated.

Install attractive and brighter lighting.

Move Joe Fafard's metal buffalo sculpture (let Harvard put it in the lobby of Tower II) Sorry, I have never liked it. RIP Joe. It blocks sightlines, which are important for public safety. Many people currently feel unsafe on the mall at night.

Add lots of colour! Use colourful banners (not promoting any events or causes). And plan the area for Christmas decorations, not just three or four pathetic strings of light across the mall.

And, this is a biggie: DO NOT use designers from outside Saskatchewan. We have seen what they have done in the past, and it is not pretty.

I agree with much of this but not the imposing public art. Public art is terribly expensive and usually at best underwhelming, and at worst, ugly. Spend the money on quality stone, seating and planters. That becomes your public art.

[Draftsman]

I agree with that. Even if it was something that we could afford to do, the pedestrian mall is not the right place for such an art installation.

[urbanregina]

Originally Posted by UPP

I agree with much of this but not the imposing public art. Public art is terribly expensive and usually at best underwhelming, and at worst, ugly. Spend the money on quality stone, seating and planters. That becomes your public art.

I agree with you if the art is imposing. I do think there is some room for a few small artwork installations. They would make the space more interesting, could be cheaper, and don't risk causing the same complaint as the existing work by Joe Fafard.

[aberrant]

We need more "instagrammable" art installations at strategic locations around the city.

The JoyLab exhibit at the Science Centre last year is a perfect example of how this works. They did fantastic numbers.

You see it work well in other cities such as Austin, TX.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by aberrant

We need more "instagrammable" art installations at strategic locations around the city.

The JoyLab exhibit at the Science Centre last year is a perfect example of how this works. They did fantastic numbers.

You see it work well in other cities such as Austin, TX.

Absolutely. Things like murals (with things you can pose in front of, like giant wings, etc) attract people, interesting art installations (especially giant words, for some reason). Things like having the Canada 150 sign in the park, or even the University of Regina giant metal sign attract a lot of people to take pictures and be around an area.

[BrannyMuffin]

Originally Posted by aberrant

We need more "instagrammable" art installations at strategic locations around the city.

The JoyLab exhibit at the Science Centre last year is a perfect example of how this works. They did fantastic numbers.

You see it work well in other cities such as Austin, TX.

Completely agree. I’d love to see interactive public art. A mixture of great murals/pieces to look at and take pictures of/with and fun things to DO. The PLAY exhibit at the Dunlop a few years ago, for example. Things that turn the city into a bit of a playground. And take what works and make it permanent. The PLAY exhibit at the Dunlop a few years ago is a perfect example (and I wish they had left the lovely red piano on the sidewalk when the exhibit closed). Here’s another article about the benefits of interactive public art (along with some great examples).

[cityboy]

Originally Posted by BrannyMuffin

Completely agree. I’d love to see interactive public art. A mixture of great murals/pieces to look at and take pictures of/with and fun things to DO. The PLAY exhibit at the Dunlop a few years ago, for example. Things that turn the city into a bit of a playground. And take what works and make it permanent. The PLAY exhibit at the Dunlop a few years ago is a perfect example (and I wish they had left the lovely red piano on the sidewalk when the exhibit closed). Here’s another article about the benefits of interactive public art (along with some great examples).

I agree completely. During Congress of the Humanities at the U of R a couple years ago, they had placed various pianos in public places around campus and they were so popular and I was glad to see they left one in place in the link between the Riddell Centre and the Education building, painted bright red. It gets played all the time! (pre-COVID 19 of course).

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Would love a main large fountain/water feature in Victoria park and in the middle of Scarth Street. If they both include an arts/instagrammable draw, the more the better.

[BrutallyDishonest2]

A pedestrian mall is literally the best place for public art. Y'all are nuts.

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

A pedestrian mall is literally the best place for public art. Y'all are nuts.

W'all are, indeed.

[Festivus]

Not sure when it was completed, but Wascana Parkway/23rd Ave intersection now has a large pedestrian crossing setup. There are radar signs ahead on each side with a digital display that shows your speed, and a green thumbs up if you are going 50 or under (the speed limit on that stretch of Wascana Pkwy was recently changed from 70 to 50). The actual flashing lights are nice, with a lit-up pedestrian logo in the middle of the road, and the poles that extend over the road have a strip of LEDs that light just the crosswalk. It's very cool.

[skphc08]

Originally Posted by Festivus

Not sure when it was completed, but Wascana Parkway/23rd Ave intersection now has a large pedestrian crossing setup. There are radar signs ahead on each side with a digital display that shows your speed, and a green thumbs up if you are going 50 or under (the speed limit on that stretch of Wascana Pkwy was recently changed from 70 to 50). The actual flashing lights are nice, with a lit-up pedestrian logo in the middle of the road, and the poles that extend over the road have a strip of LEDs that light just the crosswalk. It's very cool.

Was disappointed to see the reduction in speed limit. Has there been many serious accidents there or is there a different reason they reduced it?

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by skphc08

Was disappointed to see the reduction in speed limit. Has there been many serious accidents there or is there a different reason they reduced it?

Since I'm skeptical of everything I like to think it's for more of that sweet money from fines. It's also what I think of the 30km/h school zones though.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by skphc08

Was disappointed to see the reduction in speed limit. Has there been many serious accidents there or is there a different reason they reduced it?

I don't know for sure, but it's a fairly busy pedestrian crossing over a (previously) 70km/h road, and the crossing is right after a bend (southbound), and I've seen quite a few people blow through when there is someone just starting to cross. Northbound has better visibility, but if the reduction makes sense for one direction I can't imagine having two speed limits. In either case, the new crossing signage, lights, and lighting will be very good. I'd like to see something similar at the Albert St. S service road intersection where the young woman recently died. It's heavily used and quite dangerous.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by skphc08

Was disappointed to see the reduction in speed limit. Has there been many serious accidents there or is there a different reason they reduced it?

There has been at least two deaths at this intersection that I am aware of. One involved a collision that killed one of the drivers, who IIRC was a university student. I believe one of the vehicles was speeding, while the other was making a left turn onto 23rd. I believe a pedestrian was also killed at this intersection. There might have been another death involving a motorcycle, but somehow I think that may have been the collision I mentioned?

Yes, the curve in the road makes southbound cars appear rather quickly, especially when they are travelling too fast. For safety sake I think the speed reduction was the best thing to do (as well as the new pedestrian crossing lights). I hope they put something similar to that on Albert South where the woman was recently killed.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

I was in my vehicle with my gf and five of our friends and we almost got T-boned as I was turning left from Wascana parkway to go west on 23rd. The other vehicle had to have been going over 100km/h (when I was turning, there was another vehicle going closer to speed limit of 70 that I used to estimate the risk of turning and then the other car almost appeared out of nowhere). It was an extremely close call. Anyone complaining about speed limits should check their privilege. There are way worse things to complain about.

with my gf and five of our friends

Pre-Covid I hope.

[UPP]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

There has been at least two deaths at this intersection that I am aware of. One involved a collision that killed one of the drivers, who IIRC was a university student. I believe one of the vehicles was speeding, while the other was making a left turn onto 23rd. I believe a pedestrian was also killed at this intersection. There might have been another death involving a motorcycle, but somehow I think that may have been the collision I mentioned?

Yes, the curve in the road makes southbound cars appear rather quickly, especially when they are travelling too fast. For safety sake I think the speed reduction was the best thing to do (as well as the new pedestrian crossing lights). I hope they put something similar to that on Albert South where the woman was recently killed.

Another idea that progressive cities do is to build pedestrian walkways over highspeed/heavy traffic streets with lots of pedestrian use. I'm not necessarily suggesting that for these 2 examples, since I don't know the amount of pedestrian traffic, just saying that Saskatoon has multiple pedways, Calgary has to have dozens and they build more all the time, Regina... 1.