Winnipeg | Downtown | Portage Place | Redevelopment | U/C

[primetimey]

Red River Coop is going to need to hire an army of security.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by primetimey

Red River Coop is going to need to hire an army of security.

Why need an army when the army can double as store clerks?

I kid... I kid...

The city and, to a lesser extent, the province, has 3 years to at least reduce the issues we have now, and it starts this coming October (civic election).

[ColdRain&Snow]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Notable and exciting comment from Mayor Gillingham in regards to downtown development.

My guess is something being built on the old St. Regis Hotel lot. Is Centre Venture still involved with that property?

[TRiToNDREyJA]

Is that the lot they wanted to build that 50 story monstrosity on a few years back, or the one beside it?

[neutroniks]

Hopefully Gillingham is referring to all the empty lots on Graham.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

Why need an army when the army can double as store clerks?

I kid... I kid...

The city and, to a lesser extent, the province, has 3 years to at least reduce the issues we have now, and it starts this coming October (civic election).

Hasn't the city/province already promised some extra $$ for increased police/safety patrols for the downtown? That strategy seems to have worked in reducing crime in Osbourne Village. If it can do the same thing for the downtown even before the Co-Op opens, the store will have a better chance of making a go of it.

On a related note, I was struck by this comment from "Food Fare owner Munther Zeid" in the CBC article on the store opening:

"If there was money to be made downtown in Winnipeg, you don't think one of the Big 5 [grocery chains] would be there already?" Zeid said. "There's no money downtown, no money to be made downtown. Nothing, zero."

I think we've discovered who CoryB is!!

Link to full article, if anyone's interested: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/co-op-downtown-grocery-portage-place-9.7247195

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Anyone trying to claim Co-op isn’t a legitimate grocery store is trying to justify their own assertions that turned out to be wrong.

I shop at either coop at Grant Park or Safeway on Osborne and I see no difference. They all cost the same. What grocery store could have opened that was “affordable”? They don’t exist.

Suggesting that Co-op closing in 1983 has some bearing on their current business model is really funny. Ok ok. So I was dead wrong about a grocery store opening downtown but you guys remember 40 years ago when they closed? Yeah that could happen again so I’ll probably be right eventually.

It's a classic case of moving the goalposts.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by CoryB

You are being very disingenuous about the grocery situation in Oakbank. When I lived there the majority of people got their groceries in Winnipeg to the point it was a common occurrence to run into other Oakbank people at the grocery store in Winnipeg including the first instance of the Red River Coop grocery stores.

You also don't have to look far online to see how people are complaining about the quality of the existing Red River grocery stores wishing for alternatives especially in communities that do not have a lot of competition.

Also without the deep wholesale back end of the major grocery players Red River is not able to offer as affordable food options and lacks the margins to turn a significant profit on the store. It will be interesting to see in four years time, after the grocery store is finally open, how long it is able to survive the scrutiny at the public AGMs. There is a reason Red River Coop tried, failed and was forced out of the grocery market before.

Just take the L and move on. This is embarrassing.

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

The city and, to a lesser extent, the province, has 3 years to at least reduce the issues we have now, and it starts this coming October (civic election).

The city, the province.... I feel like there's already an organization we pay $350 million to every year, based a couple of blocks away from this site, I wonder if they could help?

WPS has almost no visible presence downtown despite their taxpayer-funded fortress being right there, and they keep trying to use more of our tax dollars to get a parkade so their members can spend even less time actually out on downtown streets. Not to mention an empty office tower that no one can use because of them. When are we gonna hold them accountable for the issues that are a) their job, and b) quite literally right outside their door step?

Should we have just moved the police HQ out of downtown since it has no real benefit to public safety?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by ColdRain&Snow

My guess is something being built on the old St. Regis Hotel lot. Is Centre Venture still involved with that property?

As far as I am aware, the property is still on the market. CentreVenture has a caveat registered against the title, and any prospective purchaser will be required to enter into a development agreement with them.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by TRiToNDREyJA

Is that the lot they wanted to build that 50 story monstrosity on a few years back, or the one beside it?

Correct, a 300 Main sibling.

[drew]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Anyone trying to claim Co-op isn’t a legitimate grocery store is trying to justify their own assertions that turned out to be wrong.

I shop at either coop at Grant Park or Safeway on Osborne and I see no difference. They all cost the same. What grocery store could have opened that was “affordable”? They don’t exist.

Co-op is a legitimate full service grocery store for sure. However they don't all cost the same. We shop almost exclusively at Superstore, and it is significantly cheaper than Safeway, Co-op, Sobey's and the like. Like a solid 20% across the board.

Every time I stop in at Sobey's - I question how they stay in business with their prices.

[cheswick]

Am I misremembering or prior to TNS being built out wasn't there an ask for interest in multiple MPI owned properties, including that giant lot at donald / st mary? What came of that or am i completely wrong

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Am I misremembering or prior to TNS being built out wasn't there an ask for interest in multiple MPI owned properties, including that giant lot at donald / st mary? What came of that or am i completely wrong

Previously, the only project that advanced was the MPI-owned lot that became True North Square. CentreVenture now has a clear mandate to partner with crown corporations on redeveloping their parking lots, beginning with the Donald and St. Mary site.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Damn, I need to go grocery shopping. I wish there was somewhere to go.

Why don’t you go to Portage Place. There’s a huge grocery store there.

No. No. It’s not owned by Gaelan Weston, so it’s not a grocery store.

Is Number TEN leading the design of the centre block portion of the mall now, in addition to the residential tower?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Previously, the only project that advanced was the MPI-owned lot that became True North Square. CentreVenture now has a clear mandate to partner with crown corporations on redeveloping their parking lots, beginning with the Donald and St. Mary site.

This was the submission for the Donald & St Mary parcel from the team that had Verne Reimer as the architect I believe.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Biff

This was the submission for the Donald & St Mary parcel from the team that had Verne Reimer as the architect I believe.

Hopefully we see something similar to that on that lot very soon!

[EdwardTH]

You also have to wonder how Osborne village has persisted all these years without a proper grocery store. I mean sure, they have Safeway for the wealthy elites, but where do regular people get their groceries in the village????

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

You also have to wonder how Osborne village has persisted all these years without a proper grocery store. I mean sure, they have Safeway for the wealthy elites, but where do regular people get their groceries in the village????

I think people in OV starve to death with that piddly, no-a-real-grocery-store safeway. That or they eat out all the time.

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by drew

Co-op is a legitimate full service grocery store for sure. However they don't all cost the same. We shop almost exclusively at Superstore, and it is significantly cheaper than Safeway, Co-op, Sobey's and the like. Like a solid 20% across the board.

Every time I stop in at Sobey's - I question how they stay in business with their prices.

Urban stores usually have a markup due to higher land and rent costs etc. It's a pretty normal trade-off in downtowns of price vs convenience.

People typically drive to the big, high-volume low-price places like Superstore. A person living downtown won't need a car to go shop at this Co-op. Saving $$ by not needing a car is one of the major reasons people choose urban living. Paying a few extra bucks for your produce isn't a huge deal if you're saving $800 per month on car payment, insurance, gas, etc. Speaking of produce, it sucks at Superstore and those cheapo places.

Also 20% sounds straight made-up.