Regina Construction IV

[gecho111]

A little sheeting work on the north side of the Costco and some more roof work. Just as I was leaving someone was driving around the Costco site in late 70s Ford land yacht. Both layers of pavement finished in Westerra on the road east of the roundabout. One layer of pavement on the roundabout and extension of Horizon's way. Also so the STARS helicopter flying quite low heading straight west near Pinkie / 13th, just a few hundred feet off the ground. Still a lot of work left at the Grand Coulee truck stop, though I noticed some new concrete work. The pavement was ripped up on the Grand Coulee road between Dewdney and the tracks last time I was out there, and today it was still dirt.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reginaconstruction/

[Udon'tknow]

Originally Posted by CCF

That is not the most recent iteration. This one is:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/namerind-48-unit-project-1.7631250

Yeah that is not a particularly good version to be honest. Liked the other version much better. As for wishing it was higher density, I mean I don't disagree, but it is not like developers are lining up to build fancy high density apartment or condo buildings downtown. And this lot has been vacant probably for a decade or more. Downtown has so many vacant lots now, it is pathetic so I will take some kind of development over a dream that someday some developer will actually build something nice. Maybe Harvard will step up and build something, or wait nevermind they seem to like vacant lots as well. The other option is it stays a parking lot or a vacant lot.

[gecho111]

Photo exposure came out off today, giving a washed out look on many photos. The bundled sun filter I was using might have messed with the auto exposure. Also a lot of small chunk clouds passing in front of the sun creating dark spots on the ground, probably would have been a good day for a cloud or cloud shadow hyperlapse.

I stopped by the Blood Services building, yesterday they cleaned up a bunch of debris. Demolition might start first thing tomorrow so I should head over early. I've got enough batteries for probably over 2 hours of continuous flight depending on wind and can stretch that with my external charger and power banks. The limiting factor is the 42GB of onboard memory, so I finally got a SD card for it.
<still just cleanup monday morning, I'll check again after lunch>


Started excavating for the 3rd building at the Grasslands project. On the way home I saw the crop where the NW lift station is going was being mowed down with a bush mower.

Long Term Care video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_7J83-0AA
Data Centre video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Su5Pv2CtA
Grasslands apartments panorama: https://cdn.pannellum.org/2.5/pannellum....r.com/65535/55467596997_312a2a7dd8_o.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reginaconstruction/



Data centre album: https://www.flickr.com/gp/reginaconstruction/tm9e67618F
Adding more piles south of the 4th building pad.




Started doing roofing on the south (longer) side of the roof peak at the Costco. Setting up rails and a little motorized gantry at the bypass bridge repair.

[The mayor]

this is an extremely significant project for Regina and Saskatchewan. The photograph shows the Bell AI data-centre campus under construction in the RM of Sherwood, just outside Regina.

Bell’s published plans include:

* $1.7 billion in initial investment
* 300 megawatts of computing capacity, making it one of Canada’s largest purpose-built AI data centres
* A campus of roughly 500,000 square feet, constructed in several phases
* At least 800 construction and engineering jobs
* At least 80 permanent operating jobs
* Potentially 750 additional jobs in supporting businesses
* Initial operations expected in 2027
Bell Canada⁠, Government of Saskatchewan⁠

Why it matters

This could put Regina on Canada’s artificial-intelligence infrastructure map. The facility will provide enormous computing power for training and running AI systems while keeping sensitive Canadian information inside Canada—often called sovereign AI. Bell also plans collaboration with the University of Regina and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

[gecho111]

Still just doing cleanup at the Blood Service demolition. I stopped by in the morning / afternoon and there was just one guy on site, so I'll try again tomorrow. When I drove past the Broad & 4th McDonalds yesterday the roof they built on the ground had been lifted onto the building.

Added scaffolding stairs to the back of the Costco. Grading and rolling along the north side of the building.

Took a quick video at the demo project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRFAMt26eb0
Video of a combine I took after the LTC video the other day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58OZ68g1Fg
Trying the Shotcut video editor which is much less clunky than KDEnlive that I'd been using.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reginaconstruction/

[The mayor]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/re...ing-land-for-saskatchewan-drive-project/
Regina executive committee to discuss acquiring land for Saskatchewan Drive project
By
Daniel Reech
Published: August 18, 2026 at 6:00AM EDT

[PrairiePrince]

Originally Posted by Udon'tknow

Yeah that is not a particularly good version to be honest. Liked the other version much better. As for wishing it was higher density, I mean I don't disagree, but it is not like developers are lining up to build fancy high density apartment or condo buildings downtown. And this lot has been vacant probably for a decade or more. Downtown has so many vacant lots now, it is pathetic so I will take some kind of development over a dream that someday some developer will actually build something nice. Maybe Harvard will step up and build something, or wait nevermind they seem to like vacant lots as well. The other option is it stays a parking lot or a vacant lot.

I very much don't want to let perfect be the enemy of good with any downtown residential development, but I happened to walk by this site on the weekend. Seeing it fenced off really demonstrated just now huge it is for only 48 units and no commercial. Downtown development of any kind is generally really good, but this is just way to small scale for this space. There will be more significant development downtown sooner or later (I predict somewhat sooner), and it would have been nice to see some of that occur on this land instead. At least there will be many other vacant/underused lots to choose from! On a more positive note, the construction on 11th looks to be moving along quite well.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by PrairiePrince

I very much don't want to let perfect be the enemy of good with any downtown residential development, but I happened to walk by this site on the weekend. Seeing it fenced off really demonstrated just now huge it is for only 48 units and no commercial. Downtown development of any kind is generally really good, but this is just way to small scale for this space. There will be more significant development downtown sooner or later (I predict somewhat sooner), and it would have been nice to see some of that occur on this land instead. At least there will be many other vacant/underused lots to choose from! On a more positive note, the construction on 11th looks to be moving along quite well.

I agree but to put this in perspective, most of this land has been vacant for almost 50 years. There was an office tower proposal in 80s.

[gecho111]

The demolition could take a while. This week its just been 1 guy picking through rubble putting stuff in bins. I didn't see any exterior demolition so they might be demolishing stuff inside the building (or from the garage). Drove by in the afternoon and nothing was going on. It looks like the McDonalds has a second level. Started adding the frame for the part of the Costco that sticks out on the north side. Also looks like conduit or refrigerant lines for the roof units.

Rubble sorting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNR2MYuzv7w

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reginaconstruction/

[Rodo Regina Lover]

I like the development at Lorne St. and 11th Ave. I don’t think every building downtown has to has to have ground floor retail space. Where is the demand? I see one commercial retailer has a 600 sq. ft space available for $25.00 per sq. ft, you do the math, who can make a go of it paying that kind of rent. A complex in Cathedral by my house at 13th and Elphinstone has had two empty bays since the place was built. Like I said very little demand at these high rents.

[The mayor]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/re...th-projections-as-housing-demand-surges/
And on the population side, we’ve seen quicker than anticipated population growth, adding around 30,000 new residents in the last three years. So that marries really well to that new housing supply.”

In addition to approving more building permits than in the previous five years, Regina is also diversifying the housing market.

Of the 1,674 approved builds in 2025, 58 per cent were multi-unit housing units.

Regina has focus on building up in the downtown
Not that hideous hideous development they’re proposing to story walk up that should never be approved. Absolutely disgusting.

[aberrant]

Originally Posted by Rodo Regina Lover

I don’t think every building downtown has to has to have ground floor retail space. Where is the demand?

Considering everyone says downtown is dead and downtown is unsafe, the whole point of activating ground level space is to fill the streets with people, making downtown vibrant and safe. This is standard urban planning. So from this point of view, there is a ridiculous amount of demand.

Again, from an urban planning perspective, the easiest way to kickstart this is to subsidize initial development.

The city planners have told me for the last 10 years this is exactly what they want to do.

Yet here we are.

[UPP]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I agree but to put this in perspective, most of this land has been vacant for almost 50 years. There was an office tower proposal in 80s.

Perhaps, but this prime city-centre land would now be occupied with surburban-style housing for the next 80 years. If it actually gets built. I don't have much confidence in Namerind to get that done.

[The mayor]

Originally Posted by UPP

Perhaps, but this prime city-centre land would now be occupied with surburban-style housing for the next 80 years. If it actually gets built. I don't have much confidence in Namerind to get that done.

Exactly
Now, if this mayor city Council would help do something to help downtown
Perfect example build a new library and then everything comes after that
They’re not smart enough to realize that one of the most incompetent city administrations ever

[gecho111]

I talked to the guys at the demolition project as they were leaving for lunch and they think they might be ready to knock some stuff down tomorrow. Still digging at the aquatic centre, looks like they are working on the deep end of the competition pools. No exterior work on the agribition building since last week. Drilling piles for the new live stock tent building with a skid steer.

Expanding the Costco parking lot area again, and starting a south entrance to the site. Preparing to do another 7 concrete ovals and fill a gap in the perimeter curb. Poured the final building footer for the entrance today, just need wall pieces added to it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reginaconstruction/





I also went out to the data centre. https://www.flickr.com/gp/reginaconstruction/ip20A64G9C
Starting to put up steel for the second building.

[gecho111]

Second large excavator at the demo site today so the major work could be starting. While waiting for interesting work to start I rode around the boardwalk apartments across the street. There is a staggering amount of unutilized space in there. Each quadplex has at least 2x the building footprint in lawn space, on average probably closer to 3x. They could probably do a Douglas park sized project for less than the space of two of those buildings. Not saying they should knock them all down, but maybe a few along broad.

Vertical 2x4s going up past 4th floor at 15th and Toronto project, so they must be about to start the 5th floor icf blocks. For the agribition building some of the remaining steel will probably connect to the elevator shaft, so there may be no work until that reaches full height.

Didn't start demo until around 11. Still have 1 each full regular and plus battery. Partially recharged one regular battery and have the other plus battery charging from a power bank during lunch break.

Over 40GB of files today.

A guy named Mike has been posting photos of the Costco and Data Centre to the YQR Development facebook page. His drone has 2 optical zoom cameras so he can get closer shots.

[LuluBobo]

Originally Posted by The mayor

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/re...ing-land-for-saskatchewan-drive-project/
Regina executive committee to discuss acquiring land for Saskatchewan Drive project
By
Daniel Reech
Published: August 18, 2026 at 6:00AM EDT

Is this the first expropriation in 30 years?

[gecho111]

Demolition tool of choice today was the claw. There had been a huge box rebar cage in front of the Agribition building but its gone, so it must be in whatever hole it was meant for. Pouring the wall for the tent building extension, and the extra frame pieces are on site.

At Costco they ran the reclaimer over another large area and compacted it to expand the parking lot. Doing that pre-treatment probably adds years to the life of the parking lot pavement. On the Costco overhead I could just barely see that they are doing some trenching inside the store, I'll have to get a lower shot looking inside tomorrow. Working late on the bypass bridge. There are also portable lights there so they are probably planning to do the deck pour at night when its cooler, possibly tonight.

I left the demo project around 2:30 as it was just more of the same. I'll check it out again tomorrow. 40 GB of video to sort through, or just make a timelapse to upload.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reginaconstruction/


Panorama at demo site while they were checking some equipment: https://cdn.pannellum.org/2.5/pannellum....r.com/65535/55476201427_e0394fb972_o.jpg
Hyperlapse looking towards downtown I took after the panorama. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6rK_Cj8TI
Circus Tent at REAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qokvuHjzdac
All the demolition clips from today in a single video sped up 10x: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=087veSJTWzc a few are short because of pauses in work.

[Rodo Regina Lover]

There is zero $$ for a new library at the present time. As far as I know the is at the maximum level for anymore borrowing. This actually old news so people like ‘ Mr. Mayor’ should stop harping on the Library, it’s very OLD news!

[pappcam]

I don't even understand why we'd want to spend a whole lot of money on a new library. The current library is more like adult/addict daycare than a library. I don't even think that indecipherable poster lives in Regina.