Regina Construction

[Chaps]

By the way, the sidewalk shelter things have been built at Victoria Place...so looks like construction is about to beging on the additional 4 stories. How tall is that building as is?

[yeeg]

Originally Posted by Chaps

With a new baby in my world...time is tight. I am going to university, working, and have a 3 week old baby.

Congrats on the new baby...I will expect to see "LittleChaps" posting on Riderfans.com anyday now!!

[yeeg]

Originally Posted by newflyer

It is true Calgary has a somewhat more deversified economy than in the 80's, but the result of high lease rates has driven some of the non-oil companies away. Overall if the oil industry tanks in anyway I don't see Calgary coming out of it too well. It would effect the oil companies and natural gas companies.. energy support companies... construction companies... property management companies.. service companies... among mnay many other companies.

With energy prices dropping it may be time to cash out.

I may be wrong... I guess we will see.

On the contrary, Encana's business relys heavily on natural gas prices and they are taking a beating right now in terms of profits...However, as you know, they are building a spectacular new office tower in Calgary which I believe will be the tallest building here if not western Canada...So their profits are down but still profit nonetheless...

I dont mind seeing the juniors going out of business, those guys were getting oiver their heads with a break even point based on $60 per barrel...I know of a company that will make money unless oil drops below $12 per barrel...Thats the way things should be done rather than having killer overhead like juniors...

Sorry for getting off topic from the thread...I would always like to see Regina thrive because I tell everyone I was born and raised in Regina...Especially at the Rider games here in Calgary...IF you havent experienced one of those games, you are missing out...

[Chaps]

Originally Posted by yeeg

Congrats on the new baby...I will expect to see "LittleChaps" posting on Riderfans.com anyday now!!

Haha...big Chaps doesn't even get to post on their from home anymore. I do my posting from work

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by yeeg

On the contrary, Encana's business relys heavily on natural gas prices and they are taking a beating right now in terms of profits...However, as you know, they are building a spectacular new office tower in Calgary which I believe will be the tallest building here if not western Canada...So their profits are down but still profit nonetheless...

I dont mind seeing the juniors going out of business, those guys were getting oiver their heads with a break even point based on $60 per barrel...I know of a company that will make money unless oil drops below $12 per barrel...Thats the way things should be done rather than having killer overhead like juniors...

Sorry for getting off topic from the thread...I would always like to see Regina thrive because I tell everyone I was born and raised in Regina...Especially at the Rider games here in Calgary...IF you havent experienced one of those games, you are missing out...

Let me remind you there was a list of commercial projects which were suppose to be built in the early 80's .. which were cancelled due to the drop in commodities. In fact there were even some which were started and stopped dead in the construction process.

In Calgary .. history has proven not to count your chickens before they hatch.. ie: wait until its built before deciding wiether or not it will be built.

Natural gas has also taken a beating .. and many companies will end up almagamating and may end up relocating if purchased by a larger US company.. others will just go under.

If the trend continues ... I think many people will have wished they moved to Regina while the getting was good. The next year will be a telling period in cowtown.

[newflyer]

The more times I view that video the more I start thinking about my posible relocation. Since I have made an obligation for at least one more year, I'll be here until then. After that point it is up in the air.

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by newflyer

The more times I view that video the more I start thinking about my posible relocation. Since I have made an obligation for at least one more year, I'll be here until then. After that point it is up in the air.

No kidding. I like the Winnipeg price range, while at the same time living in a city comprable in size to Edmonton. I just need to find a job in my field; and in Manitoba, that is the real challenge.

[babo]

Originally Posted by Chaps

No...we won't see the stadium full for 2 days again. But one day is reasonable and would happen with a few acts.

U2, Madonna, The Eagles...all rumoured to be possibilities.

On the radio today, it sounds like U2 is the big rumour right now.

Why not shoot for the epitome of mainstream, Coldplay? Apparently they're quite popular with the kids.

[MadMax]

I thought this article in today's LP tied in with what everyone's been talking about lately. I was suprised that the median income in Vancouver is only $600/year more than Regina.

A great, cheap place to live

Regina is one of the most affordable places to live.

Heather Polischuk, The Leader-Post
Published: Monday, January 22, 2007

Regina -- identified in a new study as one of the cheapest places in the world to own a home -- may be headed for a boom in the near future, should housing prices continue to soar in other Canadian cities, predicts a senior fellow at the Winnipeg-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

"If Edmonton and Calgary do not return to some much better housing affordability situation, I would not be a bit surprised to see a pretty good-sized influx of people from there to places like Regina and Saskatoon," said Wendell Cox, who assembled the housing affordability survey along with New Zealand-based property investment manager Hugh Pavletich. "So as long as your land use policies allow the building industry to respond to the increased demand, I think that Regina and Saskatoon, and Winnipeg for that matter, are likely to have a really improved future in the long run as refugees, frankly, from places like Vancouver and Calgary and Edmonton come."

The survey, posted today on the FCPP's Web site, notes Regina has the most affordable housing in Canada at a median multiple of 2.0. That means the price of the average home is twice the average household income.

"This is a measure that is recommended by both the World Bank and the U.N. ... Your median house price shouldn't be more than three times your median household income," Cox said.

Regina -- with a median house price of $115,000 and median income of $57,500 -- topped Canadian cities like Winnipeg, Quebec City and Saskatoon, which also have low median multiple figures. In Vancouver, on the other hand, the average income is only $58,100 while the average house costs about $448,800, meaning it costs home buyers 7.7 times their yearly income to buy a house there.

The survey looked at housing affordability in cities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Overall, Canada has the most affordable housing in the world, at a 3.2 median multiple.

Internationally, Regina tied with Fort Wayne, Ind., and Youngstown, Ohio, for the most affordable housing in the world, all at 2.0. The least affordable housing is in Los Angeles and Orange County, where the average home costs 11.1 times the average household income.

Cox said higher housing costs in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and Vancouver is in part due to urban planning, with some large cities driving up prices by trying to avoid "urban sprawl." With urban planners avoiding building on cheaper land outside the current city limits, that means land within the city is at a premium.

"You are seeing a lot of communities -- and fortunately Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and a whole lot of places in the United States and Canada are not going through this -- but you are basically seeing urban planning raising the price of housing so much by raising the price of land ..." he said. "So in the long run, we are going to see a lot lower percentage of people owning their own homes. And I see this as the principle threat to the economic future of countries like Canada and Australia and the United States."

Cox said unless the situation changes in some urban areas, the number of people who can afford houses is going to drop rapidly. And that has potentially huge ramifications for those cities.

"Cost of living is a crucial element in the long-term competitiveness of a city or an urban area ..." he said. "When companies are thinking about where to expand, housing affordability is very important ... So what that says I think in the long run is places like Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin and the like, that are able to keep their housing affordability at a reasonable level, are able to begin to grow faster."

Cox said one of the main reasons the six nations studied have become "affluent" over the past century is due to the increasing ability of citizens to buy their own homes. That is now under threat.

"Home ownership has been a mechanism for bringing all sorts of people into the economic mainstream ..." he said. "I'm for as many people being affluent as possible and the fact is the only way people can be affluent in large numbers is if their housing isn't very expensive."

Of the 159 international cities studied, 42 are affordable -- all in North America -- while 59 are severely unaffordable.

[CCF]

Good news all around.

Regina's Downtown Reports Record Year
January 22, 2007

2006 was a big year for our downtown. Breaking down the numbers from the Downtown Business Improvement District for the past 12 months, Regina continues to define its place among growing centers.

Construction totaled 53 million dollars last year -- up 5.3 million from 2005. New buildings were opened with more coming including the new Wingate hotel and the STC building.

Office space is in high demand and the culinary scene expanded thanks to four locally owned establishments.

Another big increase is the number of people calling downtown home. 160 people moved into the 30 block area and there are plans for more residential spaces by the summer.

The BID add almost 300 thousand people stayed at downtown hotels during multi day events like the Brier and the record setting Rolling Stones shows.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by MadMax

"When companies are thinking about where to expand, housing affordability is very important ... So what that says I think in the long run is places like Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin and the like, that are able to keep their housing affordability at a reasonable level, are able to begin to grow faster."

Absolutely, but what is the ideal time/limit in which to say enough is enough(growth???)?

Maybe the Gov't of Saskatchewan should do some serious research/planning on this issue. I'd hate to see Canadian cities potential for growth hindered because of a choice of policy over non-policy, or vice versa.

Saskatoon housing affordability has been steadily increasing, but not to the point of unsustainability, but there is the possibility for unsustainable price increases. Saskatchewan's economy is heavily reliant on natural resources, and a number of things have been in development that could change the provincial economy for better or for worse(ethanol production/exports, uranium extracting/processing/exporting, oil and gas production(future oilsands development?), diamonds, and potash). I'm sure there is more worth mentioning, but I digress.

Our resource sector is diversified, but if demand for all those resources increases(which seems likely over the coming decade), our province could end up in a less than enviable position(high cost of living), or exactly the opposite. What the future holds in terms of affordability could be attributed to a choice of government action, or government inaction.

I haven't looked into the Government of Saskatchewans plan, or thoughts on this issue, because frankly I don't think one exists. We've been so focused on attracting business, and people, that we have yet to develop a plan/strategy for post-renewal. What do we do when/if our renewal strategy is successful? I'm not suggesting that the renewal strategy has been successful, but it appears from media and other sources that people's perceptions are changing, and one should not overlook these obvious signs of renewal.

Further thoughts?

[CCF]

A year in Review....

http://www.reginadowntown.ca/pdfs/2006%20-%20A%20Year%20In%20Review.pdf

Although, it doesn't tell as much that we don't already know.

[sask1982]

I wonder what the 6000 sq ft national chain restaurant is going to be (and where) ?

[CCF]

Originally Posted by sask1982

I wonder what the 6000 sq ft national chain restaurant is going to be (and where) ?

I believe that will be the one in the Wingate. Not sure who it will be though.

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Albertaboy

No kidding. I like the Winnipeg price range, while at the same time living in a city comprable in size to Edmonton. I just need to find a job in my field; and in Manitoba, that is the real challenge.

I am with you 100% ... although I don't think finding a job in my field will be as challenging.

Overall I see Saskatchewan and Manitoba really attracting alot of interest from people who don't want to settle for a tiny condo, for the sake of giving away your salary to the bank.. and hoping the oil market keeps the city in a boom.

I look what I could buy back in Winnipeg or Regina and it makes me smile.

[Migs]

Hey all, I had the day off work so I thought I would go take a few snaps of some ongoing projects around the city. Its a gloomy day but they turned out pretty good.

Here is the Lab Building at the U of R as of today:





Here are some pics of something that I noticed for the first time today. A brand new video board for the Conexus Arts Center that right on the side of Wascana Parkway. Looks great!!!







Here are some of the old Army and Navy Building that is taking alot longer than I thought to tear down. Damn that was one ugly freakin building and I love how you can now see the skyline instead from Broad ST.







Now here are some of the corner of Sask Dr and Broad St where they are currently building the new Wingate Hotel as well as the STC head office and bus depot.















And finally I noticed today that they finally have the big 'Mosaic Stadium' sign completed over at Taylor Field. Damn I can't wait till football season eh Chaps!!!

[Migs]

Originally Posted by sask1982

I wonder what the 6000 sq ft national chain restaurant is going to be (and where) ?

I am praying for an Ihop

[Chaps]

Right on...thanks for the pics Migs!

And yes, football season couldn't come soon enough.

[ceedub1170]

Originally Posted by Chaps

Right on...thanks for the pics Migs!

And yes, football season couldn't come soon enough.

I think we're in for a very long and crappy year in Riderville. Although, the departure of Kenton Keith makes the city safer already.

[ReginaGuy]

Originally Posted by Chaps

Right on...thanks for the pics Migs!

And yes, football season couldn't come soon enough.

I just made the connection.. you're the guy who runs Riderfans?!?