Saskatoon Construction

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by jaysfan99

We just need to build a nice stadium in Saskatoon and have the Riders play a few games a year in Saskatoon.

Nice stadium in Saskatoon and share the team with Regina? Yeah, that will go over really well

The Riders are great, but c'mon they play in Regina, that is their home (let it be). Saskatoon can support a new CFL team (wait a few more years?), more fuel for the fire IMO, fire being intense competition...we need more of that in Saskatchewan.

When Saskatoon develops their own CFL team and you still love the Riders, a quick 2.5 hour drive...or you could move there to continue your Rider nation support, they will always be Saskatchewan's team...maybe keep them the Saskatchewan Roughriders (not Regina Roughriders), Province vs City...Saskatoon "insert name" vs Saskatchewan Roughriders

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by A4Regina

On the CTV news in Regina, it was reported that Saskatoon's population is expected to double in 20 years. WOW?

I heard that as well on our evening news...double the city population, I wonder if they included the entire metro in that prediction/expectation?

Double city pop. --> ~ 412,000

Double metro pop. --> ~ 470,000

I would expect the outlying communities to expand quicker than the city as reflected in current trends.

Edit: Just saw the report, Lorne Sully (Saskatoon Senior City Planner) stated Saskatoon could support 450,000 with the West sector Blairmore neighborhoods, the North East sector, the South East, and also directly East (end of 8th street).

Add the metro population increases, perhaps 500,000 or more, that's 10,000 to 14,000 people per year...wow, outrageous if this occurs in 20 years! Growing pains FTW!

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by Country

Source

The ad for the Capitol 4 on ICR's website:



^I was very surprised when Pacific Cinemas sold so quickly after closing its doors. However, now we wait and wait for the Holiday Inn to rise in its stead. But that speedy sale has me confident that the Capitol 4 will sell quickly and likely meet the wrecking ball as well.

Considering the cinema's great location (close to Midtown, 21st, River Landing, the Galaxy (how ironic),etc.) there's no reason to believe it won't sell. It's just a question of what will take its place... conversion of the existing building into office/retail or new construction?

IMO I think an office/retail combo for that building would look cool... stores on the ground floor and offices above. Considering the terraced design of the building maybe balconies are a possibility? However it can't be easy (or cheap) to convert a multiplex with sloping floors into a building with a more regular floor plan.. I know we've discussed this before when considering the sale of Pacific Cinemas.

The building has an interesting layout for sure, but how easily can it be converted and marketed for office/retail? Very interested in what might become of it.

Really hope they do something cool with it.

In other news, the U of S Murray Building aka the Main Library is receiving some much needed changes (some may object).

The top floor (6th floor) is currently having segments cut out for large windows (formerly blank stone exterior wall, very little sunshine or view to the outside). So far, they have 6-8 segments of the south side cut out (facing the large trees), anxious for completion.

I'll try to snap some photos, and a few of the under construction Health Sciences and completed Law Building.

Here's a photo from this past summer.

[Echoes]

^Good good, I noticed that yesterday. Any changes to the Murray Library is an improvement IMO.

[swilley]

Originally Posted by A4Regina

On the CTV news in Regina, it was reported that Saskatoon's population is expected to double in 20 years. WOW?

I did not see this report. Who said it was expected to double? The city planner?

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by swilley

I did not see this report. Who said it was expected to double? The city planner?

CTV said the population could double over the next 20 years.

City Planner Lorne Sully said Saskatoon could support a total of 450,000 under current municipal land holdings.

I don't remember Lorne Sully explicitly stating Saskatoon would double in population over the next 20 years, but it seems like it could???

[macca]

Originally Posted by SASKFTW

CTV said the population could double over the next 20 years.

City Planner Lorne Sully said Saskatoon could support a total of 450,000 under current municipal land holdings.

This is very different than infrastructure and services. This means that, supposing typical suburban style devleopment, Saskatoon has enough land within its limits to potentially contain that many people.

[circle33]

Forgive me if this is posted already, but I was looking at this video concerning the "Urban Village" in Willowgrove. I found it both intriguing and sickening at the same time. It sounds like it's narrated by Big Kenny from those AIM Electric radio commercials, which probably accounts for the most of sickening factor.

Anyway, if you haven't already seen this....

look if you dare

[swilley]

Originally Posted by macca

This is very different than infrastructure and services. This means that, supposing typical suburban style devleopment, Saskatoon has enough land within its limits to potentially contain that many people.

That's what I thought. Funny how CTV spins it to report that our Population is EXPECTED to double. Who knows, maybe we can see some more 10 - 14 story brick boxes constructed with this boom

[circle33]

/\ I don't know if you've noticed, but this boom so far (and it depends on when one considers the beginning of this boom to be) has produced anywhere between zero and fuck all in terms of high rises.

[swilley]

Originally Posted by circle33

Forgive me if this is posted already, but I was looking at this video concerning the "Urban Village" in Willowgrove. I found it both intriguing and sickening at the same time. It sounds like it's narrated by Big Kenny from those AIM Electric radio commercials, which probably accounts for the most of sickening factor.

Anyway, if you haven't already seen this....

look if you dare

Create the urban village and kill downtown. Brutal.

[Ruckus]

Recently completed addition to College of Law building









Health Sciences development site




Murray Building (Main Library at U of S)

[midnightrambler]

Heh. The Urban Village concept doesn't really look all that Urban. If anything killed downtown highrises it was the Urban village "University Heights" and the Urban Village allong primrose as far as residential high rises go. Not to mention all the loft conversions allong 24th st. The city should re-focus its effort into developing downtown.

I am more interested as of late in seeing commercial development.
Sure everyone mentions Potash, Uranium, and Oil.

If you look at the possibilities of one of those three resource bases creating an office tower, I'd claim they are fair to good. However, the city needs to provide incentive and clear the way for that to happen. I do not believe the city has done an adequate job with regards to road access, infrastructre, and finnancial incentives to encourage this. Instead we get a tax hike instead of growth. I also blame the Province. The province spends all its money on healthcare and therefore puts added pressure on the cities to fend for themselves. The whole system that the NDP set-up with regards to everything needs to be re-examined before we can see any real sustainable growth... especially to 400,000 people for the city of Saskatoon.

[studentview]

I was lucky enough to get on the roof of the saskatoon square building with my job and take a couple pictures of the downtown. It was a quick couple shots but it was really realy cool to get a tour of the building all the way to the roof. the square is 100% occupied which is great and the abandoned restaurant on the very top was empty, what a shame.

If someone can tell me how to upload pictures Id be happy to throw em up

[macca]

Just go to photobucket.com (or another similar site), sign up for a free acount and upload your pics.

So the top floor of S'toon Square is still unoccupied?

[circle33]

The easiest way is to set up an account at http://photobucket.com/. Upload you're photos, then copy the direct link information. (It will make sense once you're in photobucket).

Once you've done that come back to the forum, select 'post reply', then hit the select image icon (second from the right). Paste your direct link in the dialogue box. Repeat as necessary.

Hope that makes sense. I'm interested in seeing the pics.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

If anything killed downtown highrises it was the Urban village "University Heights" and the Urban Village allong primrose as far as residential high rises go. Not to mention all the loft conversions allong 24th st. The city should re-focus its effort into developing downtown.

Interesting view that populating the warehouse district is killing downtown (or at least preventing construction of new residential highrises, which I think that's what you're getting at?) For me it's quite the contrary, I see the revival of the warehouse district, and the loft conversions along 24th as a huge boost to all of Downtown. I've always seen the warehouse district as part of downtown, and strategies to populate both as basically one and the same. We've heard it all before, more people downtown (including warehouse district)= more retail/amenities= greater livability/desirability for downtown, which could in turn= more residential highrises in the core. And just perhaps, more highrises of the commercial type that we're all waiting for.

It's great to hear that Saskatoon Square is full. Perhaps this is a signal that developers should be picking up on.. Saskatoon's largest office tower is packed. Bring on more Class A space!

As for the Willowgrove urban village I'm a bit on the fence. The concept is great but I'll wait and see if the design of the stores and residential is any less suburban than elsewhere. I don't see it as being any significant threat to downtown. It's kind of neat to think that with Willowgrove, there's a neighborhood under construction, that in 100 years, will likely be considered a mature, desirable character neighborhood. But then again, who knows what will be desirable a century from now.

The whole concept is definitely unique to Saskatoon. I just wish it had been envisioned for a place such as the entire city yard or somewhere where it's going to fit into the existent urban fabric. It just seems funny to have a walkable, ped-friendly neighborhood that is out on the city's edge and requires driving to get to (or to and from downtown). All in all, I think it's a step forward.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by circle33

Forgive me if this is posted already, but I was looking at this video concerning the "Urban Village" in Willowgrove. I found it both intriguing and sickening at the same time. It sounds like it's narrated by Big Kenny from those AIM Electric radio commercials, which probably accounts for the most of sickening factor.

Anyway, if you haven't already seen this....

look if you dare

Wow, what a great marketing tool to legitimize...but where will all these Urban Village residents work? No mention of an employment center, nor does this video speak to transit, instead one is left with the impression which the following image illustrates nicely (a back lane off Maguire Lane in Willowgrove):


Photo credit: Me

At least your kids will have a nice paved surface to play street hockey on

The marketing video strives to create something which already exists (existing core neighborhoods) and packages and presents Willowgrove Urban Village as a similar alternative to living in an inner city neighborhood...in some ways perhaps it is.

This is better than past suburban community design, but a complete slap in the face with respect to core development. It seems we must come to grips with Saskatoon continuing outward expansion (hopefully 50% of the growth is upward). As it stands with current municipal practices and objectives, the best we can hope for is appropriate transportation plans and adjacent employment centers are developed at the same pace as suburban communities to ensure minimal friction (traffic congestion, commute times, parking space demand will continue to increase for existing employment centers including Downtown, North End, and University) as our population increases further.

One final remark. If people pay a premium to live in Willowgrove's Urban Village we should expect similar design principles (new urbanism) for the large West Sector Blairmore SDA, the south east, east and continued northeast expansions.

I would much rather see less suburban development, but I am uncertain on whether necessary demographics, lifestyle choices have shifted enough or realizations occurred yet to support the huge push for dense development and gentrification in the core. We're approaching it though.

Might Willowgrove Urban Village be a final installment of suburban design and development in Saskatoon? Yeah right

[joelpiecowye]

willow grove sound neat but i dont get the commercial part of it. even though the commercial area is supposed to keep people in there is mcdonalds, co ops, extrafoods and big box retailers comming in not even a km away from it. and circle33 there is one highrise kinda build in this boom if you call a 15 story one. it is the riverfront. as for doubling it is possible, tripling is possible but it is just a random report done because saskatoon is in a good position, new government, a new boom starting, sask's resouces are finally being used more, and lots of local projects are starting up. but since it is just because it was in the news i wouldn't get my hopes up

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

Heh. The Urban Village concept doesn't really look all that Urban. If anything killed downtown highrises it was the Urban village "University Heights" and the Urban Village allong primrose as far as residential high rises go. Not to mention all the loft conversions allong 24th st. The city should re-focus its effort into developing downtown.

I'm siding with Country on the issue of loft construction in the Warehouse District.

General comments: Developers (local or other) will soon be jumping on opportunities to build more units downtown, but first the old uncertainties and perceptions must be removed from the psyche of investors familiar and maybe not so familiar with our potential for opportunities (e.g. loft construction removes uncertainties and perceptions, just as River Landing does).

Aside from labor shortages, Saskatoon is moving forward, money is flowing, investors and developers will continue the momentum with co-operation from governments.

The best is yet to come