Saskatoon Construction

[kgc087]

Fantastic list, I don't think there is really anything beyond that. A great place once its up to check out construction for 2008 is the city webpage under departments then infrastructure services. By May they should have all 2008 planned construction posted.

[Ruckus]

If the nice weather stays for this week I'll hop on my trusty steed and get some updated site photos for most of these projects

[Ruckus]

Council votes to curtail condo conversions in city
Lori Coolican, TheStarPhoenix.com
Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2008

After more than five hours of discussion and heated debate, a majority of city council voted Monday night to change civic policy so the conversion of apartment buildings into condominiums will not be allowed while the city-wide vacancy rate remains below 1.5 per cent.

Coun. Myles Heidt, whose west-side ward is home to a large number of run-down apartment blocks, shook his head in disapproval after the vote was carried at council's executive committee meeting. Heidt had argued in favour of continued conversions, referring to them as "the refurbishing of derelict housing."

The new policy will be subject to a further vote at council's next regular meeting on April 21. It states that the city shall not approve condo conversion applications when the vacancy rate measured by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is below 1.5 per cent. Saskatoon's vacancy rate is currently 0.6 per cent, the lowest on record.

If approved, the new policy will not apply to the 14 buildings city council will be asked to approve for conversion on April 21, since their applications were filed last year.

The policy is also expected to contain carefully-worded exceptions allowing city council to approve future conversions of buildings - no matter how low the vacancy rate - in special circumstances, such as vacant buildings which have been condemned.

The city has been struggling since last year to find a balance between the demands of investors hoping to turn a profit by selling apartment blocks one unit at a time, and the needs of some 30,000 local renters who have seen their rents skyrocket while they face eviction to make way for condo owners.

Monday night's debate was almost delayed after a few councillors referred to correspondence they had received over the weekend from Dr. Ryan Walker, an urban planning and geography professor at the University of Saskatchewan who has been consulting with colleagues across the country about the economic and social effects of condo conversions.

The information was not distributed to everyone on council, prompting some to suggest postponing the debate until everyone could review it.

"It's very powerful in some respects, and it does give us some perspective," argued Coun. Gord Wyant, who noted the information had changed his opinion on some aspects of the condo issue.

A motion to postpone the meeting was defeated, however.

Walker's information included a letter from housing economist Dr. Andrejs Skaburskis of Queen's University, who noted municipal governments commonly prohibit condo conversions when their city's apartment vacancy rates dip below a certain level - three per cent being the most common benchmark - for valid reasons.

"When the city experiences rapid in-migration of people or real estate investors, the rising housing prices and the diminishing stock of affordable housing make it difficult to attract and keep the lower paid workers that are essential for the city's economic well-being," Skaburskis wrote.

Statistics show that a shrinking supply of rental housing brings about labour shortages in "key worker" occupations: Travel, recreation, the arts, food services, trades, construction, manufacturing, child care, home support and retail, he noted.

"Business owners in Saskatoon would, in my opinion, want to prevent condominium conversions if they were fully aware of the economic consequences of the continuing erosion of the rental stock."

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Source

[swilley]

Nice work SASKFTW and Country. Since I own the first post to this thread I will edit it once we have a cleaned up - completed list and map. Anyone hear anything about the proposed Holiday Inn for Downtown? Has the Parking lease been renewed?

SASKFTW, Maybe someone in the Diagramming section can suggest a good free graphics editor. I used to use Paint Shop Pro by Jasc before I got Photoshop, but now Corel has taken it over and it is not free anymore..

[kgc087]

Would it be possible for you to run through each number on that map and let us know what each project is SASKFTW?

[MalcolmTucker]

The policy is also expected to contain carefully-worded exceptions allowing city council to approve future conversions of buildings - no matter how low the vacancy rate - in special circumstances, such as vacant buildings which have been condemned.

Incentive much for allowing a building to decay? "I can't convert my building now, but if I make in unbearable for my tenants to stay, then I will be able to cash in"

[macca]

A new rumor:

A proposed 16 story condo on Spadina Cres beside the Radisson. This is the gravel parking pad that was formerly two old houses. Apparently it will be an interesting looking design, with only 2 condos per floor.

[kgc087]

Originally Posted by macca

A new rumor:

A proposed 16 story condo on Spadina Cres beside the Radisson. This is the gravel parking pad that was formerly two old houses. Apparently it will be an interesting looking design, with only 2 condos per floor.

Could you possibly expand on this interesting looking design?

[macca]

^I wish I could but, I haven't seen it, sorry.

[Boreal]

Although the listing wasn't at all intended for me - thanks, it was very helpful. Looks great. Hopefully a good portion of those rumours come through for you guys. Saskatoon is a wonderful place.

[swilley]

Originally Posted by macca

A new rumor:

A proposed 16 story condo on Spadina Cres beside the Radisson. This is the gravel parking pad that was formerly two old houses. Apparently it will be an interesting looking design, with only 2 condos per floor.

Great news! By interesting design I hope the developers don't believe brick is interesting. The (rumoured) densification continues... If all of these rumours happen, downtown will be crane city for a few years Maybe then we can start posting some pics in the "tower crane panoramas" thread!

[kgc087]

Originally Posted by swilley

Great news! By interesting design I hope the developers don't believe brick is interesting. The (rumoured) densification continues... If all of these rumours happen, downtown will be crane city for a few years Maybe then we can start posting some pics in the "tower crane panoramas" thread!

That would be very exciting to see the skyline spotted with cranes. Has anyone heard of any plans for the Remai condo tower? Hopefully it isn't similiar to any of there other previous endevours, which usually results in concrete slabs. As well I havent been to Saskatoon for a few months, have they started on the new mental health facility yet?

[joelpiecowye]

Remai pretty much said if i recall a 15 story square building with brick to accent the chruch

the 16 story building sounds promising that macca said
did you get it from a reliable source? if so who?

also mabey someone could add a rumour map or add on to the old map like cameco which crtlaltdel sounded pretty sure it is gonna happen

[Ruckus]

The policy is also expected to contain carefully-worded exceptions allowing city council to approve future conversions of buildings - no matter how low the vacancy rate - in special circumstances, such as vacant buildings which have been condemned.

Originally Posted by kyle_olsen

Incentive much for allowing a building to decay? "I can't convert my building now, but if I make in unbearable for my tenants to stay, then I will be able to cash in"

Your completely right, property owners who neglect their buildings will continue to do so until the market/city demands repairs or the city condemns the property; a similar unfolding transpired with the King George Hotel (condemned, unpaid taxes, city acquired the property through legal means, the city then put it on the market, Meridian Development bought it and it is now being converted to a mix use building of office and luxury condos); also, the Barry Hotel (the owners were handed a fix or destroy order by the fire department, owners likely couldn't afford the repairs, they sold the property to some wealthy veterinarian, and it will likely soon be demolished for something else).

The alternative would have been to let rents continue to rise due to all the condo conversions, and like the article suggests, rising rents put a serious strain on service sector employers and their employers, students, and other essential members of productive societies.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by macca

A new rumor:

A proposed 16 story condo on Spadina Cres beside the Radisson. This is the gravel parking pad that was formerly two old houses. Apparently it will be an interesting looking design, with only 2 condos per floor.

Awesome, though I think this rumor has been circulating since those houses were bought and demolished, hopefully this time it materializes into something real.

[macca]

Originally Posted by SASKFTW

Awesome, though I think this rumor has been circulating since those houses were bought and demolished, hopefully this time it materializes into something real.

I remember hearing something when those houses were first purchased/demolished, but it sounds like things are getting closer to reality now. Apparently there are renderings floating around (I haven't seen them though).

[kgc087]

Originally Posted by joelpiecowye

Remai pretty much said if i recall a 15 story square building with brick to accent the chruch

the 16 story building sounds promising that macca said
did you get it from a reliable source? if so who?

also mabey someone could add a rumour map or add on to the old map like cameco which crtlaltdel sounded pretty sure it is gonna happen

Well if this does materialize maybe they'll wow everyone with a classic style building similar to the churches architecture just on a 16 storey scale, that would be impressive even if it was in brick. We can only hope for something that uniqute!

[Ruckus]

Construction photos, various projects, shot today.

1 - River Landing Phase II


2 - River Landing Phase II


3 - River Landing Phase II


4 - River Landing Phase I


5 - River Landing Phase I - Persephone Theatre (grey box), and the parking lot behind it will eventually see some sort of "destination centre", something to do with culture...er, a musuem?


6 - Persephone Theatre


7 - Removal and reconfiguring (elevated --> at grade) of Idylwyld Freeway on-ramp and off-ramp


8 - Removal and reconfiguring (elevated --> at grade) of Idylwyld Freeway on-ramp and off-ramp


9 - Removal and reconfiguring (elevated --> at grade) of Idylwyld Freeway on-ramp and off-ramp


10 - Removal and reconfiguring (elevated --> at grade) of Idylwyld Freeway on-ramp and off-ramp


11 - Lake Placid's River Landing Village


12 - New construction overlooking Rotary Park/South Saskatchewan River


13 - Meridian Development's adaptive re-use of the King George Hotel --> retail, office, luxury condos


14 - KG and the 2nd Ave Lofts


15 - KG, Rumley Lofts, 2nd Ave Lofts


16 - Rumley Lofts


17 - 2nd Ave Lofts


18 - 2nd Avenue, south


19 - Scotia Centre office tower through the KG


20 - Downtown Bus Mall, Sturdy Stone Centre in the background


21


22


23


24 - Rumley


25 - Office conversion (with Cameco occupying one floor) of a former furniture store


26 - Office conversion (with Cameco occupying one floor) of a former furniture store


27 - Company's Coming!


28 - Rumley Lofts


29 - Rumley Lofts


30 - Location of "The Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health", adjacent to Royal University Hospital, U of S.


31 - Location of "The Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health", adjacent to Royal University Hospital, U of S.


32 - Not sure what their prepping this area for, Children's Hospital???


33 - Health Sciences


34 - Addition to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at U of S


35 - Addition to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at U of S


36 - Addition to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at U of S


37 - Vaccine Infectious Disease Organization's (VIDO) International Vaccine Centre (InterVac), U of S


38


40


41 - The Saskatoon crane


42 - Completed beamlines at the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron


43 - Greenery


44 - Meridian Development's Broadway Avenue project


45 - Previously posted development overlooking Rotary Park


46 - Cameco expansion


47 - Cameco expansion


48 - Shaw Civic Centre - Stainless steel pool, we can't afford the more precious metals


49 - Shaw Civic Centre


50 - Shaw Civic Centre

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by macca

I remember hearing something when those houses were first purchased/demolished, but it sounds like things are getting closer to reality now. Apparently there are renderings floating around (I haven't seen them though).

Renderings eh, that does sound promising

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by kgc087

Well if this does materialize maybe they'll wow everyone with a classic style building similar to the churches architecture just on a 16 storey scale, that would be impressive even if it was in brick. We can only hope for something that uniqute!

I would definitely support something like that, except good design elements aren't a hallmark of Remai backed projects...maybe they'll surprise everyone