Saskatoon Construction

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by madsad

I cannot and will not EVER accept a "limited ability" to be progressive. In many ways, the incestuous and insular nature of the movers and shakers here has actually resulted in many progressive projects being completed or started without being hijacked and squashed by penny-pinching downtown-killing conservative elites and their suburban backers: bike lanes, parks, etc, and the "ridiculous-looking" Vic bridge lights, which, I would like to register my support for. Anything that makes this tumble-weed ridden town look interesting, I'll take. The lights were worth every penny. I remember one evening, we were driving a rather gregarious friend from out of town over the Broadway bridge. She looked over at the Victoria, which happened to be displaying a beautiful warbling rainbow pattern, and remarked: "Ohmygod, ohmygod, its a gay bridge!!!" She loves that part of Stoon and we always hear about the gay bridge, in Saskatoon of all places! Take that San Francisco!

One of my favorite schemes, its so damn positive.



Source - Flickr - Jeff_SK

With respect to the current topic, it is great to hear each persons position on how our tax dollars should be spent. I am for increasing funding for public transit, and dedicated bike lanes (no more switching between sidewalks and roads!). The biggest gripe I have with our transit network is frequency (and we all know the reason behind that...low density, single-use zoning). If it interests any of you, I formerly rode the bus to school, but that's all it is really good for (point A to B, and B to A). If I need to go to school and work on the same day, the car wins hands down (1 hr total trip time with car vs 2+ hr with bus). What I really need is to live close to school, and find a job nearby (a difficult combination for me to obtain).

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by socialisthorde

I'd love to hear the response That argument would make John Gormley's head spin.

He'd have a good time with that topic. The phone lines would be lighting up like a Christmas tree. Of course, all calls are pre-screened to ensure only quality arguments are presented (Its been a while since I have listened to his show).

[Kelly Patrick]

When it comes to city planning Don Atch is like Robert Moses without intellect....... even then, i doubt my own comparison.

Ruckus, I do like the picture but would like it just as well without the lights. I grew up with the river in Paris of the Prairies, booting across the black bridge in my vw rabbit taking pleasuring in scaring on comers thinking I was losing control. Now, Like some, I support biking 100% as I sit here in Vancouver looking out at all the beautiful glass condominiums over looking Granville Island watching bike nazis beat vehicles across the bridge. However, back to the black bridge, once biking on the wooden pedestrian rail, I did suffer one ripped tire tube because some city worker couldn't pound the nails back down into the wood because who really cares about pedestrians in Saskatoon anyways?

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by Kelly Patrick

When it comes to city planning Don Atch is like Robert Moses without intellect....... even then, i doubt my own comparison.

Ruckus, I do like the picture but would like it just as well without the lights. I grew up with the river in Paris of the Prairies, booting across the black bridge in my vw rabbit taking pleasuring in scaring on comers thinking I was losing control. Now, Like some, I support biking 100% as I sit here in Vancouver looking out at all the beautiful glass condominiums over looking Granville Island watching bike nazis beat vehicles across the bridge. However, back to the black bridge, once biking on the wooden pedestrian rail, I did suffer one ripped tire tube because some city worker couldn't pound the nails back down into the wood because who really cares about pedestrians in Saskatoon anyways?

haha, without intellect you say? Who needs intellect, that's what bureaucrats are for.

If Atch is genuinely gunning for downtown/inner city development, then I'll accept the comparison to Robert Moses (only for Moses ability to initiate public projects, and have them completed quickly). Moses had absolutely no concern for NIMBYS. Good or bad, I find him quite inspirational.

Speaking of NIMBYS, anyone else fed up with those Churchhill/Haultain residents busting out the pitch forks against a proposed 120 unit condo complex (its geared towards seniors). Its ridiculous, you'd think the developers were erecting another Luther Tower (I wonder how that got approved...huge opposition I suspect...would make a great case study).

[kgc087]

[QUOTE=Ruckus;4222347]haha, without intellect you say? Who needs intellect, that's what bureaucrats are for.

If Atch is genuinely gunning for downtown/inner city development, then I'll accept the comparison to Robert Moses (only for Moses ability to initiate public projects, and have them completed quickly). Moses had absolutely no concern for NIMBYS. Good or bad, I find him quite inspirational.

Speaking of NIMBYS, anyone else fed up with those Churchhill/Haultain residents busting out the pitch forks against a proposed 120 unit condo complex (its geared towards seniors). Its ridiculous, you'd think the developers were erecting another Luther Tower (I wonder how that got approved...huge opposition I suspect...would make a great case study).[/QUOTE]

I'm sick of hearing these people complain about how it will increase traffic. First off like you have stated it's seniors, second, most don't drive and if they do it is very cautiously so there won't be an increase of people ripping up and down the street. I have always wondered what great endevours the developers of that tower had to go to to get that approved. I would really love to see more developments like that in the university area as well as the broadway area. They are prime locations for increased density b/c of there location to amenities and the downtown core.

I don't get why people knock on Atch so much. He is the only mayor who in my 21 years of life has done anything or took any initiative to push for cultural improvements! So until I have enough experience to run for mayor we will just have to settle for Atch.

[dsim249]

Originally Posted by Ruckus

haha, without intellect you say? Who needs intellect, that's what bureaucrats are for.

If Atch is genuinely gunning for downtown/inner city development, then I'll accept the comparison to Robert Moses (only for Moses ability to initiate public projects, and have them completed quickly). Moses had absolutely no concern for NIMBYS. Good or bad, I find him quite inspirational.

Speaking of NIMBYS, anyone else fed up with those Churchhill/Haultain residents busting out the pitch forks against a proposed 120 unit condo complex (its geared towards seniors). Its ridiculous, you'd think the developers were erecting another Luther Tower (I wonder how that got approved...huge opposition I suspect...would make a great case study).

Ugh, you don't know the half of it. I happen to live on Haultain, my mailbox is littered with letters from a particular king and queen NIMBY (he and his wife are featured in the most recent SP article regarding the proposed condo's/school.) ranting on about how terrible it is.

*Side note* [I just rummaged through several of my garbage cans trying to find their latest letter-- I found it.]

Their main issue seems to be that the increased traffic and pollution are going to wipe out the some 1,550 children in the neighbourhood. Also, they always include newspaper clippings from The Vancouver Sun. The articles discuss how 'playgrounds for grown-ups' are being constructed in Beijing and Berlin. Apparently they are modeling these concepts in Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley. These have received a fair amount of publicity, and are basically "taxpayer-funded outdoor gyms where [seniors] can do squats, chest presses and even tai chi."
I'm not sure whether they think the City of Saskatoon is going to start constructing these parks here or what their point is... Normal playgrounds have children on them year-round, including when children are forced to go outside during recess when it's -20 degrees out. I highly doubt I'll be driving home next January to see senior citizens doing squats and tai chi in the park.

Mr. and Mrs. NIMBY are also very concerned about "our green space". However, when you take into consideration that there is currently an existing school in the park, along with a large gravel parking lot, a skating rink that is usually never maintained in the winter, and the abandoned playground in the North-West corner, the new school and condo's won't be taking up much more of the 'green space'. Churchill Park is a massive park. Furthermore, the grass behind the former Churchill School is usually far less than green and quack-grass ridden. There is a visible line where the private property ends and land owned by the city begins, because the city grass is watered daily and maintained by the city. The green space around the condo complex and school will be professionally landscaped and maintained.

At any rate, the former Churchill School is an eyesore (also, I attended this school as a child, and I'm pretty sure my bedroom has higher ceilings than the school's gymnasium. It is not very functional for the general public's use to rent for intramurals or other community events) and so is the surrounding parking lot and abandoned playground. Being a resident of this neighbourhood, I feel that the new condo complex and school will breathe new life into my community.

[Temperance]

Somebody on here asked about the state of the pumphouse adaptive reuse. I have a friend who is working on the renovations of the building and he was pretty doubtful that it will be attractive to commercial tenants. He said the walls are very thick so it would be very expensive to do the further renovation that would be required to turn the building into a business. Also there is only one doorway so it's not up to code. He also said in his opinion that the building just wasnt' that special or unique to make up for these problems and costs.

[Temperance]

I think Saskatoon could really use more/better museums considering the size of the city. Somebody on here suggested to offer the St. Mary's school as a venue for the Children's museum. I think that's a great idea: it's a nice fit with a school and would do a lot to improve the quality of life in that neighbourhood.

I think offering the mendel building for the Meewasin Valley Centre is a bad idea. I would prefer it if they stuck to their original plan and built a modest new building at their current location. I think a better idea would be use the mendel building for a Life Sciences museum. This would be a great fit with the conservatory and build on the city's strength as a centre for genetic techology. It could also fold in the idea of the science museum and have the involvement of the university. I don't think it would cost too much to do this.

[Wyku]

Originally Posted by joelpiecowye

anyways wyku the pumphouse is getting renovated here is a drawing of it

http://www.riverlanding.ca/project_update/phase2/riverfront/pdfs/pumphouse.pdf

on the riverlanding website it says it will have a viewpoint, commercial area(maybe a restaurant?) and public displays

Thanks! So the City is doing all the work/paying for all the work with no tenant lined up, or is there a tenant?

[ninipanini]

Originally Posted by Temperance

I think a better idea would be use the mendel building for a Life Sciences museum.

Best idea I've heard in a long time! Does anyone remember the old biology museum, the mini zoo on campus? Putting something like that in the old Mendel location along with one or two other permanent exhibits plus space for a rotating exhibit would be fantastic! Someone should pitch this

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by Wyku

Thanks! So the City is doing all the work/paying for all the work with no tenant lined up, or is there a tenant?

It's my understanding that there is no tenant. The city is doing the work and then putting out a call for proposals.

[socialisthorde]

Originally Posted by ninipanini

Best idea I've heard in a long time! Does anyone remember the old biology museum, the mini zoo on campus? Putting something like that in the old Mendel location along with one or two other permanent exhibits plus space for a rotating exhibit would be fantastic! Someone should pitch this

Yes, that was very cool. It had sort of a Victorian feel to it.

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by Wyku

Thanks! So the City is doing all the work/paying for all the work with no tenant lined up, or is there a tenant?

It's my understanding that there is no tenant. The city is doing the work and then putting out a call for proposals.

[prairieguy]

Hmmm...not a good sign. There is fencing and a parking ticket dispenser box erected on the corner of 20th and 2nd Avenue. I guess this means there will not be any construction starting in the near future on that site and instead we will be graced with yet another gravel parking lot downtown

[GTR200]

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Hmmm...not a good sign. There is fencing and a parking ticket dispenser box erected on the corner of 20th and 2nd Avenue. I guess this means there will not be any construction starting in the near future on that site and instead we will be graced with yet another gravel parking lot downtown

Maybe next year.

[socialisthorde]

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Hmmm...not a good sign. There is fencing and a parking ticket dispenser box erected on the corner of 20th and 2nd Avenue. I guess this means there will not be any construction starting in the near future on that site and instead we will be graced with yet another gravel parking lot downtown

Man that pisses me off. There has to be some way to discourage knocking down buildings just to leave the resulting lot vacant. Purpose built parking is one thing, but these stupid gravel lots have such an air of "giving up" about them.

[circle33]

As I mentioned a few pages back I've heard through the ever reliable friend of a friend source (in this case it's the site realtor at the other end of the chain) the plan is to start construction next spring. I dislike gravel lots as much as the next guy, but at least in this case the pain is slightly mitigated by the presence of a billboard showing the intended future plans. Far too often that has not been the case (see former Pacific Cinemas site for a live example).

Keep the faith.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by ninipanini

Best idea I've heard in a long time! Does anyone remember the old biology museum, the mini zoo on campus? Putting something like that in the old Mendel location along with one or two other permanent exhibits plus space for a rotating exhibit would be fantastic! Someone should pitch this

I think I was in kindergarten, our class visited the "mini zoo" as you call it. I think they had fish, lizards, snakes, tarantulas, scorpions...I definitely remember the tarantula(s), very It was a small collection though, the entire live exhibit space was not much bigger than Petland's fish selection.

Perhaps the MVA centre could be integrated with a natural sciences museum...either way, more museums in this city would be a positive.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by dsim249

Ugh, you don't know the half of it. I happen to live on Haultain, my mailbox is littered with letters from a particular king and queen NIMBY (he and his wife are featured in the most recent SP article regarding the proposed condo's/school.) ranting on about how terrible it is.

[...]

Being a resident of this neighbourhood, I feel that the new condo complex and school will breathe new life into my community.

That's classic. The entire gang was at the council meeting a week or two ago, what a gong show that was. I couldn't believe Councilor Pringle was siding with the NIMBYS.

Has it been approved yet, or is that scheduled for the upcoming meeting on Monday?

I expect our Councilors and Mayor will side with the developer (they redesigned the complex in response to residents concerns)...I hope.

[lbird]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

^^^^

Okay. Now you see how a small comment about the sad state of our roads turns into an argument about people driving cars. Which then turns into a conversation about mass transportation with the implied overhanging argument of "climate change" from CO2 etc....

The thing that really applies to this thread is the construction of new roads.

Top 5 In City Limits that need to be reconstructed or increased capacity (twinned).

Yeah, it's hard not to get off-track on this board. I try to keep myself from doing it, but it's fun to argue sometimes!

Anyways, about roads, go have a look in Pleasant Hill. There're whole blocks of 18th St. and 19th St. that aren't even paved yet have major light industrial and residential density! I think a lot of people on this board would be shocked at the state of some streets on the west side. I could also mention Kelsey-Woodlawn (where I plan to take some pictures soon) where "back alleys" that in reality are major streets in the area look like WW1 battlefields.