Northern Ontario developments!

[vid]

It was completely empty, though recently an "open" sign was on one of the doors. Windows on the upper floors were broken, some boarded over. (Apparently, the city only enforces boarding up windows on main floors. The NESCO building has to replace at least one board a month.) People have been breaking into the building on a fairly regular basis as well. In late November, someone threw a pair of gloves lit on fire into the building. According to someone who commented at TBNewsWatch, the owner of the building has been trying to sell it.

If that is where Northern Windows is keeping its doors then it explains why Arctic Doors moved out of the smaller building across from their showroom. They've grown a fair bit in the past few years, they renovated the building beside mine a few years ago and it is one of the more attractive buildings on the street. I especially like the corner window they installed, which wasn't there originally. I'm jealous of that little apartment. (Rooftop balcony overlooking the trains!)

[russman]

Vid, what do you estimate the retail vacancy rate to be of Simpson Street and the Fort William Core?

Also does anyone know of the progress of FWCI, McKellar Place and the Capitol Theatre (Habib Centre)?

With Startek closing out of Victoriaville, I wonder if the city will take the opportunity to remove the hideous parkade entrance and construct a new entrance at ground level. I think this was mentioned in the Fort William Renewal Plan along with streetscaping and a new south entrance to the mall.

[tjernobyl]

I don't know if there's been any work on the inside, but in the past month they built a new outer wall over the post-demolition scar on the west side of the former McKellar hospital.

No visible change at FWCI. They'd better get to it before people get too accustomed to using the grounds as an off-leash dog park and start forming committees.

[vid]

Originally Posted by tjernobyl

No visible change at FWCI. They'd better get to it before people get too accustomed to using the grounds as an off-leash dog park and start forming committees.

This city is so fucked up. "Save the vacant lot with a dilapidated building on it! We like to let our dogs 🞵🞵🞵🞵 there!"

Originally Posted by russman

Vid, what do you estimate the retail vacancy rate to be of Simpson Street and the Fort William Core?

Based on a mental map of the street from memory, I counted 25 vacancies and 33 occupancies, which is a 43% vacancy rate. (I'm probably forgetting something though, and I didn't include the hotels, Prosvita or social services.) For the south core, I would estimate between 15% and 35%. The overall vacancy rate of both areas is probably closer to 50% when you include the abandoned hotels and vacant office space. TBDHC should look at converting some of the vacant buildings, like the West Hotel and Roy Building, into rental apartments.

Originally Posted by russman

Vid, what do you estimate the retail vacancy rate to be of Simpson Street and the Fort William Core?

With Startek closing out of Victoriaville, I wonder if the city will take the opportunity to remove the hideous parkade entrance and construct a new entrance at ground level. I think this was mentioned in the Fort William Renewal Plan along with streetscaping and a new south entrance to the mall.[/QUOTE]

If the Parkade lacks a ramp inside the structure and the spiral ramp near the south entrance of the mall is the only way for vehicles to get between levels, it won't be very easily to accomplish that. They definitely need to do something about that area though. If they can't find a tenant soon they should look into opening up the south wall for street-level retail, like the Heart of the Harbour Parkade.

[russman]

Originally Posted by tjernobyl

I don't know if there's been any work on the inside, but in the past month they built a new outer wall over the post-demolition scar on the west side of the former McKellar hospital.

Good to hear the project is progressing, even if slowly.

Originally Posted by tjernobyl

No visible change at FWCI. They'd better get to it before people get too accustomed to using the grounds as an off-leash dog park and start forming committees.

Originally Posted by vid

This city is so fucked up. "Save the vacant lot with a dilapidated building on it! We like to let our dogs 🞵🞵🞵🞵 there!"

No kidding. It is absolutely astounding that people can complain that we have too many empty buildings and then turn around and oppose a project to reuse one of them.

Originally Posted by vid

Based on a mental map of the street from memory, I counted 25 vacancies and 33 occupancies, which is a 43% vacancy rate. (I'm probably forgetting something though, and I didn't include the hotels, Prosvita or social services.) For the south core, I would estimate between 15% and 35%. The overall vacancy rate of both areas is probably closer to 50% when you include the abandoned hotels and vacant office space. TBDHC should look at converting some of the vacant buildings, like the West Hotel and Roy Building, into rental apartments.

The 43% and 15 to 35% numbers sound about right, but are you sure about the 50% number? That is unbelievably high. Even some of the worst markets in the US only have a 25% office vacancy rate downtown. I guess that counts the West, Empire, Inntowner, and King Stereo Buildings though? If so, then that rate will drop dramatically when the King Stereo and Empire buildings are demolished and the new courthouse is built. The Roy Building is owned by Habib, you can find his page for that here.

Originally Posted by vid

If the Parkade lacks a ramp inside the structure and the spiral ramp near the south entrance of the mall is the only way for vehicles to get between levels, it won't be very easily to accomplish that. They definitely need to do something about that area though. If they can't find a tenant soon they should look into opening up the south wall for street-level retail, like the Heart of the Harbour Parkade.

Here is a diagram I created from memory of the Victoriaville Parkade. If I remember correctly, the entire parking surface is tilted on the Heart of the Harbour Parkade to facilitate going from level to level. Thus it would be very difficult to install a ramp inside the structure and it would result in many spaces being lost. I'm sure it would be possible to install a ramp toward the Donald Street wall though.

The call centre wraps around in a L shape along Donald and Syndicate, so the Syndicate wall could be opened up for retail as well.

I'm sure that idea was scrapped once StarTek moved into the former Bourke's and Northland Space. With the Buck or Two closing in Northwood Mall, then IMO if another large call centre wants to relocate here they would be better off in that space and the YA Canada space next door.

[vid]

I know the Roy is owned by Habib. He also owns most of that stretch of Victoria Avenue now.

I was including the Empire in vacancies but not the Twin City Gas Building. While I am very sure the Empire will be demolished this spring, that is only something I've heard, not something I've seen published (though I haven't checked tenders or the proposed demolition budget yet). The West Hotel is a large building, so it will count for a higher percentage of the leasable area. Victoriaville has a lot of empty spaces, and a lot of the office buildings aren't completely full. Thunder Bay has a weird issue where there are a lot of office vacancies, but they're mostly small pockets all over the place instead of a large chunk of empty space in a single building. Those little patches add up. You also have to consider a lot of buildings on Hardisty aren't used much, half the Odeon is unused, the building BMO was in is completely empty as far as I know, and so on. 50% might be a bit high but I think 30% would be low.

If the Victoriaville Parkade doesn't have a way for vehicles to get from level to level without using the spiral ramp, then the setup along Syndicate will have to stay unless the parkade is dismantled and re-built.

[russman]

Originally Posted by vid

Thunder Bay has a weird issue where there are a lot of office vacancies, but they're mostly small pockets all over the place instead of a large chunk of empty space in a single building. Those little patches add up.

Unfortunately we have the same problem in retail as well. With more office construction at William and Balmoral, as well as along Golf Links and new retail in Innova Park, the problem will only get worse.

The development on the corner of Golf Links and Oliver Road was reported on tbnews a while ago as being a bar and restaurant operation. I believe that the restaurant will be a Subway.

[vid]

Subway smells funny. Weird that a bar would be attached to a Subway.

[russman]

Their restaurant locator (here) shows a location at Golf Links and Oliver "not currently open".

[vid]

Have you ever been to the Shell Select at the corner of Red River and Clarkson?

[russman]

No, why?

[tjernobyl]

Originally Posted by russman

The Roy Building is owned by Habib, you can find his page for that here.

Was browsing around the site, and found the page for the former Riverdale School. Maybe I'd see it differently if I hadn't seen it as a fairly plain brick schoolhouse for most of my life, but wow. So many things bolted onto that building.

[vid]

That is Habib's "thing". Take an otherwise boring building and stick as much superfluous 🞵🞵🞵🞵 onto it as possible. At least he is reusing them. It looks like they've finally redesigned the website, too. There is way more information on it than there was before.

Originally Posted by russman

No, why?

About five or six years ago when it was a Mike's Mart, there was a Subway kiosk in it. When Beaver was converted to Shell, they kicked Mike's Mart out, gutted the place, and put in a Shell Select without a Subway kiosk. Even though they gutted the building, it still smells like Subway.

[Gitfiddler]

I dunno if this has been posted, but a pretty cool T-Bay video. Great shots for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrqg1oqfg_Y

[shreddog]

^^ Brainfart, but what is the bridge at the start of the video??

Love the call out to Crystal - oooohhhh.

[russman]

I think it's the Brown St rail overpass in Westfort.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by russman

I think it's the Brown St rail overpass in Westfort.

Don't think so ... the old Brown St overpass wasn't covered and was steel ... the one in the video looks wooden and covered ... also I thought that the abandoned Brown St overpass was torn down ... here is how it looked 5 years ago ...


My photo.

[russman]

I believe it was rebuilt?



from Isobel Adams on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/30479257@N04/3824700627/

[shreddog]

^^ Thanks ... it does look like it if taken with a long telephoto lens, though the bridge deb does look a little different.

[vid]

They either had to rebuild it or give the city back all the land under their rail yard, so they rebuilt it. The only people who use it are people who enjoy the novelty of our perpetual bridge to nothing. It's made of steel that is just very rusty. It makes your hands red if you touch it.

There is a way to embed youtube videos, btw:

• Video Link

He has the ability to express pride in his community while admitting its faults. Something most people here can't even begin to comprehend.