Saskatoon Construction

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by Country

The Yanke Transport facility on the east side is down to make way for Circle Drive. Gives a clear view from Circle right across the river to the QE II power station.

It's amazing how a bridge project like this can completely change one's perspective/orientation of the city.

What a cool new view. The PCS Cory mine really dominates the western vista at night (it's an attack on our collective consciousness!).

Originally Posted by blueboots

1) So does anyone know what is happening on 51st next to the Extra Foods and the McD's. There was an huge industrial building that came down. What is going in its place?
2) So I heard a Holiday Inn is going in downtown. I am all for more buildings downtown but does Saskatoon need another hotel?
3) I ordered a TranSport Map off the www.times10.ca website and I get it in the mail today. A great map that supports Saskatoon's sustainable transportation routes. This will a handy guide when I get out this weekend to do some running and biking in the city. I think this weekend is going to be +20.

Wasn't that Russel Metals? That building has been vacant for awhile. Maybe commercial, or light industrial (similar to the Millar Landing complex next door)...or a sleek new gravel Impark

[swilley]

Originally Posted by blueboots

1) So does anyone know what is happening on 51st next to the Extra Foods and the McD's. There was an huge industrial building that came down. What is going in its place?

I think I read somewhere it will be a massive co-op (gas - wash - truck stop)

[gowest]

The old Russell Metals is going to be a Co-op car wash, gas bar and truck stop. They are starting later this year. It should be interesting with McD's and Timmies, then add all the industrial traffic I don't think I would want to go thru there at rush hour or any hour for that matter. It's a traffic nightmare now.

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Country

The Yanke Transport facility on the east side is down to make way for Circle Drive. Gives a clear view from Circle right across the river to the QE II power station.

It's amazing how a bridge project like this can completely change one's perspective/orientation of the city.

I happened to be out in that area yesterday and got a few photos. The first three are taken from Lorne Ave. just behind Yankee Transport and the last three from the east bridge site. You can just see the smoke stacks from the power station in the first photo. A few holes of the golf course took a pretty big hit.














Map Source

[gowest]

It nice to see a project start right away. They are also clearing trees on 11th Street by the Elevator. Intercon is pretty much a pile of rumble being sorted out. Now if they could get River Landing started this fast, think of all the new jobs etc. Move ahead Saskatoon.

[JCA]

Thanks for the photos Jerry. This just dawned on me but I wonder what will happen to future fireworks displays(Canada day and the Ex) if anything. Any ideas?

[Ruckus]

Thanks again Jerry. What kind of camera are you using?

[kgc087]

I would really hate for the fireworks festival to be jeopardized but I feel the city would recognize it as a valuable asset and preserve and improve it at all costs...it may be a newbie but it sure brings out the people!

[dsim249]

^ But the fireworks at the Fireworks Festival are launched from the Traffic bridge. On Canada Day they are launched from the Train bridge (me thinks).

So the festival should be unaffected. As for Canada Day, I'm sure they could find an alternate location, that's if it will even be an issue at all with the proximity to the South bridge. It's not as essential for them to be launched on a bridge, I would assume. Whereas the Fireworks Festival ones are just so visually sensational being launched over water.

I loved the Fireworks Festival when I went two years ago (was in Vegas for last years), the Canada Day fireworks don't hold a candle to the Fireworks Festival.

[TheCricket]

TIM HORTONS!

Originally Posted by Measuring Stick

Yes Discovery is now fully leased except for the little bay (retail?) at the south of the building. Have been told who is rumoured to have leased it but can't confirm or disclose it sorry.

[TheCricket]

If you look on the plans online... it is actually all residential. I thought it was going to be cool new retail... but alas, nope... just more houses and condo's.

Originally Posted by jas321

I have heard the Costoc rumours as well. Hamm Construction has been doing some excavation behind the Home Depot the past week or two. Not sure what is going on there though.

[WoodlandCritter]

Hey i was wondering if you guys could give me a little imput. I am working on a final project for my class. I convinced my group to design something in Saskatoon . Its a steel design project with the topic being Curvature. We were thinking something civic, maybe along the lines of a permanent structure for outdoor skating area/garden fountain downtown....or we were thinking a concert venue. Something for Jazzfest or something that could be built behind the Bessborough in their gardens. And maybe even have that location as a skating rink in the winter for the public, because i don't think it is used for much in the winter months.

Let me know what you think or any other ideas that could be considered for a structure or civic purpose of some sort.

Thanks for your help!

[ninipanini]

I went for a bike ride this afternoon down the Meewasin and south, past the rail bridge. Does anyone know that the green crane south of the rail bridge is? It's approximately across from the QE Powerplant and there's a large concrete structure that has been built in the centre of the river... If it had been on the other side of the rail bridge, I would have thought it was the beginning of bridge support structures for the new crossing...

You can see the crane just above the pile of tree bits on Jerry's photo#4... any thoughts?

[ninipanini]

On another note... the Saskatoon Light and Power website says that the initial studies into the hydroelectric plant/whitewater attraction are supposed to be wrapping up this summer. Does anyone have any ideas if/when things are going to go forward, or any new insights?

[jas321]

Originally Posted by ninipanini

I went for a bike ride this afternoon down the Meewasin and south, past the rail bridge. Does anyone know that the green crane south of the rail bridge is? It's approximately across from the QE Powerplant and there's a large concrete structure that has been built in the centre of the river... If it had been on the other side of the rail bridge, I would have thought it was the beginning of bridge support structures for the new crossing...

You can see the crane just above the pile of tree bits on Jerry's photo#4... any thoughts?

I think that's the new water intake system they are building. I could be wrong though..

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by ninipanini

I went for a bike ride this afternoon down the Meewasin and south, past the rail bridge. Does anyone know that the green crane south of the rail bridge is? It's approximately across from the QE Powerplant and there's a large concrete structure that has been built in the centre of the river... If it had been on the other side of the rail bridge, I would have thought it was the beginning of bridge support structures for the new crossing...

You can see the crane just above the pile of tree bits on Jerry's photo#4... any thoughts?

I was just out there this morning. Check the link for a previous post on the pump station.


River Intake and Pump Station

[kgc087]

Originally Posted by WoodlandCritter

Hey i was wondering if you guys could give me a little imput. I am working on a final project for my class. I convinced my group to design something in Saskatoon . Its a steel design project with the topic being Curvature. We were thinking something civic, maybe along the lines of a permanent structure for outdoor skating area/garden fountain downtown....or we were thinking a concert venue. Something for Jazzfest or something that could be built behind the Bessborough in their gardens. And maybe even have that location as a skating rink in the winter for the public, because i don't think it is used for much in the winter months.

Let me know what you think or any other ideas that could be considered for a structure or civic purpose of some sort.

Thanks for your help!

I don't think a structure in the Bess Gardens would be fully utilized since it is private property. Now if you were to build one in the park along downtown I feel it would have maximum utilization. Concert Venue may not be the best option since riverlanding is teaming with spots for open air venues. A skating rink is seasonal. I think ski/snowboarding would be more suited to the landfill site b/c it already has a hill, but def some sort of VERY unique building could be constructed off the side of that, but then it is obviously not downtown.

An intriguing idea I've noticed in a few sustainable development books is to construct a structure which is off limits to humans but meant for flora and fauna, it is a high rise but only the frame and then plants are planted on it and birds and small animals flock to it. Larger centers are thinking of building structures like these to reintroduce green space into their downtowns. It basically is a vertical wildlife reserve. Something like this would be cool in downtown Saskatoon say in the parking lot across from the bess and behind the bus stop. You could have unreal steel/concrete architecture which could house 100's of varieties of local flora. This would also become an iconic structure of the city, and it would be perfectly situated, right beside the other iconic structure, the bess. Well hope this helps, if you need some clarification on my idea let me know!

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Ruckus

Thanks again Jerry. What kind of camera are you using?

I am using a Leica Digilux 2 28-90mm and a Canon S90 28-105mm. Both have full manual operation and the S90 is small enough to fit in a pocket. Just picked up the S90 a few months back and it's an amazing take anywhere camera.


Leica Digilux 2 .............................................Canon S90

[milanboy]

Originally Posted by kgc087

I would really hate for the fireworks festival to be jeopardized but I feel the city would recognize it as a valuable asset and preserve and improve it at all costs...it may be a newbie but it sure brings out the people!

The city should use the money saved on the bridge budget to install permanent fireworks facilities on the bridge so that they could do amazing fireworks waterfalls and the like on the bridge to complement the fireworks display. It could be quite amazing if the city had some forsight.

[kgc087]

Originally Posted by milanboy

The city should use the money saved on the bridge budget to install permanent fireworks facilities on the bridge so that they could do amazing fireworks waterfalls and the like on the bridge to complement the fireworks display. It could be quite amazing if the city had some forsight.

That would be pretty swank! You should send that idea to the city, maybe we could start to accommodate larger shows, perhaps the old bridge could be transformed into a pedestrian bridge and "event" area.