Saskatoon Construction II

[Echoes]

Finally a rendering of the Ken Achs project. Sorry for the poor photo quality. It was a drive by cell phone shot.

[Echoes]

And The Two Twenty expansion:



Source: https://www.facebook.com/TheTwoTwenty

[Cicero]

It looks like almost all of the Rumley lofts are finally sold. I count three remaining that are listed on the Remax site and five on the comprehensive list of Saskatoon homes for sale. One has been discounted 90,000. In the past year, others were discounted heavily as well. I don't know if it typically takes this long to sell upscale condos (priced between 500k - 650k), so I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or worried at the seeming lack of interest in this project. I am left to ponder these questions when I drive by the building nearly every day and see the for sale signs in the windows.

The Two Twenty looks great. Hopefully it is the first of many innovative and trendy businesses to operate in the area.

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Finally a rendering of the Ken Achs project. Sorry for the poor photo quality. It was a drive by cell phone shot.

.....

Thanks Echoes, I have been waiting for a long time to get view of this building.

I just checked out their website and they finally have a rendering up.
Wow ! Sleek, clean, with a futuristic element to it, I love it.
Leaves me with the feeling that the Batmobile could come around the corner.

Another great job Ken. Thanks for enhancing the building gene pool in Saskatoon.


Photo Source > http://www.midwestgroup.ca/real-estate-leasing/leasing-opportunities/

[Jerry]

Wind turbine safe, viable: reports
Noise would be inaudible: engineer

By David Hutton, The StarPhoenix November 12, 2011

Detailed reports on the approved $5-million wind turbine for the landfill back up city administration's case the project is safe and will turn a profit, the city's alternative energy engineer says.

But a city councillor says the reports only back up her concern the project is a better fit in the country.

"I'm opposed to this and I would be opposed if it was in Briarwood, Montgomery, Willowgrove or Stonebridge," said Coun. Pat Lorje. "These things do not belong in an urban setting. It's not NIMBY (not in my backyard), it's NIMCY - not in my city." [...]

Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology...reports/5700242/story.html#ixzz1dUtClkMN

[Cicero]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Thanks Echoes, I have been waiting for a long time to get view of this building.

I just checked out their website and they finally have a rendering up.
Wow ! Sleek, clean, with a futuristic element to it, I love it.
Leaves me with the feeling that the Batmobile could come around the corner.

Another great job Ken. Thanks for enhancing the building gene pool in Saskatoon.


Photo Source > http://www.midwestgroup.ca/real-estate-leasing/leasing-opportunities/

Pretty huge improvement over this:

It looks like the Modern Press building next to it is getting a matching facade too. One parking lot down, 10,000 to go.

[CCF]

Sure hope that glass isn't as dark/tinted as it looks, particularly at grade.

[Dillweed]

Originally Posted by Cicero

It looks like almost all of the Rumley lofts are finally sold. I count three remaining that are listed on the Remax site and five on the comprehensive list of Saskatoon homes for sale. One has been discounted 90,000. In the past year, others were discounted heavily as well. I don't know if it typically takes this long to sell upscale condos (priced between 500k - 650k), so I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or worried at the seeming lack of interest in this project. I am left to ponder these questions when I drive by the building nearly every day and see the for sale signs in the windows.

The Two Twenty looks great. Hopefully it is the first of many innovative and trendy businesses to operate in the area.

It's quite common to take years in some cases for condo developments to sell out and some sell out right away usually the more affordable ones. I know several developments around here in Vancouver that were built several years and have yet to sell out.

Like King Edward Village on Kingsway I was talking to some friends of mine who are active in the real estate business and happen to live right beside it. And told me last summer they had been looking at suites in that complex that had never been sold. And that development was finished several years ago.

And then theres our Olympic village which still sits at least a quarter empty and thats after cutting their prices and bringing in the hot shot Condo King Dave Remmey to flog the units. My last report they're still not anywhere close to selling out that development. And the developers and the city where all smug prior to the olympics that suites would be flying off the shelf when they went up for sale and its far from it.

Same with getting some of these big developments off the ground its quite common to take a lot longer than to get the financing in order before the shovels start digging. I see people gripping about the length of time to get projects like River Landing & Capital Pointe in Regina off the ground.

It just doesn't happen in Sask. You wanna talk about delays I would point to our Ritz/Carlton development in downtown Vancouver. Which heaven forbid if they actually do ever build it will be Vancouver's tallest building.

To make a long and complicated story short. They actually started construction and were already digging when the credit crisis hit three years ago. The project was put on hold probably because people started pulling out of their condo purchases.

The developers a year later or so when back to the city to have the project rezoned from 58 to 66 stories which was approved. And then announced construction would resume in March of 2010.

And to this day not a shovel has turned on this project. Now they just have a hole on Georgia street with a billboard on it with NO signage on it. So it sure looks like to me this project ain't gonna get built anytime soon.

[GTR200]

Not a tall building, but a very attractive one. We sure could use a few more of these around town.

Originally Posted by Jerry

Thanks Echoes, I have been waiting for a long time to get view of this building.

I just checked out their website and they finally have a rendering up.
Wow ! Sleek, clean, with a futuristic element to it, I love it.
Leaves me with the feeling that the Batmobile could come around the corner.

Another great job Ken. Thanks for enhancing the building gene pool in Saskatoon.


Photo Source > http://www.midwestgroup.ca/real-estate-leasing/leasing-opportunities/

[dsim249]

Originally Posted by CCF

Sure hope that glass isn't as dark/tinted as it looks, particularly at grade.

Yes, we wouldn't want to obstruct the general public's view into someones office.

Pardon my sarcasm. Why is tinted glass detrimental to the design of an office building?

[The Bess]

A very classy looking building, it at least a little different than a lot of the lower rise offices you see, especially the door opening which mimics the old modern press building. I hope river landing is as creative in their design. As far as the tint goes, from someone who has worked in a lot of offices I like it.

[skSK]

I like the Nexus building... but I'm having some very vivid flashbacks to another Meridian project: the Luxe condos on Broadway. The rounded lintel above the entrance from the Luxe is repeated here, and the god awful "rhinoceros horn" projection out of the top of the Luxe has returned as well. At least here the effect is a little less noticeable, but I will probably always look straight at it anyway.


Source: http://www.wilsonstucco.com/the_luxe12.jpg

All things considered, it does look pretty sleek and definitely better than another parking lot and a tired-looking building. Props to Ken Achs for building new and tying in the old Modern Press. Just wanted to point out that damn rhino horn.

[WoodlandCritter]

haha I agree, I never understood why they design pointless accent points on a building. Why not design the building in a way that creates those accent pieces with the overall design of the building other than just slapping something on at the end. oh well haha.

When finished it will be a nice addition to 2nd Ave...that stretch has some potential to develop and infill well.

[CCF]

Originally Posted by dsim249

Yes, we wouldn't want to obstruct the general public's view into someones office.

Pardon my sarcasm. Why is tinted glass detrimental to the design of an office building?

Well no need to get defensive.....but since you are asking, eliminating tinted glass in favour of something transparent is urban design 100. You don't use tinted glass on buildings in more "urban" settings such as the downtown, especially on the floors below the podium (1-4). There's a reason many Canadian cities have implemented urban design guidelines that do not allow opaque finishings.

Even though it's being built as an office use, you still want to foster a design that interacts appropriately with the sidewalk. It's about creating connections between the public and private realm - tinted glass at grade is barely a step above a blank wall. In a city the size of Saskatoon, you aren't going to have restaurants/retail on the main floor of every building - this is not an excuse to to allow for poor design/interaction. Office uses such as banks, travel agencies, insurance agencies, medical clinics, etc are not typically see as an "exciting" use as a street side restaurant, but they are still uses that can generate a significant amount of foot traffic. You still want to allow a visible connection between the building and sidewalk that generates and attracts people to the building and also acts as surveillance into and outside of the building.

Lastly, yes, it's being designed as an office building right now. What if over time the area changes and there's an interest in developing retail at that space? Building design should be flexible to easily change as the market changes. Retail space with tinted glass is destined to fail and will not generate that vibrancy we are looking to create on our urban streets.

Facade Transparency
This element defines the minimum transparency zones for each frontage type. Transparency is a key factor influencing the pedestrian experience - visual access, views to and from interior spaces, and interesting shopfront lighting and displays add visual interest and opportunities for the informal surveillance of public spaces. Openings in a facade, (e.g. windows) should comprise transparent glass, as opposed to mirrored glass or the like, to permit unobstructed views to interior spaces. Blinds, fabrics, and shelving used along the outside walls of retail space should be limited and not diminish the pedestrian’s visibility into the retail space, or other space with human activity.

http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/CPHD/forums/clarendon/pdf/file58740.pdf

[The Bess]

CCF you are right about the interaction with the side walk, I for one was just stating an opinion based on looks not real function. I don't even know if the glass will be the same as the renders, but if you go back to page 65 I beleive you can see the glass installed in the existing portion of the building. This may be whats coming for the new portion.

[Ruckus]

South Bridge

Originally Posted by Jerry

Thanks Echoes, I have been waiting for a long time to get view of this building.

I just checked out their website and they finally have a rendering up.
Wow ! Sleek, clean, with a futuristic element to it, I love it.
Leaves me with the feeling that the Batmobile could come around the corner.

Another great job Ken. Thanks for enhancing the building gene pool in Saskatoon.


Photo Source > http://www.midwestgroup.ca/real-estate-leasing/leasing-opportunities/

That's ballin'...looks like a polished granite facade

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by GTR200

Not a tall building, but a very attractive one. We sure could use a few more of these around town.

Definitely! Between this project, the River Centre, Discovery Plaza, 612 Main Street, and to a lesser extent the project at 23rd St and Wall, we're getting some nice low rise office infill in this city.

I am of aware at least one other low rise office building that's a go for a downtown parking lot. This one will also be of a high design and material quality. It's a real looker! That's all I can share for now.

[c@taract_soulj@h]

Originally Posted by kgc087

Wow, Saskatoon really has to pick it up with transit. The city is really doing nothign to encourage transit. If something isn't done soon major costs will be incured trying to remediate traffic congestion.

This is just speaking hypothetically and very unrealistic but...what if on a whim, Saskatoon were to fund an LRT system in say the next 5-10 years?

Now clearly that won't happen but from a basics standpoint, in order to increase transit ridership, you need to make it attractive as well. Saskatoon isn't getting any smaller nor are the number of vehicles on the road compared to bus riders.

Sounds like a crapshoot right? Totally. But what if even a small pilot project was put in place and it took off like a bat out of hell. Half the people I mention the OTrain in Ottawa to, don't even know it exists but the city thirsts for a full system (which was just recently approved). Not saying that Saskatoons system should be transparent but honestly, how hard would be to buy a few 2-3 car trains and throw them on a local CNR line if possible.

It'll either do one of two things...bust or, prove beneficial that more attractive transit is needed. If that's the case, than you're laughing. Sorry that I'm making this sound like a reality but this low ridership business comes off as an unsolvable Stamford calculus equation. 220,000 people is nothing to really wag a tail at but the city isn't exactly sleeping either. No one wants to wait for the bus in 30-60 min intervals, so why not LRT every 10-20 mins?

Just a thought though...make transit attractive, try a pilot project or at least work on an attractive new covered bus terminal downtown

[kgc087]

Congrats to Meridian, I'm happy to see another parking lot down! Maybe shift developments will take on the corner of 25th and 2nd Ave? To be totally honest I'm not a huge fan of the new Meridian building, it's pretty standard but overall it will be an excellent addition to the city.

Condos take forever to sell! The condo I was living at last year in TO is still trying to be sold out, so what they are doing is renting rooms out like a hotel, which creates a pretty interesting demographic.

I'm very much aware no matter how sleek Saskatoon's transit system is the user has to be engaged. I think one of the most effective ways of doing this is beef up the cities density and stop widening roads.

Shifts new development is awesome! It's great to see some colour being used. It's pretty standard that Canadians shy away from colour, it gives us major sophistication but can get boring after a while so this will be an excellent addition to the area. One building at a time he is slowly gentrifying Riversdale!

[socialisthorde]

Originally Posted by c@taract_soulj@h

...
Just a thought though...make transit attractive, try a pilot project or at least work on an attractive new covered bus terminal downtown

You have my vote What you propose would probably cost a lot less than a new bridge, or even a single interchange and offer some chance of payback. Sadly, I don't see it coming anytime soon.