Winnipeg Construction

[vid]

We could do this:





You have to admit that out of the four of them, Commodity Exchange is the least inspiring. If Paris could turn this into this (that's the same building, just re-clad), why can't Winnipeg?

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

If you look close enough, you can actually make out the Target symbol. My theory must be right cause on the second photo, if you zoom your eyes close enough, the top of the parking it writes "LINE OF TARGET BUILDING ABOVE"

Someone forgot to blackout that tidbit of information. Looks like Target will have underground parking.

I think the inturputation of the site plan might be a little off. Looking at the two drawings clearly shows parking with "line of Target building above". It also shows some stand alone retail. Looking at the second drawing there is the blacked out Target store and what is clearly labled as other buildings 2nd and 3rd floors or the roof of single story buildings.

To be this screams that the plan is for Target to be built on stilts over ground level parking.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by vid

We could do this:





You have to admit that out of the four of them, Commodity Exchange is the least inspiring. If Paris could turn this into this (that's the same building, just re-clad), why can't Winnipeg?

Because Paris is Paris and Winnipeg is Winnipeg.

[vid]

Any comments from Winnipeggers?

Several 60s and 70s era buildings in Thunder Bay have been reclad. If we can afford it, Winnipeg can too.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by vid

Any comments from Winnipeggers?

Several 60s and 70s era buildings in Thunder Bay have been reclad. If we can afford it, Winnipeg can too.

A number of buildings on Broadway have been (and are being) re-clad.

[drew]

Originally Posted by vid

Any comments from Winnipeggers?

Several 60s and 70s era buildings in Thunder Bay have been reclad. If we can afford it, Winnipeg can too.

I HATE the Commodity Exchange building. It is easily the ugliest of the big 4.

It could be vastly improved with a decent re-clad, and some colour. Hopefully the owner decides in the near future that improving the energy efficiency and looks of this building are a priority. It will be big $$$ project though.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by vid

Any comments from Winnipeggers?

Several 60s and 70s era buildings in Thunder Bay have been reclad. If we can afford it, Winnipeg can too.

I think, for this building it has to do with it's size. Re-cladding a 5 to 10 storey building might be a little more economical than a fat 32 storey building. If i remember right (which i usually don't) the building in Paris was in the $100 to $200 million dollars to redo. If we can't afford to spend that much on building new office towers, i would think that it would be pretty tough sledding to re-clad an existing office for that much.


......the recent redo of 383 Broadway (coloured and black panel) was approximately 80,000 sq ft of glazing replacement for about $5 million. Now that is a short, square building. The Artis Building is an off-set square with 12 corners as opposed to 4 and about 20 stories taller.

[vid]

Thunder Bay just reclad a 17 storey building perched on a cliff...

Tour AXA in Paris was not just a reclad, they made the building taller. Eventually, Artis Tower will need to be improved. Buildings don't last forever.

[JamieDavid Exchange]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Good Catch!
I'm not surprised though since the existing Zeller space is dated, a bit small for Target's needs. The big obvious benefit is that it IS attached to an indoor mall. However, a brand new building with dedicated parking is probably more attractive. The paper just reported that they can "choose" because nothing is signed yet (and the city knows they're just adding more status-quo retail to the area). Besides, I'm sure they want the mall space for stores like H&M... I noted in the retail thread how the new mall retail format seems to be shifting towards larger, grander stores in the mall, e.g. Forever 21.

As much as I'd like to see some mixed-use development, the infrastructure in the area won't support it. There needs to be, has to be some road improvements (turn lanes would do the job), but moreso, residential at this site would need rapid transit service. Unfortunately, this probably won't be happening anytime soon, so we get more retail.

Oh well, its more retail within a 5-minute drive (or 30 minute walk) for me. Guess thats good. Sobeys, London Drugs & T&T are all stores I'd like to see. Some more restaurants (Famous Daves? Five Guys?) Target will be nice... their prices may end up being 'Canadian', but I do like their clothing (just bought several new shirts from them).

I love the fact that Winnipeg is starting to get some big names coming in and around Polo Park, Kenaston Commons, and soon to be Seasons of Tuxedo. I do think that downtown should start fighting for some big name unique retail. That would be a great way to get everyone from across the whole city, and tourists, to come downtown.

Just think... If H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch (just to name two of my favorite outlets) were to anchor at City Place or incorporate it in the new MPI development sights, they'd do wonderfully.

Im sorry, I just dont see much hope left at turning Portage Place into a high fashion retail district. City Place and area on the other hand.......

[yopaul]

Originally Posted by Biff

Abercrombie is for midgets. A few years back I saw a nice shirt on one of their displays in Minneapolis so I went in to try it on. I could barely get into a XXL. It was skin tight. I am normaly a L or XL. Their clothes are not for regular sized people.

This happened to me too, and only later did I figure out that I had been in a small-a abercrombie which is their kids store! (As opposed to the adult-sized Abercrombie & Fitch stores).

[lilwayne]

Local

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
City looks at replacing or renovating 8 libraries

By: Bartley Kives




The City of Winnipeg plans to spend $5.8 million next year to amalgamate the Windsor Park and St. Vital libraries and another $1 million to replace the Charleswood Library.

On Thursday, council’s protection and community services committee will consider a strategy to replace or renovate eight of the city’s 20 library branches at a total cost of $21 million over eight years. The eight branches in questions are older than 50 years.

The first phase of the redevelopment would see construction on the Charleswood and St. Vital/Windsor branches begin in 2013. A $5.1-million replacement in Transcona would follow in 2014.

In 2015, the River Heights library would be replaced at a cost of $5.4 million. And between 2017 and 2020, replacement would take place in Westwood ($1.1 million), St. James ($6.2 million) and West Kildonan ($1.8 million.).

The report calls for the construction of 14,000-square-foot libraries with a generic design. The city would explore the idea of leasing the new structures instead of building them themselves.

Some of the $21-million tab may be recovered from sales of the existing building, the report states.

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by vid

Any comments from Winnipeggers?

Several 60s and 70s era buildings in Thunder Bay have been reclad. If we can afford it, Winnipeg can too.

Paint the building in orange and cream

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

Im sorry, I just dont see much hope left at turning Portage Place into a high fashion retail district.

I don't think anyone is trying to do that. Back in 2010 a study was done for the city that suggested the following for Portage Avenue/Portage Place:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busines...tions-for-three-main-areas-81060287.html

In fashion, the focus should be on attracting "crossover" retailers that appeal to shoppers from a broad range of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, including lower incomes. That includes discount retailers such as Zellers and "cheap-chic" fashion purveyers specializing in inexpensively priced "of-the-moment" looks that would appeal to the area's substantial number of twenty-somethings.

In food and beverages, target quick-service, convenience-oriented food outlets and specialty-beverage retailers that appeal to daytime students and office workers, and well-known, mid-market restaurants, bars
and retailers for the evening sports-and-entertainment crowd.

No one is trying to turn it into a high fashion retail district.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by vid

We could do this:




You have to admit that out of the four of them, Commodity Exchange is the least inspiring. If Paris could turn this into this (that's the same building, just re-clad), why can't Winnipeg?

Hmm.

First off, the blue water certainly makes an impact


Secondly, the blue....I dunno, when you say re-cladding, would you mean blue tiles, blue paint (yuck), blue glass all over..?

I think we could certainly do with a nicer looking building there. Until it got the Artis sign, it was really bland, so its interesting to see just how much character that one sign alone gave it.

We have some blue and green glass towers in the Hydro, (former) TD tower and CMHR, so I wonder if a taller dark glass tower, like the Ricoch tower, would fit there nicely?

[roccerfeller]

Here's a recent reclad, 363 Broadway

went from this


to this


Huge upgrade

Though its much smaller than the Artis tower, and as Biff mentioned, less complicated.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by roccerfeller

Hmm.

First off, the blue water certainly makes an impact


Secondly, the blue....I dunno, when you say re-cladding, would you mean blue tiles, blue paint (yuck), blue glass all over..?

I think we could certainly do with a nicer looking building there. Until it got the Artis sign, it was really bland, so its interesting to see just how much character that one sign alone gave it.

We have some blue and green glass towers in the Hydro, (former) TD tower and CMHR, so I wonder if a taller dark glass tower, like the Ricoch tower, would fit there nicely?

To me, that Artis label looks like a warning label you'd find on a household cleaning solvent, rather than a company logo.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by Bdog

To me, that Artis label looks like a warning label you'd find on a household cleaning solvent, rather than a company logo.

And since I would consider the sign an improvement, that alone could be indicative of how lacking in character that tower was before the sign

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by Bdog

To me, that Artis label looks like a warning label you'd find on a household cleaning solvent, rather than a company logo.

Warning/Attention: people take craps in public view under our building. Not safe for tanning bed users, not open after 5pm and if a second tower ever pops up next door, stop the presses!

[The Jabroni]

Yeah, we need to reclad Trizec from the beige/greenish/brown to something more modern. I guess the "modern" look to the Trizec has worn out over 30 years later.

[Chadillaccc]

See... I dunno why people have a hate on for the Commodity Exchange Tower, I think it's quite nice especially considering its day and age. I think the Richardson and Canadian Grain Commission buildings are the two worst in the skyline.

Unfortunately though, there's not much that can be done for either of their facades so... yeah.