Winnipeg Construction

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rypinion

High demand for parking doesn't make you quit your downtown office job, but it can make you choose somewhere else to live.

I understand your point and I generally agree, but at the same time you probably don't want to be too cavalier about this issue either.

For the longest time Winnipeg managed to avoid the growth of suburban office parks, but they have been quietly taking off over the past few years and parking is one of the drivers behind that. When employees and clients constantly complain about what a hassle it is to park downtown, it becomes tempting for a business to decamp for Tuxedo Business Park or wherever, where there is an ample supply of asphalt on which to leave cars at no additional cost. There is a certain parking equilbrium that has to be met to keep from driving businesses out to the suburbs.

[viperred88]

all I gotta say it is great to hear there maybe more offices locating downtown P & M and graham but it would be much greater if some residential were put in as mix-use. P&M and Graham could use some more residential to get more vibrancy after office hours.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by rypinion

High demand for parking doesn't make you quit your downtown office job, but it can make you choose somewhere else to live.

Also high demand for parking drives up the overall cost of parking, which in turns feeds into the inflation rate which then leads to higher transit fares, etc. The end of the day most people end up losing ground relative to the rate of inflation. So technically you are correct and that it doesn't lead to people quitting their downtown office jobs but it leads to a whole string of other issues.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Also high demand for parking drives up the overall cost of parking, which in turns feeds into the inflation rate which then leads to higher transit fares, etc. The end of the day most people end up losing ground relative to the rate of inflation. So technically you are correct and that it doesn't lead to people quitting their downtown office jobs but it leads to a whole string of other issues.

Winnipeg transit is not a for profit enterprise. They are not pricing themselves to earn a maximum profit as your analysis is implying. Increased demand for Winnipeg transit will not necessarily increase transit fares. For one thing the vast majority of transit buses in operation are not filled to capacity. Increased demand would simply increase ridership with minimal increase in cost to operation.

And I'm not sure what your basing most people lose ground to inflation. Over time most people gain ground in relation to inflation.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by CoryB

The Main St development does not make sense as the Fortress one. They last indicated their Winnipeg announcement is planned for the second quarter. Also, the miscommunication that the Fortress development "is in the SHED" seems to suggest a relatively close proximity. Add in that they are known to be working with CentreVenture and that the St Regis purchase annoucement specifically called out several parking lots and the Graham parking lots/Tribune site seem to make the most sense.

For the the MPI lots not having residential, the WFP article only discusses the plans for the Graham lot and does not talk about the St Marys/York lot. It could be the second lot is where the resdential piece will fit in. From the article it sounds like the SoPo piece will break ground once CentrePoint is completed. It could be that the second MPI lot will follow a similar pattern and start work once the SoPo construction is finished. It is also interesting that SoPo will include at least three more resturant sites. Considering there was many expressions of interest in the CentrePoint location it could be that some of those parties will find locations with Longboat in SoPo. Along those same lines, I wonder if some of the unsucessful proposals for the Alt dev will be ground floor tenants in the Glass House.

The bigger mystery for me is what is happening with the Carlton Inn site. My gut feeling is that CentreVenture was already working with a partner when they purchased the location yet nothing has been disclosed publicly.

The Carlton Inn site is for the WCC Hotel. Fortress is not at P&M or the MPI lots. I am interested in what will be proposed for the Donald St MPI Lot. That strip of Donald just south of CityPlace is a humongous wasteland.

[trueviking]

the image:

[headhorse]

wow, that looks pretty good.. would love if they did incorporate some residential into the hotel portion.

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by trueviking

the image:

Nice! That would be a game changer for South Portage.

[Biff]

Funny that that was the only way to post that image. I looked for it everywhere but couldn't find it. Good initiative to go back to the good ole scanner. I was thinking i might have to sketch it myself!

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Nice! That would be a game changer for South Portage.

You mean SoPo.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Nice! That would be a game changer for South Portage.

That's "SoPo" Authentic_City, "SoPo"

South Portage is so............yesterday


bahhh you beat me too it

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by Biff

That's "SoPo" Authentic_City, "SoPo"

South Portage is so............yesterday


bahhh you beat me too it

Ha ha! So should we start referring to the ALT/Glasshouse development site as "NoPo"?

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Winnipeg transit is not a for profit enterprise. They are not pricing themselves to earn a maximum profit as your analysis is implying. Increased demand for Winnipeg transit will not necessarily increase transit fares. For one thing the vast majority of transit buses in operation are not filled to capacity. Increased demand would simply increase ridership with minimal increase in cost to operation.

And I'm not sure what your basing most people lose ground to inflation. Over time most people gain ground in relation to inflation.

While you are correct the Winnipeg Transit is not for profit it is still very much subject to inflationary pressures as staff will want salary increases and the costs of goods required for operation such as disel will also increase. As for how people are losing ground to inflation, it is fairly well documented that a signigicant porition of the Manitoba population works for the Government or its arms lenght agencies. The rate of those salary increases are well covered in the media, while the rate of inflation not so much. If the vast majority of the popular is gaining relative to inflation I welcome you to put some examples behind your arguement and prove me wrong.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Agree about the real trees. Winnipeg has a huge problem wit losing tress not only due to people, but the Dutch Elm disease. This years budget was doubled by the city to help plant more tress and take care of the ones we have. They're trying to replace the old elms with some type of hybrid ash tree? I believe. That is more resistant to disease.

The City still hasn't taken care of the trees they have on Main between McDermot and Bannatyne... They have, for some strage reason, those plastic cord trimmer protection tubes around them.



They have far out grown the casing they have -- the trees are starting to grow over them.

I have been close to pulling them off myself when I walk by, but am a bit worried about how wierd that would look.

Originally Posted by esquire

I understand your point and I generally agree, but at the same time you probably don't want to be too cavalier about this issue either.

For the longest time Winnipeg managed to avoid the growth of suburban office parks, but they have been quietly taking off over the past few years and parking is one of the drivers behind that. When employees and clients constantly complain about what a hassle it is to park downtown, it becomes tempting for a business to decamp for Tuxedo Business Park or wherever, where there is an ample supply of asphalt on which to leave cars at no additional cost. There is a certain parking equilbrium that has to be met to keep from driving businesses out to the suburbs.

I don't want to write a huge story, as this is a construction thread, but with the implimentation of higher greenfield development/permit fees and a change from frontage levy to land-area levy the City should be able to curb this.

This might also help with sprawling curvilinear subdivisions like Lindenwoods where a home sits on a property with land area 12000 sq. ft. and fronts less than 70 ft.

[trueviking]

off topic, but I was doing some research for an article about portage place and looked at some comparative downtown crime statistics:

Reported incidents over the last 6 months. Calgary: 551. Edmonton: 291. Winnipeg: 247.

these came straight from the three police crimestat web sites and track the same crimes....calgary's only goes 6 months back but i found other articles citing similar proportions for 12 month periods......this kind of goes against the myth of Winnipeg's downtown being more dangerous than that of other cities.

[JamieDavid Exchange]

...

[chrisallard5454]

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

Those calculations per capita? Because Calgary is 1, 000, 000+ and i think Edmonton is near 900, 000.

Per Capita wouldn't be looking at the city's population, rather the population of the specific neighbourhood being contrasted, and in the downtown's case maximum and minimum people coming into and out of the downtown during the time the stats are being made.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by trueviking

the image:

so that plan has a giant led wall in the plazza

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by trueviking

off topic, but I was doing some research for an article about portage place and looked at some comparative downtown crime statistics:

Reported incidents over the last 6 months. Calgary: 704. Edmonton: 291. Winnipeg: 247.

these came straight from the three police crimestat web sites and track the same crimes....calgary's only goes 6 months back but i found other articles citing similar proportions for 12 month periods......this kind of goes against the myth of Winnipeg's downtown being more dangerous than that of other cities.

I expect that most Winnipeggers fear the disorder, not the crime, of downtown Winnipeg. The actual Criminal Code incidents tracked by WPS CrimeStat have always been relatively low in the downtown compared to other neighbourhods, mostly because the residential population is low. When downtown streets are bustling with pedestrians, nobody worries about a few pandhandlers or intoxicated people. But, when the streets are largely deserted, people become very fearful of the same thing. This is why many Winnipeggers fear downtown Winnipeg (especially at night) and believe that crime must be out of control.

[Shinook]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

so that plan has a giant led wall in the plazza

What?