Winnipeg Construction

[DavefromSt.Vital]

Hopefully most of these hotel proposals go ahead. Winnipeg really needs more presence from the international chains downtown. While I really like staying at the Inn at the Forks, I sometimes find myself hopping between the two suburban Four Points hotels to maintain status with Starwood.

[Spocket]

I have my doubts that all of these hotels will go forward. Let's remember that some of the big hotels have only recently vacated the downtown area and the airport has added quite a few new rooms over the past several years.

I'm sure that at least some of them will get built but it's better to cross your fingers and hope that the ones you like the most are the ones that go through.
Residential and mixed use buildings are what will prove viable so if it doesn't have that component , don't hold your breath.

As for talk of office buildings ... like Vike said , there's no market for it in Winnipeg. There hasn't been an office market in Winnipeg for decades. Winnipeg is a wholesale town and as such if people need office space they'll usually stick it beside the warehouse they run their show out of. It's not that Winnipeg doesn't have a market at all for office space , it's that we don't have a need for office towers. From a fiscal standpoint , it just doesn't make sense to build office towers considering the construction costs. Small scale only.

It will probably be a good twenty years before Winnipeg's office market picks up enough steam to push an office tower forward that isn't built specifically for one tenant (like Hydro) A spec building in Winnipeg pretty much has to be very small or it's a guaranteed money loser.

[lilwayne]

Originally Posted by Spocket

I have my doubts that all of these hotels will go forward. Let's remember that some of the big hotels have only recently vacated the downtown area and the airport has added quite a few new rooms over the past several years.

I'm sure that at least some of them will get built but it's better to cross your fingers and hope that the ones you like the most are the ones that go through.
Residential and mixed use buildings are what will prove viable so if it doesn't have that component , don't hold your breath.

As for talk of office buildings ... like Vike said , there's no market for it in Winnipeg. There hasn't been an office market in Winnipeg for decades. Winnipeg is a wholesale town and as such if people need office space they'll usually stick it beside the warehouse they run their show out of. It's not that Winnipeg doesn't have a market at all for office space , it's that we don't have a need for office towers. From a fiscal standpoint , it just doesn't make sense to build office towers considering the construction costs. Small scale only.

It will probably be a good twenty years before Winnipeg's office market picks up enough steam to push an office tower forward that isn't built specifically for one tenant (like Hydro) A spec building in Winnipeg pretty much has to be very small or it's a guaranteed money loser.

if you think about it the alt is already going through

and the westin is most likely going through

the waterfront lakeview hotel already gone through

only one were waiting for is the convention center hotel which will go through cuz the expansion was contingent on there being a hotel.. and lake view said most likely use the parking lot they own as 11 story hotel possibly 2 but theyll wait to see regarding that.


i doubt westin hotel would spend this much money destroyiing a huge parking lot like that if they werent serious about this project..

so 90 percent its happening

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by lilwayne

its funny 90 percent of peggers dont even realize or notice any of this construction activity going on. I dont even think they care or pay attention... when ever i mention to anyone theres going to be like 5 new high rises downtown they act pretty shocked. like they dont pay attention to this stuff in the news or anything. i used to be the same up until a few years ago i never even knew about hydro bldg until it was already complete.. and i just found out about chrm after it had already been a month into construction.

One word: suburbanites.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by lilwayne

if you think about it the alt is already going through

and the westin is most likely going through

the waterfront lakeview hotel already gone through

only one were waiting for is the convention center hotel which will go through cuz the expansion was contingent on there being a hotel.. and lake view said most likely use the parking lot they own as 11 story hotel possibly 2 but theyll wait to see regarding that.


i doubt westin hotel would spend this much money destroyiing a huge parking lot like that if they werent serious about this project..

so 90 percent its happening

I think spocket has some great points. I may not agree entirely (I think there is a market for another hotel or two downtown) but he has solid points. How can you be certain it's "90% happening?"

Not everyone in Winnipeg keeps up to date with a development community like SSP...

[Cyro]

Ridgewood South takes first steps
City to begin process for development of new residential neighbourhood

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ridgewood-south-takes-first-steps-206075181.html

Grant Park Pavilion waiting for nod from city

By: Bartley Kives and Martin Cash Posted: 1:00 AM | Comments: 5

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/grant-park-pavilion-waiting-for-nod-from-city-206075151.html

[trueviking]

What are 'all these hotels'?

Alt, Westin, waterfront & convention centre. Two are under construction, one is contractually bound to happen and the other is doing geotechnical testing. It's hardly a glut of new hotel rooms.

It isn't Westin spending the money. They are a flag. It's the private developer. They have spent more than a million dollars to this point. They would not do that if their business plan didn't work. The testing is the final confirmation. If they don't find anything that blows the costs up it will happen. Trust me. It's at least 90%.

I have intimate knowledge of this project. They would have pulled the plug long ago if it didn't work.

[1ajs]

http://www.wpgxhbc.com/

[factis]

Looks like the tower crane at Misericordia is coming down today.

[blueandgoldguy]

Hope they plan on twinning the entire length of Wilkes with that new development at Ridgewood South. We will see quite the increase in traffic there.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Hope they plan on twinning the entire length of Wilkes with that new development at Ridgewood South. We will see quite the increase in traffic there.

I don't know if we'll ever see a completely twinned Wilkes... More likely is a new 4-lane separated roadway a few hundred metres south of Wilkes (a la Sterling Lyon). Otherwise, the eventual grade separation at the William Clement Parkway would be a logistical nightmare...

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by Bdog

I don't know if we'll ever see a completely twinned Wilkes... More likely is a new 4-lane separated roadway a few hundred metres south of Wilkes (a la Sterling Lyon). Otherwise, the eventual grade separation at the William Clement Parkway would be a logistical nightmare...

Yeah, that's the eventual plan. There's also room for a shaftsbury grade separation.

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by trueviking

What are 'all these hotels'?

Alt, Westin, waterfront & convention centre. Two are under construction, one is contractually bound to happen and the other is doing geotechnical testing. It's hardly a glut of new hotel rooms.

It isn't Westin spending the money. They are a flag. It's the private developer. They have spent more than a million dollars to this point. They would not do that if their business plan didn't work. The testing is the final confirmation. If they don't find anything that blows the costs up it will happen. Trust me. It's at least 90%.

I have intimate knowledge of this project. They would have pulled the plug long ago if it didn't work.

Yes but isn't the P&M supposed to be mixed use with a hotel component ? Maybe I read it wrong. Wasn't SoPo supposed to have a hotel component ? Lakeview ? Alt , Convention Center ,Westin , waterfront ... that doesn't seem like a bit of surge in rooms for the core ?

I'm not claiming to have any insider knowledge of anything but even with what's announced so far , doesn't that seem like an awful lot of new rooms to hit the market at once ? I mean , for a city like Winnipeg anyway , given that it's not exactly Orlando or Vegas , how many new rooms does this city need ?

If the market is actually there then I'm happy as a clam about it. All I'm saying is that it seems like recently everybody is announcing a hotel to go in the downtown area. Probably just my faulty perception but it also seems that if there was that much demand for all these rooms , they'd have been built years ago. Not trying to be negative , just realistic.

[JamieDavid Exchange]

Originally Posted by Spocket

Yes but isn't the P&M supposed to be mixed use with a hotel component ? Maybe I read it wrong. Wasn't SoPo supposed to have a hotel component ? Lakeview ? Alt , Convention Center ,Westin , waterfront ... that doesn't seem like a bit of surge in rooms for the core ?

I'm not claiming to have any insider knowledge of anything but even with what's announced so far , doesn't that seem like an awful lot of new rooms to hit the market at once ? I mean , for a city like Winnipeg anyway , given that it's not exactly Orlando or Vegas , how many new rooms does this city need ?

If the market is actually there then I'm happy as a clam about it. All I'm saying is that it seems like recently everybody is announcing a hotel to go in the downtown area. Probably just my faulty perception but it also seems that if there was that much demand for all these rooms , they'd have been built years ago. Not trying to be negative , just realistic.

CMHR is supposed to attract one million visitors a year the first ten years. That's a lot of hotel rooms needed

[Cyro]

Yes ..and in addition to the CMHR, mentioned, I think you also answered your own question. Convention Center x2 in size more buisness activity/guests, NHL hockey/visitors, launched the alt.hotel, to an extent as well. Just more activity in the core to name a few. Slow/steady population growth...just more people, It was time as investors have become more confident in the market.

[bomberjet]

With the speculated Westin Hotel and the caisson testing. Are we to assume then there a no below grade floor levels, similar to Cnetrepoint? If they're pouring caisson's without any excavation. Or could the top be cut off similar to a pile?

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

CMHR is supposed to attract one million visitors a year the first ten years. That's a lot of hotel rooms needed

LOL! Good luck with that.

[1ajs]

manitoba museum gets 400,000 or somthing

[drew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

With the speculated Westin Hotel and the caisson testing. Are we to assume then there a no below grade floor levels, similar to Cnetrepoint? If they're pouring caisson's without any excavation. Or could the top be cut off similar to a pile?

Caissons bear directly on the bedrock surface. So the length is irrelevant.

They could have below grade levels or not, the extra length of pile at the top can just be trimmed down.

The fact they are load testing caissons is curious. Obviously they work, simply looking at the number of highrises around it that have a similar foundation.

I guess they must really be trying to finesse the foundation design to get as few piles as necessary. Being a structural engineer, I am not a big fan of foundation finesse.

[chrisallard5454]

Originally Posted by drew

Caissons bear directly on the bedrock surface. So the length is irrelevant.

They could have below grade levels or not, the extra length of pile at the top can just be trimmed down.

The fact they are load testing caissons is curious. Obviously they work, simply looking at the number of highrises around it that have a similar foundation.

I guess they must really be trying to finesse the foundation design to get as few piles as necessary. Being a structural engineer, I am not a big fan of foundation finesse.

What results of foundation finesse?