Saskatoon Construction II

[skSK]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Hey skSK you made the Star.
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2013/07/26/fantasy-brt/

Crazy!! Coolest part of my week.

[gowest]

Originally Posted by skSK

Crazy!! Coolest part of my week.

Hey skSk, where were you when they started on the south bridge? Maybe the city should ask for your ideas on the rest of the bridges. Good job.

[Ruckus]

Great job skSK! I like your Yellow line/loop concept (ripe for employment nodes). I do wonder about your decision to leave out a station at Idylwyld and Circle Drive. A station at that location could serve as an anchor on the western end of Circle Drive North. I think more people should view the mess that is Circle Drive North as an opportunity for commercial and residential infill. BRT service would transform that corridor more than any other in the city. It has a lot of the right ingredients.

Lazy afternoons

[skSK]

Originally Posted by Ruckus

Great job skSK! I like your Yellow line/loop concept (ripe for employment nodes). I do wonder about your decision to leave out a station at Idylwyld and Circle Drive. A station at that location could serve as an anchor on the western end of Circle Drive North. I think more people should view the mess that is Circle Drive North as an opportunity for commercial and residential infill. BRT service would transform that corridor more than any other in the city. It has a lot of the right ingredients.

Lazy afternoons

Thanks everyone! Ruckus, I left out that intersection because I was (am) wondering what will come of the Circle-Idylwyld study (i.e. what the intersection will look like in the future). I did put one a few blocks south at Idylwyld and 39th, thinking that it could serve to catch traffic in that area. You're right though that what looks like an unmitigated mess can really provide opportunities for some unique and creative solutions.

[Brutopian]

Food, beer lovers open gastro pub


BY SCOTT LARSON, THE STARPHOENIX JULY 27, 2013

A trio of ex-pats has returned to Saskatchewan bringing their love of food and beer with them.

"It's a three-year dream in the making," said Blair Voth Miller, co-owner of Congress Beer House along with husband Brad Miller and Chef Cole Dobranski.

"We'd have these midnight conversations (about opening a gastro pub)."

The trio are all originally from Saskatchewan (Voth Miller from Swift Current, Miller from Prince Albert and Dobranski from Regina), who spent the last few years participating in Calgary's restaurant scene. "We learned so much about food and how great it feels to make something from scratch and serve it to people," Voth Miller said.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Food+beer+lovers+open+gastro/8716381/story.html

[Brutopian]

Here are the details on the July 31st Grand Opening of the South Bridge.

Bridge Parade, anyone?

[Dino35]

Originally Posted by Brutopian

Here are the details on the July 31st Grand Opening of the South Bridge.

Bridge Parade, anyone?

I walked the bridge this afternoon. There were probably 4 or 5 people walking and a few bikers. No one was working and there was absolutely no traffic. It is quite the view and I expect there will be quite the turn our for Wednesday.

[Echoes]

The Bell 'n Whistle is open.

[Devon]

I had the opportunity to try it yesterday actually. It has a sports bar kind of feel that i wasnt expecting, with crappy (in my opinion) radio rock and multiple tv's. Nothing overly unique about the place. I also found 7$ 1 oz cocktails to be a bit high for what it was.

It's pretty impressive how quickly 2nd Ave has changed in the last year. Lets hope t continues.

[Brutopian]

Reinvesting in roads only option

By Jordon Cooper, The Starphoenix, July 29, 2013

The mayor is calling for a new road strategy in Saskatoon.

He told the StarPhoenix last week, "We can't keep on going down and keep repairing them. We need to come up with a better strategy."

Of course, the problem with having Mayor Don Atchison calling for a new strategy is that he designed the old one. Not only have the roads deteriorated greatly during his tenure, but on his election website he even posted a video on Oct. 9, 2012, titled, "We have a plan for our streets."

Ten months later, he is calling for a new plan.

He isn't the only one who has a plan for Saskatoon's streets. The civic administration presented a report right after the election, showing the mayor and councillors how much it would take to get our roadways up to acceptable standards.

The 2012 Roads Report would read like a comedy if it wasn't talking about the $1.4-billion investment we have made in our roads over the years. The report had several recommendations depending on what kind of roads we wanted. Almost all cost more than we are spending now.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Reinvesting+roads+only+option/8719984/story.html

[Brutopian]

City officials defend delays on Circle South crossing

New Saskatoon bridge to open Wednesday

CBC News, July 29, 2013

A delay of nearly a year on Saskatoon's newest river crossing was caused by bad weather and contractors, according to the city manager.

The Circle Drive South bridge project includes roughly eight kilometres of four and six-lane freeways and interchanges connecting the crossing to the rest of the city. At nearly $300 million, it's the biggest infrastructure project ever for the City of Saskatoon.

It was supposed to open September 30, 2012. At that point the bridge was complete, but the roadways leading up to it were not.

The city said the Circle Drive South crossing will open to vehicles at 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday.

A number of businesses in the construction area said lengthy delays and poorly-marked city detours kept customers away. One business owner estimated he'd lost $1 million in the two years that crews were working on Lorne Avenue South.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/...on-city-defends-south-bridge-delays.html

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Devon

I had the opportunity to try it yesterday actually. It has a sports bar kind of feel that i wasnt expecting, with crappy (in my opinion) radio rock and multiple tv's. Nothing overly unique about the place. I also found 7$ 1 oz cocktails to be a bit high for what it was.

It's pretty impressive how quickly 2nd Ave has changed in the last year. Lets hope t continues.

I tried it out too and found it to be completely average. The decor and atmosphere was a letdown, and the menu fairly run-of-the-mill. I had heard the people of Saboroso were behind Bell 'n Whistle. If so, where's the special touch? But at least the old Royal Bank building is now being used for something!

The 2nd Ave boom is amazing though. Bon Temps blew me away. Congress I need to give another try but left me underwhelmed. I'm yet to try Bottega but I'm hearing amazing things.

[EarlyByrdProductions]

With all the boom on 2nd it is a sad day on Broadway and for all live music lovers in this city as Lydia's will be closing its doors.
The writing was indeed on the walls for a while, and the last few months only the middle level was leased.

Regardless of how many repairs need doing on the building lets hope that they get done and we keep that historic and beautifully iconic building on Broadway.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by EarlyByrdProductions

With all the boom on 2nd it is a sad day on Broadway and for all live music lovers in this city as Lydia's will be closing its doors.
The writing was indeed on the walls for a while, and the last few months only the middle level was leased.

Regardless of how many repairs need doing on the building lets hope that they get done and we keep that historic and beautifully iconic building on Broadway.

Sad news indeed. It would be so awful if that building was demolished. Do you know more of the backstory of what's going on?

While Saskatoon is experiencing something of a restaurant and pub boom, I'm not seeing the same kind of growth in our nightlife. In fact, nightclubs and live music venues seem to be getting the squeeze. Scratch, Lepps, and now Lydia's are the most recent examples.

[EarlyByrdProductions]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Sad news indeed. It would be so awful if that building was demolished. Do you know more of the backstory of what's going on?

While Saskatoon is experiencing something of a restaurant and pub boom, I'm not seeing the same kind of growth in our nightlife. In fact, nightclubs and live music venues seem to be getting the squeeze. Scratch, Lepps, and now Lydia's are the most recent examples.

I don't know much but am also curious to know if this means we could get another bar on Broadway. There was a cap before, but does this mean there would be an opening?

As far as live music, this is true. Where Lydia's started lacking the last year or so Vangelli's has picked up some more prominent indie shows and Rock Bottom (AKA The Fez, AKA Wash and Slosh) has picked up some as well with probably the city's best open mic on Wednesday. Odeon has been investing heavily in sound and new decor and continues to step it up but we could always use some proper music venues in town.

As for nightclubs...Saskatoon doesn't really have any (Tequila's...Baileys...meh). With our continued influx of mediocore lounges, sports bars and upscale pubs it would be a risky biz to try and battle that lifestyle here in the city 7 days a week. Dress code in Saskatoon? Were getting there...but not yet.

[Brutopian]

Lydia’s serves its last pint

By Jeremy Warren, The StarPhoenix, July 29, 2013

On Wednesday night, the famous open stage at Lydia’s Pub will be closed for the first time in recent memory.

The Broadway Avenue bar in the iconic Farnam Block building shut down for good Monday morning. Management locked the doors without explanation or announcement, which had musicians and patrons visiting the venue to see if the news that slowly leaked out on Monday was really true.

“It’s been a great place, and it’s sad to see it go,” said Adam Lealos, a Saskatoon musician who plays for bands such as Me the Guts and Let’s Get Nasty!, while hanging out in front of the well-worn metal staircase at the bar’s entrance.

“It’s a big part of Broadway. Some of the live shows I’ve seen here — it’s been unreal,” he said.

On Tuesday nights, Lydia’s hosted a long-running open stage where many local bands played their first shows. It brought on-the-rise local and national bands to its cramped stage — for years charging $5 for admission, regardless of who was playing — and offered two floors of games tables. It also hosted popular weekly live poetry events.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/Lydia+serves+last+pint/8723473/story.html

[Jerry]

Very sad to hear Lydia's is closed.

Rumor is that the building has been sold. An old Colliers listing shows that it was listed at $1,775,000 and that Lydia's lease ran out on Aug 15, 2013.

What's next for the building who knows. Just hoping it's not some chain restaurant or urban clothing store. The worst case scenario would be losing the building.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Very sad to hear Lydia's is closed.

Rumor is that the building has been sold. An old Colliers listing shows that it was listed at $1,775,000 and that Lydia's lease ran out on Aug 15, 2013.

What's next for the building who knows. Just hoping it's not some chain restaurant or urban clothing store. The worst case scenario would be losing the building.

This is what I'm most afraid of. I've heard the building has some major structural problems.

[dsmmace]

A lot of the buildings/apartments in that area are not structurally sound, this comes as no surprise to me.

I was at Lydia's on Friday, a bar glass holding the bathroom window open, that place was dirty and disgusting. No offence to Hipsters, but I'm glad it's closed.

[Echoes]

A tweet from CBC's Britainy Robinson:

CBC Exclusive! Lydia's Pub is getting a new building in downtown Saskatoon Investors including a Sheepdog bought it #cbcyxe #skcbc

https://twitter.com/britrobcbc


^ Trying to think of possible locations. My best guess is where Lepp's was on 3rd Avenue, as it has coincedentally just closed as well.