Quote:
Originally Posted by Dillweed
This project seems to me to be nothing more than a glorified outlet mall. Which if it does happen is not to diminish the impact it would have on the local economy in Dundurn and area which I can't see it harming anything to the contrary. Except for the usual mom & pop hardware stores and such. I'm just saying it's not another West Edmonton Mall and it's being proposed to be built in six phases. So if it does get off the ground expect something much smaller to start as you might see in the renderings. Unlike some here, as for the location I'm not too surprised at all they chose Dundurn. I'm sure they got the land pretty cheap and why Dundurn you ask? Did I say, it's an outlet mall.
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For this place to work as proposed would require international purchasers to come from around the world, would require vast shipping and cargo channels and would require vast improvements to the local hospitality sector.
Is brightstar planning international flights to Camp Dundurn airstrip? Or is YXE going to be ready for direct overseas flights? What exactly do we have that major centers like New York, Toronto, Chicago Vancouver have that would entice this business travellers to spend an extra 3-8 hours and 1-2 connections to fly here (after flying 6 plus hours over the ocean) plus the hour and a half return trip to and from Saskatoon? And if we are to create something to become such a spectacular draw then hotel rooms will be seriously hard to find, hopefully when this opens we also have a couple thousand new rooms between Saskatoon and Dundurn.
How about the hundreds of millions Brightstar (or the municipality) will need to build road and rail to accommodate all the cargo they plan to move? Probably more like tens of billions because the infrastructure capacity just isn't even close to adequate right now.
The local hardware store in Dundurn won't be affected by this at all because it's not as if locals can just walk in and buy things at the wholesellers price point, because they are not buying it by the warehouse load. But if it is, then yes local mom and pop shops better worry.
This whole thing is entirely ludicrous. I personally love ludicrous, it makes life really interesting, especially when watching someone else blow their own money. If this thing works, it will actually cause hardship for local taxpayers, but the potential benefits could outweigh it. I think that is the same reason several prominent figures have been willing to attach their names to it, because there is little risk if it goes bad, but potential glory if it works, it's a lottery ticket.
I would personally believe this thing was genuine if they were located nearer YXE - say the brand new Aerogreen business park being built, or the brand new Marquis industrial area that has already been prepped and graded for a venture such as this with direct arterial access to the airport and major roadways. Or even easier, locate it in the continental shipping hub being built in Regina. To generate the hundreds of millions of sales this place will need to make it all feasible, a couple million more to buy land in the city rather than dirt cheap land in such poor proximity to the actual ammenities they will need to use would save them hundreds of millions and could actually make this possible, rather than just a bald-faced lie.
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