Winnipeg | Exchange District | Developments & Discussions - Page 25

esquire · #**481** Posted **Jul 4, 2014, 7:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

I was given a gift certificate for a stay at the Mariaggi once. Its ubber creepy. I honestly can't fathom why it has such postive reviews on tripadvisor. The room we got was super cheesy. Like they got their idea of whats romantic from an 80's —. Plasic grapes and vines. A green hotub and shower with a gold coloured surround. Seriously straight out of the 80's. It was really outdated.

Never been but I've heard reviews that are exactly in line with what you're saying. It's enough to keep me from going, but clearly they have their loyal market

I'd like to see something like the new Airport Grand pop up on a vacant lot on Adelaide... it's nice and stylish but by no means extravagant. A nice little urban hotel to help keep the streets hopping and to give visitors the chance to stay right in the Exchange District without having to worry about whether they contracted something from the hot tub.

Prairie boy · #**482** Posted **Jul 4, 2014, 7:12 PM**

Yes Esquire, Adelaide would be a great spot too. It would attract other businesses to the area...

2lunds · #**483** Posted **Jul 4, 2014, 7:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

http://www.winnipeg.ca/CLKDMIS/ViewDoc.asp?DocId=13710&SectionId=&InitUrl=

Report 4.

$800k is up for approval for Elgin Ave streetscaping this year. Seems pretty quick considering the master plan was just completed a couple weeks ago. Does that seem a bit weird or no? To update the lane prior to anything else being done? Or is it a "we'll make this fancy laneway so everyone will flock to the area". Then upgrade the roads later.

Yeah I'm not sure why their pants are so on fire for this whole "Hell's Alley" thing. The name has pretty negative connotations, and unless someone reads about the history of the 1919 strike, they're not likely to know the meaning behind it. Anyway, I overheard a guide on a walking tour talking about it the other day, so it's obviously something they're making a priority.

esquire · #**484** Posted **Jul 4, 2014, 7:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lunds

Yeah I'm not sure why their pants are so on fire for this whole "Hell's Alley" thing. The name has pretty negative connotations, and unless someone reads about the history of the 1919 strike, they're not likely to know the meaning behind it. Anyway, I overheard a guide on a walking tour talking about it the other day, so it's obviously something they're making a priority.

Tourism officials latch on to anything that gives their area a bit of distinction... it's the same reason that St. Boniface is sold as "the French quarter" even though it leads to disappointment for anyone expecting New Orleans on the Prairie. Same thing with the hype about the mob tunnels in Moose Jaw... Capone's picture is everywhere even though he never actually went there.

Labroco · #**485** Posted **Jul 6, 2014, 6:54 AM**

The permit required to create the patio for Parlour and the building's tenants took almost a year to obtain! No help from BIZ or Centre Ventures.

They started the process last summer!

The building owners went to a lot of trouble just to
obtain a great cup of coffee outside until October.

That is what adds to the urban fabric of the city!

People on the street...

Prairie boy · #**486** Posted **Jul 6, 2014, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labroco

The permit required to create the patio for Parlour and the building's tenants took almost a year to obtain! No help from BIZ or Centre Ventures.

They started the process last summer!

The building owners went to a lot of trouble just to
obtain a great cup of coffee outside until October.

That is what adds to the urban fabric of the city!

People on the street...

Still too much red tape! Maybe Judy will put an end to it...

Authentic_City · #**487** Posted **Jul 6, 2014, 3:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prairie boy

Still too much red tape! Maybe Judy will put an end to it...

Remember the Sam Katz red tape commission? He was elected on a promise to reduce red tape and after three terms... what has really changed.

Winnipeg Architect · #**488** Posted **Jul 6, 2014, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Remember the Sam Katz red tape commission? He was elected on a promise to reduce red tape and after three terms... what has really changed.

Nothing will change.

I have built 8 buildings in Winnipeg and and currently building another right now and the permit process is getting worse every year for the past 20 years.

The attitudes of most civil servants is one of entitlement with no respect or regard for the developer.

They simply just do not care and that is why Winnipeg looks the way it does.

Most wealth people here invest elsewhere because they know how anti-business City Hall is and do not have the patience to deal with all the — they throw at people when they want to build a building for the betterment of this place.

I deal with builders that work all across Canada and they all state that Winnipeg is the worst place to obtain a building permit. They plain hate working here.

Riverman · #**489** Posted **Jul 6, 2014, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipeg Architect

Most wealth people here invest elsewhere because they know how anti-business City Hall is

JWL is as anti business as one can be so if she gets elected noting will ever get built here. That is, unless it is done only with union labour.

2lunds · #**490** Posted **Jul 7, 2014, 5:55 PM**

Surveyors were out marking Bertha @ Elgin today - streetscaping, or beginning of "Hell's Alley" transformation...?

oftheMoon · #**491** Posted **Jul 7, 2014, 6:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lunds

Surveyors were out marking Bertha @ Elgin today - streetscaping, or beginning of "Hell's Alley" transformation...?

Redevelopment was approved at City Hall this morning.

A majority of the members of the downtown development committee voted in favour of the streetscaping, with Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) in opposition.

2lunds · #**492** Posted **Jul 7, 2014, 6:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Redevelopment was approved at City Hall this morning.

For the streetscaping or the Hell's Alley interpretive lane?

oftheMoon · #**493** Posted **Jul 7, 2014, 6:35 PM**

^^^ from The Metro...

http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/108847...0k-for-hells-alley-in-exchange-district/

2lunds · #**494** Posted **Jul 7, 2014, 7:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

^^^ from The Metro...

http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/108847...0k-for-hells-alley-in-exchange-district/

Thanks for that link. I wonder if they're going to rip out the rail line that remains? It's one of the few left in the area - a shame to see it go.

cllew · #**495** Posted **Jul 7, 2014, 9:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipeg Architect

Nothing will change.

I have built 8 buildings in Winnipeg and and currently building another right now and the permit process is getting worse every year for the past 20 years.

The attitudes of most civil servants is one of entitlement with no respect or regard for the developer.

They simply just do not care and that is why Winnipeg looks the way it does.

Most wealth people here invest elsewhere because they know how anti-business City Hall is and do not have the patience to deal with all the — they throw at people when they want to build a building for the betterment of this place.

I deal with builders that work all across Canada and they all state that Winnipeg is the worst place to obtain a building permit. They plain hate working here.

Yet they keep coming back and tendering on projects for Winnipeg. If it was that bad you think they would leave it for the local companies.

esquire · #**496** Posted **Jul 11, 2014, 6:09 PM**

Happened to walk down Alexander Ave. today and noticed a couple of things:

-Work is really chugging along on the residential conversion at Stanley and Alexander (near the Peace Tower). You can see a number of new windows on the building. Can't remember the details on this one, but I think this is one of the unlikeliest locations yet for a housing redevelopment in central Winnipeg. Good on the developer if they can make a go of it... between this and the Peace Tower there will now potentially be a few hundred residents living on a block that until recently had few or no occupants.

-A gift shop called Cree-ations is moving in to where BIOS Architecture used to be at Main and Alexander. It's too bad BIOS left because it added some creative cred to the North Main strip. It opened there in the late 00s when there was a bit of a resurgence going on in the area, but it seems that all momentum was lost around the time that the big WRHA building opened up at Logan and Main because next to nothing has opened up since.

thebasketballgeek · #**497** Posted **Jul 12, 2014, 3:18 PM**

I found and intresting article on the residents high growth rate effecting the nightclubs.

you can read the rest of the article here http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/breaking-the-sound-barrier-266850021.html

Breaking the sound barrier
The Exchange historically has been a nightlife hub -- but can the clubs coexist with a growing residential population?

Is the Exchange District and its new focus on residential development about to squeeze out its famous nightclubs?

For decades now, the Exchange District has been a hub of nightclub, bar and restaurant activity. Even though the area does not boast the same number of establishments as the heydays of the late 1980s and early 1990s, several big clubs still operate alongside a growing inventory of cafés and restaurants.
However, the city has had for some years now an overarching interest in massively increasing residential density in the downtown in general, and the Exchange District in particular, to increase safety and support the establishment of ancillary businesses such as grocery stores.

This policy initiative has worked remarkably well. Just 10 years ago, there were only a few hundred residents of the Exchange District; today Winnipeg's CentreVenture Development Corporation estimates there are more than 1,900 people who call the Exchange home.

While that is an admirable and progressive philosophy for urban planning, it ultimately means a radical change in the dynamic of this historic and historically underutilized neighbourhood.

Cyro · #**498** Posted **Jul 14, 2014, 1:14 AM**

The area is undergoing a natural organic transformation. I much prefer the fact that residential use may someday be the dominant presence in the area and night clubs, popular in the evening hours, would take a secondary role until a solid base of residents would populate the area. At that point I'm all for the nightlife scene, a happy medium between both would be a very desirable outcome.

2lunds · #**499** Posted **Jul 14, 2014, 6:18 PM**

Well I can tell you from listening to other residents of the area - they hate the noise of people spilling out onto the streets after close (I'm not a fan either, but having lived in Osborne and Corydon, it doesn't bother me as much as someone who moved from a suburb). I think it's hilarious that we ostensibly moved downtown to be in on the "action", yet we've quickly adopted a "get off my lawn!" mentality. I wouldn't be surprised if noise bylaws etc... become enforced so tightly that it discourages nightclub business. Not to mention, clubs aren't nearly as popular now as they were 20 years ago. Pub culture is taking over.

Flatland Metropolis · #**500** Posted **Jul 14, 2014, 7:21 PM**

These problems are hardly unique to Winnipeg. King Street in Toronto has even worse issues with clubs and noise complaints as well as omplaints of sun shading such as come with the James tower here.