Saskatoon Construction II

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

I noticed when I went to the NHL Pre-Season game yesterday That they are installing traffic lights at Bill Hunter Ave and Thatcher Ave. THIS is desperately needed and happy to see it happen!

Now to build the interchanges at Highways 11 and 16 and this will be MUCH safer area.

The traffic at the game last night was a nightmare. It took me around 40 minutes just to get into the parking lot. Once I was in there I think I located the source of the issue - an entire long side of the building is now VIP (pay) parking. This has had a knock on effect of funneling everyone into a very small space. It will make me a bit reluctant to go back out there in future (although sometimes you have no choice). It also created a lot of gridlock and the resulting efforts of drivers to get around the lock jam were pretty dangerous.

[hunter12]

It would make an excellent location for a Costco. That would make my day.

Originally Posted by drm310

Does that mean that Wilson Greenhouse will be closing up and moving? Damn.

http://dream.ca/centres/wp-content/u...-Site-Plan.png

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by Dino35

Just saw that the Woodfire Grill is no more... Replaced by "stacked gourmet burger bar".

No surprise there. Place was awful. Went once, was served undercooked chicken, got attitude from the server when I complained, left hungry. Never went back. Good riddance.

But a burger joint is about the most conservative, safest option (i.e. most boring option) I could think of for that space. Even though it'll replace something shitty, this is a disappointingly lateral move for downtown eats. It's not like it's hard to find a burger (even without McDonald's! ). Seems like this might fill a second-tier niche - "Rook and Raven's full?" "Fuck it, let's just get burgers."

I would have loved loved loved a decent Mexican place there! (La Bamba is in the sticks, and don't even get me started on Las Palapas!) Would have welcomed a good sushi joint too (still sad about Izumi...)

[Brutopian]

5 new hotels opening in Saskatoon, 5 more in planning stages

Saskatoon could soon have another 1,000 hotel rooms available

CBC News, Sept 29, 2014

Saskatoon's hotel industry is experiencing unprecedented growth with five new hotels opening and another five in the planning stages.

A representatives of the Saskatoon Hotels Association says the added rooms means the city will soon be able to accommodate more visitors for conventions and entertainment events.

Currently, according to the association's Steve Johnston, the city's hotels have an occupancy rate of about 70 per cent — one of the busiest markets in North America.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...ages-1.2782111

[EpicPonyTime]

^^ On top of the new hotels in Saskatoon itself, they just finished the new Canalta Hotel out here in Martensville. So there's even more options in the area.

Originally Posted by Roquentin

But a burger joint is about the most conservative, safest option (i.e. most boring option) I could think of for that space. Even though it'll replace something shitty, this is a disappointingly lateral move for downtown eats. It's not like it's hard to find a burger (even without McDonald's! ). Seems like this might fill a second-tier niche - "Rook and Raven's full?" "Fuck it, let's just get burgers."

I thought the place was new! I walked by it a few days ago and couldn't remember for the life of me what it replaced.

I'll disagree with you that it is a boring option, though. I think the downtown area is long overdue for a good, gourmet burger restaurant. It's not hard to find a burger downtown, no, but to find specialty burgers? A little more challenging, and unless I'm mistaken there's no place downtown which exclusively focuses on burgers (and presumably fries and poutine). It's a nice step between fast food and ordering a burger at one of the nice places on 2nd Ave. I'm definitely looking forward to trying it; I'm sure for the burger fans their product is going to be a lot better than anything else in the area.

[Measuring Stick]

[QUOTE=Roquentin;6748792]No surprise there. Place was awful. Went once, was served undercooked chicken, got attitude from the server when I complained, left hungry. Never went back. Good riddance. ......
QUOTE]

Looks like it is still the same owner. So fingers crossed he figured things out after Woodfire, which I agree had below average food, gourmet prices and horrible service.

[Echoes]

Fionn MacCool's opened this week in the new retail strip on 2nd Ave beside the Galaxy. Looks like they'll have a spacious sidewalk patio in summer. Clearly this chain pub isn't worried about the "vagrants" hanging around the Lighthouse, directly across the street (yet Winston's is, and they're 2 blocks away).

I'm eager to see what will occupy the other retail spaces. It would be nice to see that block finished off with River Centre II sooner rather than later.

[Wyku]

[QUOTE=Measuring Stick;6749015]

Originally Posted by Roquentin

No surprise there. Place was awful. Went once, was served undercooked chicken, got attitude from the server when I complained, left hungry. Never went back. Good riddance. ......
QUOTE]

Looks like it is still the same owner. So fingers crossed he figured things out after Woodfire, which I agree had below average food, gourmet prices and horrible service.

Went there on Sunday--was actually on our way to the Rook, but saw it was new and was open (for their "soft opening month") so thought we'd give it a try--should have just went to the Rook. They have a pretty big menu for a burger bar with pizza and salads (I think) and they have "normal" burgers and "chef's" burgers. The chicken burgers are ground chicken--gross. The normal burgers are okay, but nothing unique or original and don't even fill out the buns. The bun choices however are awesome--pretzel buns, FTW! They had a kobe beef burger which I assume makes them "gourmet".

[Wyku]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

I noticed when I went to the NHL Pre-Season game yesterday That they are installing traffic lights at Bill Hunter Ave and Thatcher Ave. THIS is desperately needed and happy to see it happen!

Now to build the interchanges at Highways 11 and 16 and this will be MUCH safer area.

Those lights have been up for weeks/months, but I'm not sure why they haven't been turned on yet?

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by Wyku

Those lights have been up for weeks/months, but I'm not sure why they haven't been turned on yet?

Months! Unless they are awaiting parts or maybe traffic sensors to be installed in the roadway?

Those would be the only thing I can think of that would hold them up.

[Jezza]

CUC also didn't have bus shuttles for the hockey game, as a result of the lockout. This is compounding the traffic woes during events.

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by Jezza

CUC also didn't have bus shuttles for the hockey game, as a result of the lockout. This is compounding the traffic woes during events.

That probably explains some of it. I've never seen it this bad. But considering that the route in was significantly altered and lengthened (with fewer regular parking spots) I think that the paid parking model also had an effect. It was pretty chaotic/dangerous.

[Echoes]

At the end of this article, there's a bit of info (but not much) regarding a new U of S arena at College Quarter, as well as the proposed school of architecture:

Barnhart mulls entering competition for university presidency

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/B...774/story.html

[Echoes]

Highways ministry eyes west-end bypass around Saskatoon
Saskatoon, Corman Park, Province splitting bill for study

Reported by François Biber
First Posted: Sep 30, 2014 4:41pm | Last Updated: Sep 30, 2014 4:49pm

Frustrated truckers driving through Saskatoon may see some relief – as the Ministry of Highways mulls over the idea of a new bypass around the city's west end.

“The purpose of the route would be to provide another north-south connection through the city and Corman Park for vehicle traffic and, specifically, truck traffic,” ministry spokesperson Doug Wakabayashi said.

In partnership with the City of Saskatoon and the Rural Municipality of Corman Park, the ministry is hiring a consultant to look at the possibility of having a bypass road connecting Highway 16 northwest of Saskatoon down to Circle Drive South.

Wakabayashi said the consultant will identify options where that north-south road could go in an effort to reduce truck traffic through the city and headaches for truckers and other drivers.

Terry Siemens, president of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association said anything to get truck traffic out of the inner-city is a plus, adding truckers are begging for a road allowing them to bypass Saskatoon streets.

“Trucks want to stay on the outside. They don't want to sit in traffic or cause traffic jams so being able to go to the west side of town and head to the north (or south) end of the city on the outskirts is beneficial for all parties,” Siemens said.

From a trucker’s perspective, Siemens said rush-hour traffic in front of Avenue C and Circle Drive is treacherous and if drivers could avoid the area, they would.

“I know trucks are lined up at the Travelodge … you can be sitting at the light for half hour just to get onto Circle Drive,” he said, adding once on Circle Drive, truckers tend to stay on par with other cars.

“Getting on and off Circle Drive is where all the congestion is. Especially in the north end of the city where many of the trucking businesses are based.”

Neault Road, formerly known as Dalmeny Road, could be one option for the connector. Siemens said improvements would have to be made on the road to ensure it can hold the traffic it’s meant to.

[....]

http://newstalk650.com/story/highway...skatoon/419900

[North_Regina_Boy]

**Moved**

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...=210815&page=2

[gowest]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

And I point to a drawings I had done August 2013, with nearly exactly what they are talking about.

"Until then Both Circle South Bridge routing and Circle North Bridge Routing from the north are both bottlenecks. Get rid of ONE of them. And closing two access (partially) would make it an easy way to fix a lot of issues.

ALSO building a connection with a 4 lane highway from the new Valley road interchange to HWY 7 then North on Dalmany road to hwy 16 with an interchange at 22nd would allow for a truck bypass without the need for the massive expenditure of the North Perimeter for the time being. Allowing this would get trucks off Circle North and off 22nd making navigation better for all.

Also with that they must build at the same time the overpass at Boychuck. Voila truck bypass complete! Amazing how a not much thinking can save you hundreds of millions eh? Humm.

For this routing what would need to be done:

- Interchange at Boychuck - $35M
- 4 lane from Valley to Hwy 7 - (2M / 1.6km) 4.8km = $9.6M
- Interchange from New link to CN yards and city yards $15-20M
- Interchange at Hwy 7 - 35M
- Completion of Interchange at 22nd - $10-15M
- 4 lane from 22nd to Hwy 16 - 15km = $19M
- Interchange at Dalmany Rd and Hwy 16 = $35M

Total = Roughly $165-200M ($750M-1B for North Perimeter) Allowing for design and environmental impact studies.

Secondary benefits to this routing:

- Can extend north of Hwy 16 to complete North Perimeter
- Trucks now have direct connection from Hwys 7 and 14 to Hwys 11 and 16 without having to go through city and can travel at 90 km/h or faster
- Trucks now have easy access to North Industrial and South Industrial areas along 11th st and South CN Industrial Via 11th street interchange and 51st ave interchange.
- Direct access to CN / City Management Yards
- Allowance to NW industrial area via interchange at Beam Road
- Allowance for 33rd St Interchange
- Allowance for Claypool Dr Interchange
- North Perimeter doesn't allow for current trucking concerns for highways 7 and 14. This does.

There is my rant enjoy.

Here is a picture of the routing that this solution would make the truck bypass:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...89847&page=258



"

A lot less money to upgrade existing roads and tie into existing infrastructure to get MAJOR headaches in travel remedied. I wonder if they (the ministry) are seeing my drawings?

Extend it around to highways 12 and 11 on the north side. And you don't even have to build a new North Highway bridge for a while either.

I remember you posting this and thought it made a great deal of sense. The city should have listened to many of the suggestion like this and from people who live, work and drive in the area before the bridge connectors when left out. The south bridge has changed the travel time for so many people and has made life easier. Good idea, good job. Maybe you should make some of the big bucks this study is going to cost.

[Wyku]

Adding a connection from the Valley Road turn-off from Circle Drive to Highway 7 as part of the Circle Drive South project was such a no-brainer and is becoming more and more evident as to just how much it's needed as the city continues to grow and more development is (slowly) happening on the West side. Obviously it was outside of the City limits, but NOW the other parties are talking about it? It needs to be completed before any other bypass section can really be useful--even the North parkway bridge project won't help with truck traffic.

I don't think Neault Rd. should be the place to be routing truck traffic though. With Kensington being developed, the stretch from the new 33rd St. extension to Highway 14/22nd St. is going to become like a Boychuck/Claypool/McOrmond type road--unless they beef up the road and build the required interchanges at 33rd, 22nd, the eventual Claypool, etc. along with it.... It provides the best short term fix, but not long term as there is more development proposed further West of Neault Rd. as well. They pretty much need to build the West section of the perimeter highway from Highway 16/14/7 right now and then an offshoot section from Highway 7 to Valley Road to get the ball rolling.

[macca]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=210815

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by macca

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=210815

Haha yes Macca, we shall move the conversation.

[Echoes]

My bad. I forgot about that thread.