Saskatoon Construction II

[Arts]

Originally Posted by Temperance

I agree with Echoes 100%. The only thing I would add is that the city must also show some interest in protecting our few remaining heritage buildings - it can't all be up to the heritage society.

I'm afraid the Farnham block is pretty irreplaceable, given its features and the context of the area. It will probably replaced with an ugly mid-rise office/residential development.

I talked with one of the owners and he says they are going for an upscale low-rise office/retail development, with lots of glass and high end materials. I'm hoping that he is not thinking along the lines of the one they just built on Fairmont Dr which Autism Services of Saskatoon recently moved to (Stucco two story with two and a half story lobby).

[Crisis]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

The Farnham Block is also the last split level-entrance building in the province. It's literally the last of its kind.

Ironically, that is the prime reason for its demise (aside from the lack of maintenance resulting in a building in very poor condition). Bars are generally poor tenants compared to retail users and retailers demand grade-level access to their stores.

[blueboots]

Saw this in the newspaper today. New McOrmand Bridge by 2017.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/City+eyes+change+slow+College+Drive/10865392/story.html

[EpicPonyTime]

Originally Posted by Arts

I talked with one of the owners and he says they are going for an upscale low-rise office/retail development, with lots of glass and high end materials. I'm hoping that he is not thinking along the lines of the one they just built on Fairmont Dr which Autism Services of Saskatoon recently moved to (Stucco two story with two and a half story lobby).

...but because getting all this glass and high-end materials takes time, in the meantime we invite you to enjoy Saskatoon's latest parking lot.

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by EpicPonyTime

...but because getting all this glass and high-end materials takes time, in the meantime we invite you to enjoy Saskatoon's latest parking lot.

Knock down a few of these old brick buildings and replace them all with steel and glass (however nice the design) and the character of the neighbourhood is completely gone. I can't believe the city is so casual about letting this happen. I understand the finances of renovating and maintaining old buildings but the removal of heritage also has a financial cost, particularly when you consider the added (economic) value of the character areas like Broadway.

[hunter12]

Originally Posted by blueboots

Saw this in the newspaper today. New McOrmand Bridge by 2017.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/City+eyes+change+slow+College+Drive/10865392/story.html

After seeing this story I looked up the plans on the City's web site. Here is the link to the agenda for the upcoming meeting of the STANDING POLICY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION.

https://www.saskatoon.ca/city-hall/city-...es/boards-committees/minutes-and-agendas

There are two recommended overpass options of which neither resembles to original design.

What is shocking is the plan to add an intersection between the railway overpass and McOrmond as well as an intersection between McOrmond and the old drive inn. This road has to remain a freeway to accommodate the future traffic volumes. In the future I envision a third lane added to this road as an HOV lane or simply a dedicated rapid transit lane. Holmwood at full build out will have 70,000 people and this is only major corridor into the city core.

I have no idea what the city planners are thinking here. Department of Highways traffic counts from 2013 indicate that 23,400 vehicles per day use this stretch of road. That volume is only going higher.

This city had made some massive infrastructure planning blunders in the past but this almost tops them all in my opinion.

[jigglysquishy]

The intersections are largely to get people from Holmwood onto the road. The city isn't going to spend $25,000,000 to build an interchange at each road. The city has planned lights at highway 41 for years.

Traffic is going to — from Holmwood. There's really no cheap way around it.

[hunter12]

Several years ago I was in Charlottetown and I remember someone talking about their strict rules for approving the demolition of older buildings. I did some research and I have attached a couple of links to the City of Charlottetown regarding this issue.

http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/pdfs/Demolition%20&%20Moving%20Permits.pdf

http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/planningandheritage.php

I think we could learn something from them.

[Arts]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

The intersections are largely to get people from Holmwood onto the road. The city isn't going to spend $25,000,000 to build an interchange at each road. The city has planned lights at highway 41 for years.

Traffic is going to — from Holmwood. There's really no cheap way around it.

I'm afraid so too... very shortsighted and poor planning. The long term fix to not planning the complete road hierarchy in place means that eventually they are going to have to build many more interchanges for all the local/collector tie-ins to ever have any kind of flow in 20 years or more. And even then, when College Dr is finally upgraded to a proper freeway there are going to be horrible weaving issues due to too many small collectors having to connect to it. Traffic most definitely is going to —, forever, until they respect the corridor.

[jigglysquishy]

There's a student group looking at doing green infill in Nutana. You should check it out.

https://nutanagreeninfill.wordpress.com/

[Brutopian]

PHOTOS: Classes set to start at Willowgrove schools

Families visited Willowgrove and Holy Family schools Sunday

Reported by News Talk 650 Radio staff

Mar 8-9, 2015

Schools bells will ring for the first time at Willowgrove and Holy Family schools Monday morning.

Following months of delays, the shared public and Catholic building will open its doors to students and teachers.

Over the weekend, families were invited to come tour the building and take in that new-school smell.

The new facility features two complete schools including two gymnasiums, elevators, sun roofs and an open space concept throughout. Each class room has its own smart board and projector and teachers have multiple white boards so they can change their classrooms around to suit their needs.

[........]

Read more:
http://ckom.com/story/photos-classes-set-start-willowgrove-schools/540026

[Brutopian]

City Looking at Better Access for Future Neighbourhood

Written by Mitchell Wrishko, saskatoonhomepage.ca

Monday, 09 March 2015

The city is aiming to avoid the same access issues Stonebridge has faced way ahead of time for a new neighbourhood called Brighton, set to be built just east of East College Park.

The project would involve the addition of an intersection with traffic lights along College Drive between the McOrmond Road and Highway 5 intersection and the train tracks.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca/city-looking-at-better-access-for-future-neighbourhood/itemid_21

[Brutopian]

Petition urges owners to save historic Farnam Block

By Charles Hamilton, The StarPhoenix

March 9, 2015

A local petition is being circulated urging the owners of the historic Farnam Block to save the 103-year-old building from the wrecking ball.

After sitting vacant for nearly two years, the Farnam Block building that once housed Lydia’s Pub is slated for demolition. The new owners say it is too expensive to renovate the Broadway-area property and they plan to tear it down.

That isn’t sitting well with some local residents.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saska...istoric+Farnam+Block/10874522/story.html

[dsmmace]

'Let's save a building that is going to crumble from the base up!" Yeah, sunshine and rainbows. The building is a huge liability, I personally don't think the it's 100% the current owners fault either, building upkeep was an issue prior to them buying it. I actually kinda feel for them as I'm sure they paid a pretty penny for the building/location.

The petition is 10 years too late and the Heritage Society needs to be proactive, not reactive.

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by Brutopian

City Looking at Better Access for Future Neighbourhood

Written by Mitchell Wrishko, saskatoonhomepage.ca

Monday, 09 March 2015

The city is aiming to avoid the same access issues Stonebridge has faced way ahead of time for a new neighbourhood called Brighton, set to be built just east of East College Park.

The project would involve the addition of an intersection with traffic lights along College Drive between the McOrmond Road and Highway 5 intersection and the train tracks.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca/city-looking-at-better-access-for-future-neighbourhood/itemid_21

Cool, just when McOrmand is set to get its upgrade, there will be a new impediment. Haha oh Saskatoon Planners you crack me up.

[SaskScraper]

Originally Posted by Brutopian

City Looking at Better Access for Future Neighbourhood

Written by Mitchell Wrishko, saskatoonhomepage.ca

Monday, 09 March 2015

The city is aiming to avoid the same access issues Stonebridge has faced way ahead of time for a new neighbourhood called Brighton, set to be built just east of East College Park.

The project would involve the addition of an intersection with traffic lights along College Drive between the McOrmond Road and Highway 5 intersection and the train tracks.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca/city-looking-at-better-access-for-future-neighbourhood/itemid_21

Seriously? City of Sask is just thinking of this now!, how to improve access to Brighton neighbour?? ..so College Dr/Highway 41 is going to be plagued with traffic lights anyway(just like highway 14 on the westside is now) even though they have plans to make an interchange at McOrmond? I predict more traffic accidents and collisions and deaths based on this single decision alone.. such a shame..

Why could they not just build an on-ramp on to College Dr (see below)

[hunter12]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

Seriously? City of Sask is just thinking of this now!, how to improve access to Brighton neighbour?? ..so College Dr/Highway 41 is going to be plagued with traffic lights anyway(just like highway 14 on the westside is now) even though they have plans to make an interchange at McOrmond? I predict more traffic accidents and collisions and deaths based on this single decision alone.. such a shame..

Why could they not just build an on-ramp on to College Dr (see below)

Or an exit ramp into Brighton from College Drive going NE where they want to put the intersection.

The planning in this city is making me sick. When the city reaches 500,000 or a million people we will look at the mess on College Drive and say "what idiots would make such a stupid decision to add traffic lights to a freeway"

If this proceeds, in the future we will spend millions trying to figure out how to fix it. Just like all the money we spend trying to fix mess we have on Circle Drive North.

You can't convince me that McOrmond coming out of Brighton can not be designed to handle the traffic without these additional intersections. You don't see them adding intersections on the Deerfoot in Calgary. This would be just about as stupid. Other major cities have figured out how to move traffic to a freeway.

[Irvin]

HOUSING STARTS

Saskatoon posted 62 single family and 185 multiple starts in Feb for a total of 247
Regina had total starts of 53 in Feb.

Year to date Saskatoon has a respectable 402 starts

[Irvin]

PARKTOWN HOTEL AND PARKSVILLE MANOR FOR SALE

On Colliers website the Parktown is for sale - likely to lose local ownership - are we to see a Double Tree or Marriott sign on this hotel?

[Irvin]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

The intersections are largely to get people from Holmwood onto the road. The city isn't going to spend $25,000,000 to build an interchange at each road. The city has planned lights at highway 41 for years.

Traffic is going to — from Holmwood. There's really no cheap way around it.

my recollection is that highway 41 will eventually meet up with the perimeter hwy and there would be an interchange there - so lights at hwy41 and hwy 5 would only be temporary