Saskatoon Construction II

[Arts]

Originally Posted by Irvin

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

However the current intersection of hwy41 and hwy5 is where the future Zimmerman Rd will connect to College Dr... so in 15 years when that is being used heavily by commuters and there is traffic coming from the east at 110km/h, there will be fatalities due to not having planned an appropriate interchange.

But if College is downgraded from freeway to an urban expressway, it won't matter much because it will just be clogged up anyhow.

[miked22]

Originally Posted by 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.

I signed it, although I am sure it is much, much too late. Still, I thought that perhaps if enough people show interest it may create some momentum for the city to change its policies going forward and I suppose there is always a very small chance a solution may come up that will save the building.

I don't blame the owners a whole lot. They saw an investment opportunity and they took advantage of it. But neither do I feel sorry for them. In the end, their investment will pay off and they should have expected some criticism in taking the decision to demolish this building.

Anyways, I am pretty much resigned to the fact that this building will soon be gone and so I think the focus should shift to how we can prevent these situations from happening in the future.

[drm310]

I checked it out and found they are using a photograph of mine without crediting me. Hopefully my feedback will recify that.

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

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

https://nutanagreeninfill.wordpress.com/

[Brutopian]

Originally Posted by Arts

However the current intersection of hwy41 and hwy5 is where the future Zimmerman Rd will connect to College Dr... so in 15 years when that is being used heavily by commuters and there is traffic coming from the east at 110km/h, there will be fatalities due to not having planned an appropriate interchange.

But if College is downgraded from freeway to an urban expressway, it won't matter much because it will just be clogged up anyhow.

Zach Jeffries (City Councillor for Ward 10) has posted on this forum before. His ward is located close to Brighton. Perhaps he can shed some light on the city's thinking here.

[Brutopian]

Two Saskatoon restaurants have been included in a list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1871553/canada...utm_medium=MostPopular&utm_campaign=2014

[Echoes]

Group prepares offer to save Saskatoon's historic Lydia's building
Petition asks current owners to keep building's exterior intact

Reported by Bre McAdam
First Posted: Mar 10, 2015 6:25pm

Hundreds of people have signed an online petition asking two Saskatoon chiropractors to save the Lydia's building on Broadway Avenue, but a group of business owners is ready to put their money where their mouth is in order to prevent the historic building from being demolished.

About eight people who either currently live in Saskatoon or are from the city are directly involved with the group. It's putting together an offer to buy the Farnam Block if the current owners aren't willing to keep the building's exterior intact.

“We've got a relatively young history so we don't have a whole lot of the heritage that some of the larger cities have, so for us it's a lot more valuable to ensure there's things set in place to keep that,” group member Sterling Summach told CKOM News. “It's history and it's heritage and once it's gone, it's gone forever.”

The current owners, Dr. Roger Kiva and Dr. Dean Potapinski, bought the 103-year-old building after Lydia's Pub closed its doors in 2013. They say the building is too expensive to renovate and needs to be torn down, but Summach's group wants to change their minds.

If they can't persuade the chiropractors to let the building stand, Summach said they are prepared to make an offer. He's staying tight-lipped about the amount, but said it would likely have to be more than what the current owners paid.

The group is in “indirect talks” with the owners, who they've been told are open to hearing their offer.

“They're businessmen, we respect that, so obviously they're not going to give it away for free and our group understands that,” Summach said. The plan is not about stifling business in Saskatoon, he points out, instead calling it a form of “social capitalism” that benefits both sides.

The tentative, preliminary plan is to transform the building into a "micro-retail co-operative" through a co-operative funding structure. Summach said they're also considering a working co-operative when it comes to renovating the building, in which different contractors would donate their work in lieu of cash in order to have a stake in the building. Summach said some contractors have even offered free labour if the sale takes place.

Several people have expressed interest in helping finance the building, and the group is also planning a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for a certain portion of the project.

But Summach admits time is not on their side; the demolition permit was signed last week and the wrecking ball could hit any day now.

“All we can do at this point is just go one step at a time. We have started a dialogue with (the owners); they know that there are people concerned out there and people willing to put their money where their mouth is.”

[....]

http://newstalk650.com/story/group-prepares-offer-save-saskatoons-historic-lydias-building/540525

Wow, this story just isn't over until it's over. There's now a group ready to put their money where their mouth is to save the building. All my fingers and toes are crossed!

[Echoes]

I did a google search of Sterling Summach, the member of the buyer group quoted in the article, and he's attached to a local company called EVCO Developments: http://www.evcodevelopments.ca

The company has done both renovations and new builds, mostly of residential, but they do have the repurposing of the Imperial Bank building in Rosthern under their belt.

There's also a news release on the website announcing the creation of the Renew Development Cooperative (http://www.renewcoop.ca) which is taking on its first project renovating a character home in City Park.

This is an exciting turn of events and I wish this group the best in their efforts to save the Farnam. If you're reading, I'm ready to give to your crowdfunding campaign as soon as it's up and running!

[Echoes]

Local investors may save Farnam Block

BY CHARLES HAMILTON, THE STARPHOENIX MARCH 10, 2015

A group of local people hopes to save the Farnam Block from destruction.

The 103-year-old Broadway Avenue building that once housed Lydia’s Pub could be knocked down any day now, after the city approved a demolition permit earlier this month.

Sterling Summach, a local developer, wants to stop that from happening.

“We don’t have a lot of history here in this city, and once these things are gone they are gone,” Summach said.

He said an online petition, which has already attracted more than 500 signatures, shows a desire to keep the historic building.

The Farnam Block has sat vacant for nearly two years since Lydia’s Pub abruptly closed in 2013.

The building was then purchased by two chiropractors, Roger Kiva and Dean Potapinski, who have since said it is in such disrepair that renovations are not economically feasible.

Through their real estate agent, they announced demolition plans earlier this month.

He does not fault the owners for their decision, but discussions about purchasing the building are about more than money, Summach said.

“We just feel if something isn’t done, we will regret it.”

Summach said his company, EVCO Developments, has experience renovating old properties and the group is confident the building can be re-purposed.

[....]

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saska...rnam+Block+Saskatoon/10878195/story.html

[Jezza]

Part of the reason why we aren't getting "proactive" overpasses/interchanges is that there is no money. Look at Stonebridge - the hwy 11 interchange is finally being built, because the developer has accrued enough development fees from property sales. Meanwhile the cost of construction has risen as well, so the city has to kick in more of their portion. I'm not impressed with this arrangement, either.

There is little money up front to drop in $30 mil interchanges where they will eventually be needed - that money is going now to things that needed interchanges years ago. Once Brighton etc. is online, it'll be a net benefit to the city - after the costs of city servicing and local roads are paid off, which takes a long, long time in low-density greenfield suburbs. Then there might be some extra $ for infrastructure upgrades (which will probably go to neighbourhoods who have been waiting for upgrades longer) or if the city can manage to convince the province to kick in highway funds.

If you look at it from some angles the development pattern represents a ponzi scheme - new neighbourhoods are built to generate money to fund growth to build new neighbourhoods. Meanwhile established older areas decay even while they are a net benefit for the city since their up front costs are paid off ages ago. I may be a bit bitter on this

I agree, it's not a great way to build a city, and a conversation is needed on stable, forward-thinking funding. It probably involves raising taxes and curbing greenfield development below the current level of 85% of new builds, which is why we're not having it.

[Echoes]

As of this morning there's demolition fencing up around the Farnam Block. I wonder how much time is left on the clock for this group to make their offer.

[jigglysquishy]

Originally Posted by Jezza

Part of the reason why we aren't getting "proactive" overpasses/interchanges is that there is no money. Look at Stonebridge - the hwy 11 interchange is finally being built, because the developer has accrued enough development fees from property sales. Meanwhile the cost of construction has risen as well, so the city has to kick in more of their portion. I'm not impressed with this arrangement, either.

There is little money up front to drop in $30 mil interchanges where they will eventually be needed - that money is going now to things that needed interchanges years ago. Once Brighton etc. is online, it'll be a net benefit to the city - after the costs of city servicing and local roads are paid off, which takes a long, long time in low-density greenfield suburbs. Then there might be some extra $ for infrastructure upgrades (which will probably go to neighbourhoods who have been waiting for upgrades longer) or if the city can manage to convince the province to kick in highway funds.

If you look at it from some angles the development pattern represents a ponzi scheme - new neighbourhoods are built to generate money to fund growth to build new neighbourhoods. Meanwhile established older areas decay even while they are a net benefit for the city since their up front costs are paid off ages ago. I may be a bit bitter on this

I agree, it's not a great way to build a city, and a conversation is needed on stable, forward-thinking funding. It probably involves raising taxes and curbing greenfield development below the current level of 85% of new builds, which is why we're not having it.

Suburban growth is inherently unsustainable. Luckily the city is changing their tune and beginning to focus on infill.

In the growth plan to a city population of 500,000 the city wants 50% of all growth as infill. That's an extra 125,000 people inside Circle Drive.

The city has also changed how they do suburbs. Evergreen, Aspen Ridge, and Brighton will end up being the three densest neighbourhoods in the province once they're completed. All will have densities in the 4500-4800 people per square kilometre.

The city has completely changed their focus. BRT, dense suburbs, infill development, downtown growth. That's what Saskatoon is trying to do now.

[Brutopian]

Demolition starts on Saskatoon's historic Farnam Block

24-hour window to save historic property

CBC News, Mar 11, 2015

Workers are gutting the inside of Saskatoon's Farnam Block in the first phase of tearing down the historic property.

A group of investors are trying to buy the Broadway Avenue building from its owners so that they can save it. But the window to do that is rapidly closing as workers take apart the structure from the inside.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/...katoon-s-historic-farnam-block-1.2990540

[Echoes]

Demo of the P&H mill has begun:



https://twitter.com/KellyGerMalone/status/575727556172754945

[North_Regina_Boy]

Wow two high-profile demo's at once. THAT is going to change the corner at 33rd and 3rd!

[scotty c]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

Wow two high-profile demo's at once. THAT is going to change the corner at 33rd and 3rd!

The P&H demo isn't the flour mill at 33rd and 3rd. It's (I'm guessing here) Ave P and 18th st in the Industrial Area south of the hospital.

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

Suburban growth is inherently unsustainable. Luckily the city is changing their tune and beginning to focus on infill.

In the growth plan to a city population of 500,000 the city wants 50% of all growth as infill. That's an extra 125,000 people inside Circle Drive.

The city has also changed how they do suburbs. Evergreen, Aspen Ridge, and Brighton will end up being the three densest neighbourhoods in the province once they're completed. All will have densities in the 4500-4800 people per square kilometre.

The city has completely changed their focus. BRT, dense suburbs, infill development, downtown growth. That's what Saskatoon is trying to do now.

I've read the plans too and attended the open houses, including the 500,000 plan. The plans are great, and I'm excited for them - if they get implemented as shown. They are set up by a consultant (500,000 plan is Urban Systems IIRC) and have to be accepted and approved by the city.

There's no leadership or actual push to enforce progress towards the plans - the plan comes out, everyone oohs and ahhs, then it's business as usual. Infill is 15% right now and the infill plan that will help change this is being held up at council and committee. The mayor right now is opposing anything that will remove parking from the downtown and yet wants 10,000 people to live there without any changes.

Evergreen is projected to have a density of 8.6 units per acre. Truly sustainable development is at 12 or above. I sure hope the leadership to come in the next years has the guts to make meaningful change otherwise we're in trouble.

[Crisis]

Lots of pictures from Greg Pender of the Star Phoenix related to the impending demo of the building:

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Photos+Lydia+demolished/10880743/story.html

[CCF]

Originally Posted by Jezza

I've read the plans too and attended the open houses, including the 500,000 plan. The plans are great, and I'm excited for them - if they get implemented as shown. They are set up by a consultant (500,000 plan is Urban Systems IIRC) and have to be accepted and approved by the city.

There's no leadership or actual push to enforce progress towards the plans - the plan comes out, everyone oohs and ahhs, then it's business as usual. Infill is 15% right now and the infill plan that will help change this is being held up at council and committee. The mayor right now is opposing anything that will remove parking from the downtown and yet wants 10,000 people to live there without any changes.

This is precisely it.

The question becomes, how do you transition the goals and objectives of the plan (i.e. for intensification, downtown revitalization, etc) into actual progress.

This is a problem not exclusive to Saskatoon but cities across the country. There's a real gap in how we go from identifying policies to implementation.

If our commutes are serious about growth and development in a more sustainable manner, then it means we need to make significant changes. Simply putting these goals into a plan is not enough.

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by scotty c

The P&H demo isn't the flour mill at 33rd and 3rd. It's (I'm guessing here) Ave P and 18th st in the Industrial Area south of the hospital.

Aww yes right sorry. Although I did read that one is suppose to come down as well. Regardless though the drive from the SW side of the city will change DRAMATICALLY!

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

Aww yes right sorry. Although I did read that one is suppose to come down as well. Regardless though the drive from the SW side of the city will change DRAMATICALLY!

It sure will. That mill is, er, was a prominent feature of the south view from St Paul's. I remember spending a lot of time staring at it during a hospital stay there.